Blsck History Month: Day 22, Libya, Egypt.Africa

James Brown, dubbed the father of soul, may have sung a song so titled, but with an elevated arm with a fist, this silent gesture shouted the message much louder. When Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Olympic track stars thrust theirs arm upward during the singing of the national anthem of the United States after receiving their medals, it was a message of hope. That silent gesture spoke to a condition of the people: recognize we are proud people.

These were symbols," Smith said. "And I think people remember symbols much more than anything else. We didn't have time to talk, because we were on the victory stand, but the hand (fist gesture) didn't represent so much black power as it did just power, social power, social equity. … And on the stand it was a prayer, a cry for freedom. It was very simple, but people made it so big because it was two black athletes on the victory stand and in an Olympic game, a sporting event. This was the big problem with America.

Black History Month Day 21, Dowdell Mob /Atlanta/Alabama

DOWDELL, James Ferguson, a Representative from Alabama; born near Monticello, Jasper County, Ga., November 26, 1818; completed preparatory studies and in 1840 was graduated from Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Va.; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1841 and commenced practice in Greenville, Ga.; moved to Chambers County, Ala., in 1846 and engaged in agricultural pursuits; unsuccessful candidate for election to the State house of representatives in 1849 and 1851; elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-third, Thirty-fourth, and Thirty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1853-March 3, 1859); during the Civil War served as colonel of the Thirty-seventh Regiment, Alabama Volunteer Infantry, under General Price from 1862 until the close of the war; president of the East Alabama College at Auburn 1868-1870; died near Auburn, Lee County, Ala., September 6, 1871; interment in City Cemetery.

from Auburn University.

Black History Month Day 20,Nobody said the road would be easy

How Long? You may grow sick and tired, and begin to believe in the old by any means necessary but continue to have the audacity to hope.

Black History Month Day 19, Searching for wisdom and establishing a knowledge base

Your door is shut against my tightened face,And I am sharp as steel with discontent;But I possess the courage and the graceTo bear my anger proudly and unbent.The pavement slabs burn loose beneath my feet,A chafing savage, down the decent street;And passion rends my vitals as I pass,Where boldly shines your shuttered door of glass.Oh, I must search for wisdom every hour,Deep in my wrathful bosom sore and raw,And find in it the superhuman powerTo hold me to the letter of your law!Oh, I must keep my heart inviolateAgainst the potent poison of your hate.. The White House by Claude McKay


WE wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,— This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let the world dream otherwise, We wear the mask! Paul Dunbar


So you want to know why I'm always high And why you never ever see me cry? Why do I shoot up all this junk? Have you ever seen your dad sloppy drunk? Sure I would like to have more knowledge But my dad drank up my money for college. So, how can you look at me with such conceit When you don't even live on MY street. So you want to know why I ran away? Why in boarded up buildings I'm hiding each day? You want to know why I choose to steal And do what I have to , just to get a meal? Well, I don't worry about getting good grades. All I worry about now is getting AIDS! Look at you with your life so sweet But you don't live on MY street. You ask me WHY at fourteen I'm having this baby? Am I ignorant, retarded, or just plain lazy? What on earth was I thinking about? I was hoping my momma wouldn't put me out! See, your mamma's boyfriend ain't messing with you, And putting his hands on your little sister too. Naw, the seventh grade I didn't complete. But, hey , you dont live on MY street. So you want to know why I dropped out of school? How many times can you be called a "fool"? Ever since first grade I been called slow. so I wouln't give the answer even if I did know! And how was I supposed to concentrate? When I can't remember the last time I ate Do you live everyday with defeat? Then you don't even live on MY street. You ask me why I stay with him. When he beats my head again and again? You want to know why I don't get upset, When he makes each drunken idle threat. Well, do you have rats running cross your head? When you lay down in your broke-down bed? Do you have shoes to cover your feet? Then you don't live on MY street.
You want to know why I'm not raising my "chile?" Well, you know, I ain't worked in a while. You want to know why I don't keep in touch? Is buying some Pampers asking too much? Can I start coming 'round' the place? I'm ashamed to let my "chile"see my face. You s'posed to get out of the kitchen if you can't take the heat! So, naw, you don't live on MY street! You don't know a thing about me, But, there are some things that you must see. Until you have walked in my shoes for awhile, And had a taste of my lifestyle. Until you have lived in my house, and given a name to each mouse. Until you've seen your mama get beat, You don't even live on MY street Until you have walked my walk, Until you have talked my talk. Until you have knelt down on my kness, Until you have eaten my government cheese. Until you have smelled life through my nose. Until you have worn my panty hose. Until you have seen life through my eyes. Until you have worn my dress size Until you have lived inside my head, Until you have laid down in my bed Until you have read what's on my mind, Until you have stood in a welfare line Until you have been called my name Until you have felt some of my shame Until you have sold some of my dope, Until you have lost all of my hope Until you have stood under my rain, Until you have felt some of my pain Until you have eaten what I've had to eat, Then understand this: YOU don't LIVE on MY street
You don't live on my street by Rebera Elliott Foston M.D.

Black History Month Day 18, A Long Walk for Freedom

Tour bus travels from Atlanta to Selma, Montgomery,
and the Edmund Pettus Bridge with a Special tribute to Jimmie Lee Jackson

Evelyn Gibson Lowery at Jimmie Lee Jackson Monument


Tour bus travels from Atlanta to Selma, Montgomery,
and the Edmund Pettus Bridge with a Special tribute to Jimmie Lee Jackson

Evelyn Gibson Lowery at Jimmie Lee Jackson Monument

Atlanta, GA - In commemoration of Bloody Sunday, on the weekend of March 5 - 6, SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Inc. (SCLC/W.O.M.E.N) will take bus loads of people from diverse backgrounds on a two-day tour through the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement. Created in 1987, the annual Evelyn Gibson Lowery Civil Rights Heritage Tour visits several historic sites and meets with people instrumental in the Movement. Students, seniors, elected officials, dignitaries, and celebrities have joined the tour over the years.

This year founder and chair of SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Evelyn Gibson Lowery, will honor the family of slain activist, Jimmie Lee Jackson, whose murderer - an Alabama State Trooper - plead guilty to the 1965 crime in 2010 and was sentenced to six months in jail. The tribute will be held directly in front of the monument SCLC/W.O.M.E.N erected in Jackson's memory at the historic ZionMethodistChurch, once a meeting place for civil rights workers.

