# Black History Month: Why Is It Needed? Extraordinary Black Contributors



## OneEyedDiva (Feb 1, 2021)

Why do we need Black History Month? A good friend told me that when she was in grade school, her (White) teacher told her that Black people had no history! Nothing could be further from the truth. It angered her but also was the catalyst for her doing extensive research on our history. Now, imagine if you will, teachers all over the country with that attitude, not to mention our history books that left so much Black history out that 99% of it was not taught in our schools. I was disappointed when my college dropped a Black History course. I never found out the real reason why. I will continue to post articles and information during Black History month.  I had started a similar thread but I want to bring attention to and honor this month. I will add to this thread as the month goes on.

Someone posted this easy to read article (photos included), 20 Extraordinary Black Americans Who Changed The World, in another forum. 
https://www.inspiremore.com/20-extr...g Smile 2-1-21&utm_term=Morning Smile - Daily


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 1, 2021)

Here's a brief history of Black History Month featured on Bing.
*"Reflecting on Black History Month*
Join the Smithsonian as we celebrate Black History Month with the help of our National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). This stunning image of the museum looks out through its intricate, bronze-colored façade to the National Mall. The museum's breathtaking exterior, a corona rising in three dramatic tiers, evokes the crowns found in the Yoruba art of West Africa, and its ornate design echoes the decorative ironwork found in the American South, often forged by African American slaves and freed Black Americans. The façade allows natural light to filter into the museum while also protecting artifacts on display from direct sunlight and glare.

For a century, people dreamed of a place on the National Mall to commemorate the contributions of African Americans. It began with Black Civil War veterans and continued with champions of the project like US Rep. John Lewis. The dream was realized in 2016 when NMAAHC finally opened. It tells the story of America through an African American lens with a robust collection of artifacts, programs, and educational material. While helping create the museum as its founding director, I heeded the words of the African American scholar and creator of Black History Month, Carter G. Woodson, who said, 'The only reason I do history is to make America better.'

When Woodson and the Association for the Study of ***** Life and History declared that '***** History Week' would be celebrated the second week of February 1926, they continued a long tradition of Black communities recognizing the month that contains the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14). In 1976, the observance was expanded to the entire month and was celebrated throughout the country. Today, the opportunities to study African American history are more abundant than ever. And Black History Month is just as relevant as it was when Woodson created it, because there is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history, and no higher cause than honoring the struggle of our ancestors by remembering. (This entry was written by Lonnie G. Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.)"

The photos are of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The first time I saw the facade in person I was amazed. The top one looking out from the building was featured on search engine Bing's home page today:


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## Irwin (Feb 1, 2021)

Without Black musicians' contributions to music, we wouldn't have blues, jazz, or rock-n-roll!


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 1, 2021)

Irwin said:


> Without Black musicians' contributions to music, we wouldn't have blues, jazz, or rock-n-roll!


Right Irwin. Latin music also had African influences. I've seen known Latin and Latin Jazz musicians give credit where credit is due.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 2, 2021)

This story is about the all Black female battalion that "stood up to a White male army" 
"The unit was set up to determine the value Black women brought to the military. They ultimately ran the fastest mail service in the European Theater during World War II."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/magazine/6888th-battalion-charity-adams.html?smid=fb-share


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## Remy (Feb 2, 2021)

I can only imagine how many extraordinary people there were, now gone, who will never be well known. What a damaging and beyond ignorant comment that teacher made. I think teaching in school does need to change. 

In California we learned about the missions in the 4th grade and took field trips which were interesting. But never was it taught what was done to the Native People of this country. Black history was certainly not taught. And it should be.  My only concern is that it not be blamed on a person today. But people, including kids should know. I think it helps with empathy.


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## Pecos (Feb 2, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> This story is about the all Black female battalion that "stood up to a White male army"
> "The unit was set up to determine the value Black women brought to the military. They ultimately ran the fastest mail service in the European Theater during World War II."
> https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/magazine/6888th-battalion-charity-adams.html?smid=fb-share


I loved that article.