The tour bus departs from the organization's headquarters on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta and traces the paths of history by visiting historical sites in Birmingham, Marion, Selma, Whitehall, Montgomery, and Tuskegee, Alabama. In addition to meeting people who made history participating in the movement and reliving events that forced dramatic change in America, the group will visit monuments constructed in memory of: Viola Liuzzo, Rev. Hosea Williams, Earl T. Shinhoster, Coretta Scott King, Rev. James Orange, Rev. James Reeb, Albert Turner, Sr., Rosa Parks, and Freedom Wall. Tour participants will also March across the EdmundPettusBridge reenacting the "Bloody Sunday" march.

On March 7, 1965, 600 peaceful protestors started a 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery in response to Jimmy Lee Jackson's murder and to protest for voter's rights. As they crossed the EdmundPettusBridge, the marchers were violently attacked by State Troopers with nightsticks and teargas. The violent incident - known as "Bloody Sunday" - was broadcast on live television and caused outrage around the country. Two days later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a second march that was turned back by State Troopers. After a federal judicial review, over 25,000 people were allowed to march escorted by the National Guard. Soon afterward, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 forcing states to end discriminatory voting practices.

The Heritage Tour is open to the public. Travel packages include transportation, lodging, two meals per day, and snacks. For more information call SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now at (404) 584-0303 or email sclcwomeninc@aol.com.

# # #

SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now is an independent 501c(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1979 by Evelyn Gibson Lowery to champion the rights of women, children, families, and responding to the problems of the disenfranchised regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or religion. Programs include: youth mentoring, domestic violence education, HIV/AIDS education, and computer training. Their Heritage Pride program hosts the annual Evelyn Gibson Lowery Civil Rights Heritage Tour through the cradle of the civil rights movement and has erected 13 monuments honoring civil rights icons.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Mrs. Lowery is available for interview. Contact Edrea @ edmedia@dogonvillage.com or 770.961.6200.
Atlanta, GA - In commemoration of Bloody Sunday, on the weekend of March 5 - 6, SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Inc. (SCLC/W.O.M.E.N) will take bus loads of people from diverse backgrounds on a two-day tour through the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement. Created in 1987, the annual Evelyn Gibson Lowery Civil Rights Heritage Tour visits several historic sites and meets with people instrumental in the Movement. Students, seniors, elected officials, dignitaries, and celebrities have joined the tour over the years.

This year founder and chair of SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Evelyn Gibson Lowery, will honor the family of slain activist, Jimmie Lee Jackson, whose murderer - an Alabama State Trooper - plead guilty to the 1965 crime in 2010 and was sentenced to six months in jail. The tribute will be held directly in front of the monument SCLC/W.O.M.E.N erected in Jackson's memory at the historic ZionMethodistChurch, once a meeting place for civil rights workers.

The tour bus departs from the organization's headquarters on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta and traces the paths of history by visiting historical sites in Birmingham, Marion, Selma, Whitehall, Montgomery, and Tuskegee, Alabama. In addition to meeting people who made history participating in the movement and reliving events that forced dramatic change in America, the group will visit monuments constructed in memory of: Viola Liuzzo, Rev. Hosea Williams, Earl T. Shinhoster, Coretta Scott King, Rev. James Orange, Rev. James Reeb, Albert Turner, Sr., Rosa Parks, and Freedom Wall. Tour participants will also March across the EdmundPettusBridge reenacting the "Bloody Sunday" march.

On March 7, 1965, 600 peaceful protestors started a 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery in response to Jimmy Lee Jackson's murder and to protest for voter's rights. As they crossed the EdmundPettusBridge, the marchers were violently attacked by State Troopers with nightsticks and teargas. The violent incident - known as "Bloody Sunday" - was broadcast on live television and caused outrage around the country. Two days later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a second march that was turned back by State Troopers. After a federal judicial review, over 25,000 people were allowed to march escorted by the National Guard. Soon afterward, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 forcing states to end discriminatory voting practices.

The Heritage Tour is open to the public. Travel packages include transportation, lodging, two meals per day, and snacks. For more information call SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now at (404) 584-0303 or email sclcwomeninc@aol.com.

# # #

SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now is an independent 501c(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1979 by Evelyn Gibson Lowery to champion the rights of women, children, families, and responding to the problems of the disenfranchised regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or religion. Programs include: youth mentoring, domestic violence education, HIV/AIDS education, and computer training. Their Heritage Pride program hosts the annual Evelyn Gibson Lowery Civil Rights Heritage Tour through the cradle of the civil rights movement and has erected 13 monuments honoring civil rights icons.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Mrs. Lowery is available for interview. Contact Edrea @ edmedia@dogonvillage.com or 770.961.6200.

Madison Wisconsin is growing it union member protest

In Madison, Wisconsin, over 48% of those 25 years old and older hold a bachelor degree. Over 84% of the population is raced white. But what got Madison in the news this week, was the outrage against the Republican Governor Scott Walker. Governor Walker wants state workers to pay more for pensions and health care. And Governor Walker is attacking the unions to prevent any backlash against his demands for state workers to pay more. But it seems there has been a push back by unions members.

Protestors have hit the State Capitol to kill a bill that would limit collective bargaining for certain state workers, and exempting other state workers. However, the divide and conquer tactic did not stop those who were exempt in the bill from joining in the protest.

The protesters chants of "Kill the Bill!" and "Recall Walker Now!" could be heard throughout the day and long past dark. They beat on drums and carry signs deriding Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his plan to end collective bargaining for state, county and local workers, except for police, firefighters and the state patrol. Hundreds of teachers have joined the protests by calling in sick, forcing some school districts to cancel classes.

The peaceful protestors have been growing in strength in the last three days. It is expected that the rally will last over the weekend allowing neighboring states union members to join in the protest. With Madison, Wisconsin being called a little Cairo without the violence, will the rally cry be enough to make the Republican back down?

Black History Months, Day 17: Hopes and Dreams for our future

Hopes and Dreams can be beat out of you by caring parents. Parents who are trying to protect you from disappointments. Disappointments that are embedded in some folks in the world with buried dreams or hope for their lives. And other disappointmens drafted in tried and true laws created to limit and restrict your expectations of what it is to live as who you are. In other words man trying to order your steps!

I think about this when, when a young man was killed in our hometown.

A friend told me about a book, The Measure of a Man. I remembered what she said about the measure of a man. I decided to blog about this message embodied in the title to get young folks to man up and recognize the fact that they are not street.


My friend used the phrase again during a conversation and she tells me I need to get the book and read it. The words stuck with me, as a challenge for me to give put this message out there for other men as a catch phrase to man up. I made a mental note to get the book from my library, soon...

Well, I was finally pushed to get the book because the main library where I spent a lot of time was due to close. So, I needed to get there before the move. I am told because of the move, I could keep the book for three weeks! Enough time to put it to the side ..to read later. But, my friend calls me and says something like, "guess what book Oprah has selected for her book club?" Well bingo it's "The Measure of a Man". I had the book, but was not compelled to read it.

So, after the Oprah book club announcement I decided well now it's really a good time for me to read the book just in case, I am selected to go on the show with my friend who has read the book years ago. I believe in miracles.

I decide to pace myself in reading the book. One chapter a day would allow me to read the book in a week. But that did not happen. I could not get into the book. I was too distracted. I could not get into Mr. Poitier, writing style, and I kept having flash backs about Poitier leavig his wife to marry a raced white woman. I had to read for a limited amount of time. I was curious and was wondering if he would address this issue. Besides I loved his movies, Guess who's coming to dinner, Who did not cheer for him in To sir with love, and They call me Mr. Tibbs?

So, I had to fight to find his personality that was on the screen in his writing. it was slow, but I eventually found it and once again I connected to him like some of his characters he played in his career. From the writing, he caused me to go in my mind to my childhood and meager beginnings. Meager beginnings, but surrounded by family, my great grandmother, my grandparents, my mother. The conversational tone used in the writing, like, you hear me, reminded me of a time when folks who cared about you talked to you, in such phrasings. Wise saying with only a few words, brief sentences and not a long lecture. But you found yourself remembering the message, twenty years later with ash on your face. Poitier called it a language shaped from a scarcity of money. Others, unable to give you guidance with this limited language did so by using a method used by his mama, a wham here and a wham there in taming this wide eyed optimism in believing you could defy all odds.

To read about this recklessness, as a youth, we take life for granted as we did things that were simply suicidal, ( like myself walking on the railing of a bridge above the train track, often, supported only by beams under my feet, but survived anyway). In the Measure of a Man, Poitier gives several moments of reflections, and it seems to have to do with water! A truly deadly force of nature. But some how you survive in spite of the harsh warnings that family offer to protect you from these outside influences, these dangers in the world coming from Family.

Poitier speaks of the family. The honor in sharing with family. The fact that one honors their mother and father with your own life work is what touched my heart in this book. It was not enough to read how his father provided for his family. The tears came from reading the diligence of a mother to make a way out of no way. The work of beating a rock into pebbles with a hammer. The determination, the sheer will, and the commitment to do such a task over and over again, fired my spirit into uncontrollable tears. How folks must push through to survive during difficult times.

I found myself quoting some of Mr. Poitier sayings, you hear me! In doing so I embraced the meaning my great grandmother, grandparents and mother in their saying, nobody said the road would be easy, it's on down the road for you, mingled with the new old a leaf changes overnight for my children and grandchildren. Life is tough. But what makes it easier, is having hopes that become a plan in which to set goals in overcoming rules or obstacles that tell you it is hopeless to do things differently.

My grandfather was my measure of a man. He encouraged me when others said who does she think she is to think differently. It was my grandfather's words that motivated me to try and see and envision a different world. It was his words through my mother life that inspired me, as he did not bend or swear when others lied on him. So was it my mother's path. Neither went to that place, when others attacked their right to be exactly who they were. My mother would say, do you think I chose to be born this way? Poitier reminded me of this...My grandfather life lived beat the hopelessness out of me no matter the obstacles that nature throws my way. Hopes and dreams goes beyond a belief system placed upon you by laws created to restrict ones ambition for going places where you unwanted. I joined a choir, and at that time, included today, could not carry a note, but my grandfather, made me think I could sing! Most favorable.

Poitier points out you will be rejected for doing such thing, with the question, who are you and where did you come from? And the answer is simply I am the one I choose to be and it helps to have family, friends and sometime enemies to motivate you. Poitier learned this early in life, I had forgotten this, thank you Mr. Poitier, as I continue to write over 600 posts on this blog.

Today, I read about Indiana being 3rd in homicides in the nation. This is not good news for African-Americans in my city, especially African-Americans males.

Refugees or Illegal immigrants? Italy will have to decide

This photo released by the Italian Premier's press office, Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, center, and Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, left, for an inauguration of a property called Mineo. On Tuesday, February 15, 2011 visited the former military housing now vacant to become home to the new arrivals.

The residence of the Oranges in addition to being the solution to meet emergency landing, it could also be used for refugees and asylum seekers: "The idea of the government - said Maroni, during a press conference in the prefecture in Catania - is that Mineo to accommodate all applicants, even those, about four thousand, which is currently distributed in Cara (Centers for asylum seekers) in all of Italy. "
An idea that, as the head of the Interior Ministry added, is the President of the Council. The residence is a complex of 404 apartments, built about 18 thousand square meters in the district of Cucinella Mineo and can accommodate seven thousand people. The village was inhabited for a decade by U.S. Marines, serving the nearby base in Sigonella, and their families.

It seems with the revolts that are occurring on North Africa shores, some folks are fleeing to Italy.
Over 5000 Tunisians have landed in parts of Italy.

Yesterday, Italy appealed for urgent EU aid to halt a wave of illegal immigrants fleeing Tunisia as hundreds more arrived by boat. The new arrivals on the island of Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost point, took to more than 5000 the number of undocumented immigrants intercepted by coastguard patrols and brought to the tiny outcrop in the past five days.

The number of expected refugees rather than illegal immigrants is to climb even higher, quickly. It is reported over 80,000 are headed to Sicily island.

"We await the arrival of 80 000 Tunisians in Sicily." It 's a total number of emergency, which estimated that the Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, who raised the alarm-immigrants in Lampedusa island and today was with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

Black History Month Day,16 : In the words of the Delaney sisters, I am going to have my say!

Alexis Herman, former Secretary of Labor for the United States of America

I am a descendant of slaves in a country built on slave labor. Now, to have the responsibility of all labor," she trails off. "Well, let's just say that to be here now is historic, special and humbling.

Alexis Herman was to speak on Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, it never happened.

African-American history teaches us that many African-Americans were creative thinkers and did not want to settle for living in slave states. They would risk their lives to escape to Indian Territory. This area became the northern states, including Indiana where many Indians were slaughtered after befriending the new colonists.

Indiana became the 19th state with a constitution forbidding slavery, in 1816. This was to control the number of African-Americans who were allowed to live in the new territory. The fear that at the growth of African-Americans would overtake the new territory. So,a new form of slavery was introduced called indentured servitude. African-Americans had to have sponsorship, meaning giving their labor to raced whites folks to remain in the territory. If not these African-Americans would be booted back into slavery in the southern states. Many African-Americans who could passed for raced white settled on the outskirts of the territory and some family members were viewed as slaves based on skin color and were left alone but were really family members. Dr. Johnetta B. Cole called this as part of the psychic of studying the master and attempting to get along.