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## Pecos (Feb 2, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Right Irwin. Latin music also had African influences. I've seen known Latin and Latin Jazz musicians give credit where credit is due.


Yes indeed, and the best blending of the two that I ever saw was in Trinidad where the music was fabulous.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 2, 2021)

Pecos said:


> Yes indeed, and the best blending of the two that I ever saw was in Trinidad where the music was fabulous.


Hmmmm....don't know if I've ever heard authentic Trinidadian music Pecos. Can you recommend any songs/artists?


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## Rosemarie (Feb 2, 2021)

Surely this is about the history of blacks in Western society....because of course, black people are from Africa and Africa has its own history. Is there any reason why black people can't be taught about Africa's history?  The title suggests that black people had no place in the world until they were forced into slavery...which is simply not true.
Africans should be proud of Africa and be aware of its past.


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## Sassycakes (Feb 2, 2021)

* In my eyes, there isn't any difference between white people or black people with the exception of how horrible black people were and sadly still are treated.*


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## Rosemarie (Feb 2, 2021)

Sassycakes said:


> * In my eyes, there isn't any difference between white people or black people with the exception of how horrible black people were and sadly still are treated.*


You have obviously never been to Africa. If you had, you would know that there are big differences between the two. I think it's very insulting to say they are the same, and it's one of the reasons why there is a problem with racism.


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## Pecos (Feb 2, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Hmmmm....don't know if I've ever heard authentic Trinidadian music Pecos. Can you recommend any songs/artists?


I wish I could, but I was on Liberty from my ship and was out enjoying some fabulous night clubbing and watching some great dancing. I didn't catch any song titles but it was back in 1964. I was also "young and dumb" and didn't always appreciate things in the way that I do now since I have gotten slightly wiser.

The main difference in their music was the amazing way they brought those steel drums into the music.


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## Pecos (Feb 2, 2021)

One group of Black Servicemen who were seriously underappreciated were the Tuskegee Airmen who distinguished during WWII. Upon their return to the states, German prisoners of war were treated better than they were. 

Tuskegee Airmen (historynet.com)


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## Sassycakes (Feb 2, 2021)

Rosemarie said:


> You have obviously never been to Africa. If you had, you would know that there are big differences between the two. I think it's very insulting to say they are the same, and it's one of the reasons why there is a problem with racism.


*  You obviously misunderstood what I stated. My meaning is that Black People are all human beings, just like white people. I also said that they should never be treated as inferiors since we should all be treated equally. They went through more horrible 
Things than any other race.*


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## raybar (Feb 2, 2021)

Rosemarie said:


> You have obviously never been to Africa. If you had, you would know that there are big differences between the two. I think it's very insulting to say they are the same, and it's one of the reasons why there is a problem with racism.


Care to list some of those big differences?


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## Dana (Feb 2, 2021)

Worthy of great mention


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## Rosemarie (Feb 2, 2021)

Sassycakes said:


> *  You obviously misunderstood what I stated. My meaning is that Black People are all human beings, just like white people. I also said that they should never be treated as inferiors since we should all be treated equally. They went through more horrible
> Things than any other race.*


Actually, that isn't true. Slavery has been around for thousands of years. The Romans had slaves, in fact, there probably wouldn't have been a Roman Empire without them.
That doesn't alter the fact that we treated the Africans appallingly.
The point I am trying to make is that black people are Africans and they have their own history. The title 'Black History', suggests that they were non-entities before we removed them from Africa.
It should be changed to 'The History of Blacks in White Society'.
I'm not black but if I were I would feel very insulted by the supposition that we have no history of our own.


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## Irwin (Feb 2, 2021)

A Black man invented the Super Soaker! Where would society be without that?


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 3, 2021)

Rosemarie said:


> Surely this is about the history of blacks in Western society....because of course, black people are from Africa and Africa has its own history. Is there any reason why black people can't be taught about Africa's history?  The title suggests that black people had no place in the world until they were forced into slavery...which is simply not true.
> Africans should be proud of Africa and be aware of its past.