Efforts to identify with the oppressor and prove oneself worthy are accompanied by self-denial and self-deprecation because it is difficult if not impossible to embrace one image of oneself without letting a conflicting one go. This stripping of oneself takes many and diverse forms, from out-and-out "passing" to disassociating oneself from one's people and aspects of one's cultural heritage.

The northerners were not familiar with African-Americans looking like them who passed for raced white. This was simply looking at skin color. One reason was because Africans had came over to the new territory and were part of the Indian community. Many folks today look simply at color and assume folks belong to a specific group. Many raced white folks were fooled long ago and today many are afraid that if they not segregated that their family may become tainted by others African-Americans who are passing for almost any ethnic group, including raced whites. It is called the Hitler syndrome, hoping to remain pure. Pure meaning no dark skin babies..only in America!

In closing, for some African-Americans who can not pass because of skin color, they try to pass in other ways. Some African-Americans will distance themselves from language,music, religion, food or anything that is viewed as a negative trait by raced whites in relationship to the African-Americans. In doing so, they are seeking the approval of those who hate African-Americans on their own terms, and only will relate to those African-Americans who know their place. And an African-American knowing his or her place is because of sponsorship or approval by raced whites. Is this 1787 thinking? No thinking is current in 2007. James Baldwin, calls it the price of the ticket to belong in America. In the words of the Delaney sisters, I am going to have my say!

Black History Month Day 15, Willing to Serve our Country

Chaplain Garland White fought for the right of African-Americans to live as citizens in the United States. White may have been motivated by Frederick Douglass who was encouraging men to fight for their right to serve and citizenship. Harriet Tubman, during war time joined, not leaving our women's demands to be recognized as citizens, too.

The story of Garland White appears in the records of the Twenty-eighth USCI. He was a slave belonging to Robert Toombs of Georgia. White, who was literate, studied to become a minister while still a slave. According to documents in his file, he was licensed and "authorized to preach the Gospel" on September 10, 1859, in Washington, Georgia. In 1860 Toombs, with White as a house servant, was living in Washington, D.C. The Toombs’s residence was two doors away from William Seward’s, at the time a senator from New York. It is apparent from correspondence in his record that White enjoyed a friendly relationship with Seward.

During his time in Washington, White became a fugitive and made his way to Canada. According to his records, he was appointed to the "Pastorial Charge of London mission. The said mission being under the jurisdiction of the B. M. E. Annual Conference." It is not known how long he stayed in Canada, but he was very aware of the Civil War and knew that Seward was President Lincoln’s secretary of state. He wrote to him from Canada and told him of his desire to serve his country in any way he could. Garland White returned to the United States (the exact date is not known) and began recruiting for the new USCT. He went to New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Indiana. He raised most of the men of the Twenty-eighth USCI. He petitioned Seward for help in obtaining the chaplaincy of the regiment. In his letter to Seward, White wrote, "I also joined the regiment as a private to be with my boys and should I fail to get my commission I shall willingly serve my time out."

On September 1, 1864, the Field and Company Officers elected Garland H. White chaplain of the Twenty-eighth USCI, subject to the approval of the secretary of war. On October 25, by order of the secretary of war, Garland H. White was appointed chaplain of the Twenty-eighth USCI. He was thirty-five years old. All the previous correspondence was found in his compiled military service record.

H.L Gaulden, member of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Black History Month Day 14, Creating your own

Ida Barnett Wells was born during the era of slavery and lived during the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. Wells would live to witness the birth of Jim Crow laws which prevented African-Americans from enjoying true liberation. The laws were a reminder of Abraham Lincoln words for African-Americans, they were "free but not equal". Neither words, free or equal applied to African-American women. Wells experienced this silence on her intersectional position of being both an African-American and a woman from enforcement of the United States Constitution. As an educated African-American woman, Wells discovered evem with the new provisions within the document did not and would not protect an African-American woman from being manhandled by raced white men. Who battled for the rights of African-American woman?

The fight would becomes Wells.


One day, Wells was asked to move to another section of the train. Wells, was told to move into a smoking section. But that day, Wells must have understood that this demand was not only an insult as a citizen but as a threat against her as a woman. Wells refused to move and was thrown off the train. This light bulb moment would illuminate a different path for the teacher she was trained to be. Wells would now take a life time crusade against not only discrimination against African-Americans but for legal protection for African-American women.

Wells would have to channel the messages from both former crusaders Sojourner Truth and Maria Stewart. It could not be left up to raced whites as Sojourner Truth pointed out, in defining womanhood when she asked "Ain't I A Woman ?" in order to be acknowledged by raced white males. Stewart stated that it was up to the African-American woman to define what it meant to be a woman. Wells'battle plan would have fuse the two together to craft a newspaper by a woman about Africam-Americans.

Wells' newspaper, the Free Speech to tell about the injustices committed against her as an African-American woman. This same newspaper would later chronicle the horrible lynching that were occurring in the south. Wells newspaper documented the number of lynching’s that were occurring under the passive Separate but Equal doctrine. One of her reports an incident of lynching involving her friends and another the torturing of a man accused of raping a raced white young female. The lynching was a public event with witnesses collecting souvenirs.

Wells reports showcased the South total disregard for human life. Wells learned through her travels to other countries, sympathy in her outrages against the south. Wells found a listening ear from the women in Britain. Britain had offered emancipated African-Americans freedom long before President Lincoln. The south was losing many African-Americans fleeing from the south to both Britain and Canada. Well suggested that African-Americans leave Memphis and go elsewhere to live.

Women in other countries were surprised to leave that Wells did not find support for her causes in fighting against injustices from other women in the United States. Wells reported that America's woman movement did not include African-American women. Highlighting the hypocrisy within the pious women movement fight for equality for all women, Wells pointed out the non existence of African-American women membership. In fact, the United States woman movement was a battle about class among raced white women. A class warfare as to which raced white women could enter the sphere of true womanhood and be classed a "lady". These women would be allowed to enter society or sororities to mate and marry America's patriotic and prominent males.

Wells writings about these contradictions in America angered her opponents and her newspaper was destroyed. Wells had to do what she was advocating for others to do. Wells had to flee to the north for her own safety. Wells continued her crusade against racial injustices by helping organize the NAACP. Her voice would replace her newspaper as she ran for political office. This would provide Wells an opportunity to rally others to the bully pulpit to fight for the legal rights of all African-Americans, including women.

Wells life journey reminds us of the outrage years later when mild mannered Rosa Parks, a woman, refused to give her seat to a raced white male and remained in her seat.

Black History Month Day 13, Josephine Langston, Richard, Alexandre

Paris can be unpredictable and infuriating one minute, and irresistible, serene, liberating and generous the next. She can be the height of civilized living and the depth of gratuitous rudeness. She is full of beauty and perfect places to live. Paris offers the best reason to spend a day doing nothing if you feel like it, without ever feeling alone. Every quartier of Paris is a little village. Old, young, rich, poor, Left Bank intellectual to River Bank yuppie, everyone meets at the bakerís for their daily baguette. Fashions may change in Paris, but never Paris, its splendor eternal and unparalleled. It is a city whose magic is bestowed on both visitor and native.

Here, we can still recall the lives of all those who have come from other countries. From my house, I love to cross the Luxembourg Gardens, with its palace built by a homesick Italian queen, go past a replica of the Statue of Liberty and down the rue Tournon, where there is a plaque on the house where John Paul Jones lived and another on the house where Casanova lived. I can walk past a bookstore filled with the white-jacketed books with only a title and no illustration that Countee Cullen loved so much, or an outdoor cafÈ where Richard Wright wrote.

France, perhaps more than any other country in Europe, has valued its black citizens and welcomed black Americans. More than a hundred years ago, Paris recognized the genius of its great historical novelist, the immensely popular black French writer Alexandre Dumas (1802ñ1870), famous for The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. For more than a century, black Americans have expatriated to Paris for political, economic, artistic, and racial reasons. The African American painter Henry Ossawa Tanner, son of a Philadelphia pastor and member of the black bourgeoisie, lived and exhibited in Paris between 1891 and 1900, and was acclaimed and richly rewarded by the Parisians. But it was during the First World War, when more than two hundred thousand black soldiers fought on European soil, that the first real immigration of blacks occurred. Although they found themselves segregated in the American army, they were welcomedóand were even considered "American" rather than "black"óby the French.

Not only did the French appear to be color blind, but they were also intrigued by a new American art form: jazz. They loved the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hell Fighters Band, which captivated French audiences everywhere with its ragtime, its military tunes, its blues, and all that jazz. After the war, a jazz band was formed by members of the Hell Fighters who, along with thousands of other black veterans, remained in Paris. This was the beginning of the love affair between the French people and American jazz that survives to this day.

This passion reached fever pitch when musician Sidney Bechet and dancer-singer Josephine Baker came to Paris with La Revue NÈgre in 1925. Although it was Sidney Bechet who was the genius, it was Baker who the French took to their hearts. She became the symbol of all the beauty, verve, and energy of the Americans, and between the two world wars she became a legend. Baker strode up the Champs ElysÈes with a pair of leopards and sang of her two loves: "my country and Paris." During World War II she fought simultaneously for the Free French and against racism in the United States. For her courage and her humanity, the French decorated her with the medal of the Legion of Honor, which was buried with her in a state funeral when she died in 1975. Americans, however, ostracized her for her extravagant, flamboyant style for years, and she never really worked in the American theater again.

Between the two wars, all the great names of the Harlem Renaissance passed through Paris, some of them remaining for years, like the poets Countee Cullen and Claude McKay, both of whom lived here in the 1920s. Literary talents as diverse as Richard Wright, Chester Himes, James Baldwin, William Gardner Smith, and John A. Williams, as well as dozens of theatrical people, including the actor Gordon Heath and the singer Jimmy "Lover Man" Davis, established themselves on the Left Bank of Paris.

These black Americans fled the United States to escape racial tension, discrimination and lynching, and a wave of conservatism brought on by Prohibition that was very similar to todayís atmosphere in America. Their purpose in coming to Paris was to define and consolidate their own Americanness outside of racial stereotypes and to have it changed by a European point of view. But, in truth, most of these Americans returned home as steadfastly American in outlook and culture as when they left.

African Americans have held a special place in their hearts for Paris. When the great African American poet Langston Hughes decided to make his home in Paris, his friend Arna Bontemps wrote to him, saying that someone who had reached the stage in his career that Hughes hadówhen he could contemplate his past and read the biographies being written about himóhad earned the right to live in Paris before living in paradise.

The eighties brought high-powered black corporate executives and lawyers, state department officials and stunning photographersí models to the Paris scene. Black Broadway musicals such as Ainít Misbehaviní, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Dreamgirls, Porgy and Bess, and Black and Blue have all had long runs in Parisian theaters. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is always sold out on its annual tour here. The Jeffersons, the television sitcom, is one of the most popular shows in France. Singer-dancer Vivian Reed, star of Bubbling Brown Sugar, is regarded as the reincarnation of Josephine Baker.

My novel Sally Hemings (translated under the title La Virginianne), about the liaison between Thomas Jefferson and his slave wife, was a best-seller in France, with over a million copies sold. Books about the life of black expatriates, Harlem, Left Bank, by the French writer Michel Fabre, and Paris Noir by Tyler Stovall, are similarly successful. The opera divas Barbara Hendricks and Jessye Norman are regulars on the Parisian social scene. Predominantly black jazz festivals are held year-round all over the country, but especially during the summer months on the Riviera; they have been a French tradition since the early fifties

Black History Month Day 12: Who will tell our story?

As I was making my way to class on September 11, 2001, I stopped by the bank. Concerned about the distraught look on my favorite teller face, I asked if anything was wrong. What she shared with me, at the moment, jolted me into total awareness. I was unwilling to process or accept that the World Trade Center Towers had been attacked and the Pentagon. Her words were not enough to convince me that unthinkable had occurred. I made my way to campus, but not to class.

But elsewhere, Jason Thomas, and ex-marine upon hearing the news made his way to ground zero. Thomas was on a mission to save lives.

The monumental task before him was to help rescue two police officers that were trapped under hundreds of floors of debris. Thomas risked his life as an American willing to give his life to save others.

After spending weeks working in the most unimaginable devastation, Thomas simply walked away knowing that he did what he should have as a former marine. A movie was made about the hero and his sheer determination to make a difference. Unfortunately, when you watch the movie about 9/11 the actor was not an African-American. Jason Thomas is an African-American.

Black History Month Day 11, Women Speak for freedom

Indiana territory was a sectio of the larger Northwest Territory. By 1816, the population in Indiana's territory was large enough to organize into a state. Becoming a state in the Northwest Territory required a Constitution. The state Constitution was the governing document. There were certain provisions that had to be included in each new state Constitution. The wording forbidding slavery and indentured servitude. had to be included, not outlawed in states. In essence, the provision banning slavery was not because of sympathy towards enslaved African-Americans, but to discourage new settlers from bringing more African-Americans into NWT. George Washington's, the surveyor, wanted the NWT to be a place for raced white males to govern. A place that did not depend on the labor of enslaved African-Americans.


The Northwest Territory Ordinance, had a provision in it governing the distribution of its land to these new settlers. The new world would become a place ruled by those who were privileged, raced white man only. The NWTO required five thousand free men to begin a territory transformation. A ruling class of males were only allowed to participate in leadership roles. This ruling class had to own at least two hundred acres of land a piece. Those who owned at least fifty acres of land were not allowed leadership position but they were allowed to vote for the males in the ruling class.

Thus voting right were important because under the NWTO, voting was allowed only by the raced white male population property owners, land not enslaved African-Americans. This meant that foreigners and others would count for growing the population but would not have any say in the development of the state. To become a state, a territory only had to have sixty thousand people living in its borders, not all landowners. Some foreigners came over to the new territory as indentured servants, to help work the land, in hope of owning their own land. These indentured servants would be bonded to the contract for seven years, to pay off their debt. But these folks could not be eligible to vote.

These raced whites were disenfranchised right along with freed African-Americans. Even those they owned the necessary amount of land, they were not allowed to vote. This re-enforced the governing body allowing only raced white males with large land holdings. George Washington would take Indian lands and sell it to southern aristocrats. Raced white laborers in large numbers who would outnumber the raced whites in the southern states. Laborers who would have voting rights. In the south, enslaved laborers were not counted as whole persons nor did they have the right to vote. Washington wanted rich raced white males from the south. To do this, land grants were established to entice raced white males to the new territory. This policy would create conflict among the various classes of raced white folks.
But that would not be the only conflict. The largest issue was slavery crossing into the new territory.

Some of the earlier settlers were not pleased with policies that were in conflict with the provisions banning slavery. The reason for the discontent was that some of these settlers had enslaved laborers and were not willing to give up their enslaved laborers. The issue to own laborers or not would grow as the preferred new raced white settlers were bringing in slave labor from the south. While the earlier settlers could not purchase any new enslaved laborers. This conflict grew among the settlers, who argued at the provision in the governing document forbid slavery and was not being enforced equally amongst the settlers in the territory..

Governor Arthur St. Clair decided to protect these earlier settlers and ignored violations of the governing document. The next Governor saw that the preferential treatment of the first settlers would discourage new landowners who owned enslaved laborers. So Governor William Henry Harrison opened the door to a new type of slavery, called contracted indentured servitude for life. Under a scheme of a written contracts, landowners would have their enslaved African-Americans agree to labor for these landowners for a specific time frame. This was a form of sponsorship into the free world, as a different type of enslaved labor.

The catch was that, these were illusory contracts. Contracts for long term servitude that were not entered into freely. Many African-Americans could not read and the contract were for a life time that included the binding of their children to such contracts. This meant that those African-Americans coerced into signing these contracts would be enslaved for life and their children. The dispute of banned enslavement under the Indiana Constitution would not be addressed until a new governor of Indiana, Jonathan Jenning is questioned about the constitutionality of the practice of slavery under the Indiana Constitution.

It would be an African-American woman that would challenge the practice. In 1820, Polly, challenged the legislators' meaning of the clause forbidding slavery. Polly, an African-American was the daughter of a woman who was enslaved. Antione Lasselle gave Polly to Hyacinth Lasselle. a French fur trader. Polly was the daughter of a woman who was bought by Isaac Williams. a slave owner who lived at Kekionga. Polly believed that her birth by an enslaved mother did not automatic make her a slave. Polly believed because she was born in Indiana, a state that forbid slavery would determined her status in the new world. The Judge of the newly established Indiana Supreme Court agreed with Polly and stated she was not considered enslaved. Polly was not born into bondage as the custom of the southern state, she was free being born in Indiana.

This ruling was not necessarily in Polly best interest as much as it was in the best interest of the State of Indiana. Indiana wanted to rid the territory of French settlers. Thus the ruling freed the French enslaved laborers. To protect their property rights, the French began to migrate toward Canada. The court did not honor the French rights under the Deed of Cessation to own slaves. So now Washington was free to steal the French abandoned land. The abandoned land would be confiscated and sold to raced white males. With the ideal of raced white territory and the French fleeing, the only problem left was getting rid of the African-Americans population. Because Polly case had taught African-Americans they were free from slavery once they crossed into the Northwest Territory. And another African-American woman would take the illegal indentured servant contract to the courts.

Mary Clark took on the challenge of the racialist practice of coercing African-Americans into slavery with slave like terms embedded in the indentured servant contract. In 1821, Clark believed her long term contract was a form of indentured servitude. The Indiana Supreme Court agreed. The Court found that her binding contract was odious to the purpose for establishing the provision forbidding indentured servant and ordered Clark discharged from her contract. This ruling addressed the state's laissez-faire lack of enforcement toward migrating slave labor. And at the same time freed Mary Clark, and other African-Americans indentured servants. Two African-Americans women fought for their own freedom long before Abraham Lincoln's election as President in 1860.

However, after these battles were won, a movement began to rid Indiana of these free African-Americans. The movement would speed up the ousting of the French. And it discouraged new settlers from bringing in enslaved laborers from the bordering states. This Back to Africa movement would take care of the problem of the south, discarding of the old and unwanted African-Americans onto Indiana soil.

Governor James Ray required certificate of freedom for African-American coming to Indiana to prevent slave labor. If African-Americans did not voluntarily return back to the south, Indiana would send them back to Africa. Later, a bond would have to be paid by those attempting to bring African-Americans into Indiana. If Indiana could no longer have non paid African-Americans workers, they did not want them on the land. Indiana did not want African-Americans competing for paid laborers positions.

The Indiana Constitution was revised in 1851 with strong language, to exclude African-Americans from the soil of Indiana, making it a crime for African-Americans to set foot in Indiana. By 1857, Chief Justice Roger Taney issued a ruling under the Dred Scott case that allowed even free African-Americans in northern state to be forcefully returned to the south back into slavery. Three years later, Lincoln would support this back to Africa movement theme, in his expressed sentiment of wanting to maintain the new republic without African-Americans during his time as President.

This was to discourage African-Americans from migrating to the north. But in 1862, after news of the emancipation proclamation, national freedom, African-Americans from the south began their journey to the north. The North was not prepared for the number of African-American flowing into their towns and did not want them. The south wanted African-Americans as non paid laborers. African-Americans found themselves battling for full participation in the new world as citizens. Citizenship that was so easily given to others coming to the new world.

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In the interest of a child: Mary and Steve Harvey's son

I searched the web high and low unable to find the pending litigation against Mary Harvey. So, I had to wait until the Court released its ruling for an injunction against Mary Harvey. Probably why I couldn't find it, it reads likea juvenile hearing in the best interest of Wynton Harvey, son of Mary and Steve Harvey. In which in most cases information is not disclosed concerning minor children. In this case involving a minor child, a temporary injunction was issued against Mary Harvey. In addition, she was issued an order to restrain from discussing the sealed case or releasing any documents from the sealed case.

It appears that the Judge found issues with some of the statements release by Mary were not accurate and left room for misinterpretation, putting Steve Harvey and his new family in a bad light. And the Judge used the temporary injunction to set the record straight and allowed the order to be published by Steve's representative. Nothing in the order addressed the accuracy of the documents that were on display in SuperMary Harvey YouTube videos. Both Steve and Mary are silenced until a scheduled hearing requesting sanctions against parties found in violation of the original gag order is held on March 10. 2011.

"The Court finds Movant BRODERICK S. HARVEY’S relief is granted. Further, the Court finds that: Respondent MARY LEE HARVEY was not homeless or evicted from her home and was awarded three (3) homes in the property settlement;

Movant BRODERICK S. HARVEY did not take, whithold or turn the child against Respondent, MARY LEE HARVEY.;

Respondent, MARY LEE HARVEY willingly placed the child on an airplane and sent him to MR. HARVEY without his knowledge;

Movant, Broderick S.. Harvey has primary custody of the 13 year old child; Movant Broderick S. Harvey did not take Mary Lee Harvey’s wealth.;

Respondent Mary Lee Harvey received $40,000.00 per month from Movant Broderick S. Harvey to March, 2009;

Respondent Mary Lee Harvey received $1.5 million* from Movant Broderick S. Harvey in March, 2009;

and the 2005 divorce was granted on irreconcilable differences and current wife was not apart of the original divorce proceeding nor was she a cause of the marital breakup."

So my question is did Mary only receive *$1.5 million in settlement after she went back to court after finding out she was duped in the original divorce proceeding and did not get an upfront $10 million cash settlement?

Black History Month Day 10: Educating the "Bama" Justice Clarence Thomas

A Leon Higginbotham wrote a letter to Clarence Thomas pointing out that the title United States Supreme Court as not necessarily being comprised of great minds with the greatest moral consciousness. Judge Higginbotham penned an open letter to the newly appointed United States Supreme Court Judge Thomas, to not blindly follow his peers without questioning their judgments. Higginbotham was warning that the best education credential did not prevent some from breaking the law. In other words, Judge Thomas needed to be watchful and not in awe of his peers educational backgrounds tainted moral values. Especially with the long history of these educated jurists on the United States Supreme Court denying the basic human rights.

As an example, Judge Higginbotham in the letter highlighted the fact that it was a former slaveholder, Justice John Harlan, who attended a little college in Kentucky, who pinned the dissent in Plessy vs. Ferguson. The majority in Plessy suggested the long standing belief tat separate accommodations could be judged as being equal. So what, that one facility for individuals had a commode while the other facility had just a hole, served the same purpose. Four of these Justices signed this majority ruling, that there was no need for certain groups based on blood lines to commingle, has all graduated from the prestigious schools of Yale and Harvard. And more than likely none had ever attended a school with an African-Americans nor question why were there none in their great schools.

These Justices probably supported a value, or a belief system ,that was not based on the legal standards of the Constitution. They may have had shared a common understanding about a group of people and thus upheld those belief in interpreting the Constitution unchallenged. Nevertheless, these Jurists, the four Justices, from fine institutions, one in which Justice Thomas would graduate, refused to follow the truth in their teaching, because who would challenge their thought process?

Higginbotham did want Justice Thomas to think he was bias toward this high Court, and provided some critiques by legal scholars of former Justices on the highest Court in the land. 100 legal scholar would prove the food for thought for Justice Thomas on the first one hundred Justices. Higginbotham wrote, “Eight of the justices were categorized as failures, six as below average, fifty-five as average, fifteen as near great and twelve as great.. Among those ranked as great were John Marshall, Joseph Story, John M. Harlan, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Charles E. Hughes, Louis D. Brandeis, Harlan F. Stone, Benjamin N.
Cardozo, Hugo L. Black, and Felix Frankfurter.”

One day Justice Thomas will be ranked by legal scholars and hopefully not for his loyalty to a political party.

Black History Month. Day 9,: Reading my History

One day I will make a list of all the books I have throughout the house, but not today, on history, especially African-American history and policies. African-American history can be found in lots of writings. It depends on what you are searching for that will guide your reading. Here is a just a few books I found in thrift shops of authors, stories, history and jokes involving the African American community:

Bibles

World's Great Men of Color J.A. Roger Volume II

Three Negro Classics: Up from Slavery, Booker T. Washington; The Souls of Black Folk, William E.B. Dubois; and The AutoBiography of an Ex-Colored Man, James Weldon Johnson

Go Tell it on the Mountain, James Baldwin

A History of the Atlantic Slave Trade Black Cargoes, Daniel P. Mannix

Why Should White Guys have all the Fun, Reginald F. Lewis & Blair S. Walker

The United States Constitution

Indiana Constitutions

The Official Black Folks Joke Book Larry Wilde

And oh so many more.

African-American History narrative is not just for African-American History Month, African-American History Month, is the restrictive time period in which discourse can occur to say that America citizens are more inclusive.

It is suggested that to discuss the achievement of African-Americans or to point out prominent African-Americans in America is to ghettoize America's History. When it fact the tracing of history will lead some families into learning their cousins or other relatives may not just be one shade of color As I teach tracing your family tree many family are surprised that folks with their same names maybe long lost relatives.

Black History Month Day 8-Judge Thomas says open the doors of education

Clarence Thomas Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court received an A.B., cum laude, from Holy Cross College, and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1974. Justice Thomas served as Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1990, before reaching the highest court. President Bush nominated Justice Thomas in 1990 and was seated as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1991.

Justice Thomas has been catching it for his opinion against affirmative action. Justice Thomas must have understood that as long as there are white women, affirmative action is here to stay. Justice Thomas suggests that law schools equal opportunity programs offers no more to African-American students than schools that denied educational opportunities to African-American children in separate but equal facilities. Justice Thomas suggest that law school affirmative action programs are illusory hyperbole that pretends to opens it doors to African-Americans. In fact, such programs is structured to select a few of among the African-American who would not need the constructive diversity program of law schools.

Justice Thomas suggest that public law school need to continues the legacy of fully integrating it schools, by flinging wide its doors, allowing all qualified students to attend their school. Otherwise the school programs limits African-American chances for attending when the school is fully aware that LSAT are bias toward African-Americans and most will not obtain the scores that required to attend their school.

Because of the bias in the testing, the bar is raised to exclude those African-Americans who could otherwise succeed in law school. Justice Thomas suggest that law schools reach beyond its “aesthetic” approach in seating African-Americans if the law school truly believes that a diverse student body is a compelling state interest rather than the educational benefit that school receives from having the appearance that it believes in affirmative action for African-American students.


In fact, Justice Thomas suggests that it is the law school that receives the educational benefits from the diverse student body and not necessarily the students. Moreover, the argument goes that law school academic selective policy is narrowly tailored upholding its elite status by selecting those few African-Americans who would have qualified for admission without affirmative action because of their ranking. The school get to portray the appearance of a racial inclusive school by drawing in African-Americans students who would have been admitted to other schools anyways. Clustering together these students with bells and whistle in attending such prestige school based on scores gives an appearance rather that the schools are working toward breaking down the barriers that will keep the majority of other African-Americans from attending other schools.


The mission of the law school is the cluster giving that certain appearance of a “critical mass” without having to reduce percentage ranking that would be more inclusive in creating the diverse body that the law school proposes to want to achieve. Using the argument used in Bakke, the law school suggest there is a compelling state interest in allowing the school to use race in achieving its goal of a diverse student body. However, the true reason for the use of race is the educational benefit enjoyed by the university.

Justice Thomas has recently remained mute on using race for integrating neighborhood schools.

Black History Month-Day 7-Lift, Lift, Lift

“The [African-American] woman has occupied a unique if unenviable position in the United States. Historically she has borne the weight of inferior status ad prejudice derived from her [gender] as well as her color.” Treated as less human, viewed as servant and not woman, yet the breeder of enslaved children, laws were not created to protect her. Although she suffered humiliate right along with the African-American male, she fought to secure his freedom, but was relegated to remain in the male shadow. Not willing to remain behind, the African-American women had to step from the shadows and seek her own protection for her existence within the society that had caste her simply invisible.

Through the experience as an African-American and a woman, African-American women had the special role of identifying with two oppressed group, African-American women essence was more inclusive of others than the other two groups. African-Americans women related to both raced white females and African-American males. The African-American woman understood the African-American man had only been elevated up from slave to the stagnate role of servant. She understood that the African-American male was settling for less than full citizenship when compared to the raced white woman citizenship, not equal.

Furthermore, the raced white women only allowed the African-American woman to enter her home as the raced white woman inferior. This meant that the African-American woman was not only not view as citizen but she was not even viewed as being a woman !

Through this struggle, of existing in the shadow of both raced white women and African-Americans males,, the African-American woman was able to craft a political agenda that would meet the needs of future African-American women. In getting there, she had to overcome the two obstacles, race and gender, creating a political independent woman, “By whatever unstated, immeasurable, invisible standards the American people applied to candidates for Congress, women have seldom been their choice.” If this was true for raced white women, African-American women were never to be considered a part of the political equation.

Three women spoke to the power of African-American women to express their opinions. In doing so, the veil of invisibility for African-American women was lifted. She created her rules in setting the political agenda. An agenda that included more than voting, but representative for folks who were never included in the writing of America's constitution.

Shirley Chisholm-inclusion--outsider- fought for immigrants' right to become citizens and to participant in the electoral process through democracy. A vote for the people by the people. Chisholm, a child of immigrants, in 1968 became the first African-American woman to serve in Congress, served seven terms. Chisholm saw that the political powers were not in recognition of the interest of the people. Chisholm ran on a platform created by the people and for the people by not following the procedure for entering the political arena. Chisholm credibility was established by staying connected to the people and not by who she knew. Chisholm remained with the people as an outsider. In 1972, she ran as the first African-American and African-American woman for President, a hundred years after the first raced white woman, Victoria Woodhull.

Barbara Jordan—diversity inclusion through the Constitution amendment
Jordan believed in the Constitution. Jordan's rally cry was in gratitude for the amendment of the Constitution. The amendment that allowed her to fully participate as a citizen. Jordan had something to contribute in the political and private sphere as an African-American born in the United States. Jordan believed that the constitution laws were color blind and that they applied to all Americans and should be enforced and upheld. Believing so, we was confronted to its greatest challenge, to impeach the former President of the United States, Richard Nixon. In doing so, reaffirmed the rock solid foundation in which the Constitution was drafted for all the people.

Lani Gunier-Dialogue-understanding the meaning of the voting right act purpose. The voting right act purpose was beyond having access to the ballot box. It would provide enough votes to elect African-Americans to political office. Once in political office these individuals would have an insider view in changing the laws that continue to support the exclusion of African-Americans from fully enjoying citizen rights. The voting right act of 1965 would serve a higher purpose than access to the ballot box to elect African-American candidates, it could used to influences legislature to improve the lives of African-Americans by electing those candidates who supported such interests. The interest of African-Americans included so many others.

The ability to influence lawmakers would be through political mobilization of voters creating a majority that supported African-Americans interest. A convergent of an interest group would have the ability to offset the tradition majority rule that excluded so many. This would be a group organized around interest that impact others beyond race.

Gunier, was an African-American Jewish academia who made her argument among her peers for the inclusion of the people who she had earlier represented. Academia encouraged her ideas, however, when her ideas for empowered African-Americans in the public arena, Gunier was silenced, by her long time friend, former President Bill Clinton. Gunier learned that in spite of her academic and professional accomplishment she was discredited as being on the fringe and not part of mainstream for standing up for what she believed in. The price is steep, in changing the rules in America but African-American history tells is no one said it would be easy.

Black History Month;Day 6--Carol Channing teaches us we are not colorblind

Carol Channing, a famous actress played in Gentlemen prefer Blondes and Hello Dolly. Channing is an African-American who never disclosed this fact until she wrote about this fact in her book, Just Lucky, I Guess, that her father was an African American who passed by adapting to living in two worlds, one black and one white.

Her father learned to portray himself one way in public that was different from who he was at home by changing his speaking mannerism. Channing herself, was famous for her mannerism, which more than likely was art imitating life. How fitting.

Channing decided to race herself white to take advantage of raced white privilege. Channing was nominated for many awards and won a Tony Award. Channing taught us that as a society we are not colorblind. Looking at a person color we assume ethnic background, when in fact we are simply guessing based on skin color.

Here is a picture of Carol Channing, an African-American raced white, like many African-Americans who chose to take advantage of white privileged based on skin color. This practice continues today.