It's not necessarily about Blacks in Western society. Why would you get that impression? Every nation has it's own history. Every ethnic group has it's own history and sometimes those historical events blend. So I think making that statement about Africa having it's own history was unnecessary. Africa is the cradle of civilization. Posts about Africans will be forth coming. The month just started. And how does the title suggest that Black people had no place in the world until slavery. Sorry but I find your interpretations to be a bit bizarre!


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## Rosemarie (Feb 3, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> It's not necessarily about Blacks in Western society. Why would you get that impression? Every nation has it's own history. Every ethnic group has it's own history and sometimes those historical events blend. So I think making that statement about Africa having it's own history was unnecessary. Africa is the cradle of civilization. Posts about Africans will be forth coming. The month just started. And how does the title suggest that Black people had no place in the world until slavery. Sorry but I find your interpretations to be bizarre!


Not at all. We're having the same 'Black History' thing here in the UK and it's also about black people's contribution to Britain.  It would be interesting to get some input from black people, to see if they find the title mis-leading and arrogant.
Africa has a rich history and 'Black History' should embrace that, but it doesn't.


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## Gary O' (Feb 3, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Why do we need Black History Month?


If we don't pass history on to our offspring, it tends to get lost
And history of horrendous things, when lost, tend to repeat themselves

Had kids question me about Auschwitz, like did it really happen

Heh, I questioned my folks about the mistreatment of the Irish when they came over
They didn't know what I was talking about

Yeah, sweep something under the rug, it'll show up again


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## old medic (Feb 3, 2021)

Pecos said:


> One group of Black Servicemen who were seriously underappreciated were the Tuskegee Airmen who distinguished during WWII. Upon their return to the states, German prisoners of war were treated better than they were.


We brought our grandson to their memorial in Walterboro SC last year... At 8 he is a WWII nut, he spent the next day hunting up info on the phone about them.. (we were camping)


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 3, 2021)

Rosemarie said:


> Not at all. We're having the same 'Black History' thing here in the UK and it's also about black people's contribution to Britain.  It would be interesting to get some input from black people, to see if they find the title mis-leading and arrogant.
> Africa has a rich history and 'Black History' should embrace that, but it doesn't.


We'll agree to disagree on that Rosemarie. Maybe Africa's history is not included where you are but I've seen many social networking posts and news articles over the years in which African history is included.


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## Sunny (Feb 3, 2021)

If we ever get that damn virus under control, and people start visiting Washington, DC again, I very much recommend a visit to the African American museum. It is a heartbreaking and inspiring history of the Blacks in this country, from slavery up to the present.

However, it really is just the African AMERICAN museum. I don't remember seeing a whole lot about the fascinating cultures and peoples of Africa. I know this is a rich, varied story in itself; after all, Africa is an entire continent. Yet Americans (maybe the entire western world) knows practically nothing about it. Exhibits about all the different African cultures would take up another entire museum!  I wish we had one. Just the art and clothing would be fantastic, in addition to all the stories that are probably buried in that history.

We do have a museum about the Native American tribes, which I always intended to visit and never got around to. Maybe some day I'll be able to get there.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 3, 2021)

Here is a list of 15 Black scientists who's inventions and patents changed our lives for the better and who's accomplishments are well noted.  They are only a few among many. Included are Charles Drew who invented the blood bank, Dr. Daniel H. Williams who performed the first prototype open heart surgery and Garrett Morgan who invented the first traffic signal and patented gas mask. I hate when articles are published with such small font but using the zoom feature took care of that.
https://www.famousscientists.org/15-famous-black-scientists-in-history/


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 3, 2021)

Sunny said:


> If we ever get that damn virus under control, and people start visiting Washington, DC again, I very much recommend a visit to the African American museum. It is a heartbreaking and inspiring history of the Blacks in this country, from slavery up to the present.
> 
> However, it really is just the African AMERICAN museum. I don't remember seeing a whole lot about the fascinating cultures and peoples of Africa. I know this is a rich, varied story in itself; after all, Africa is an entire continent. Yet Americans (maybe the entire western world) knows practically nothing about it. Exhibits about all the different African cultures would take up another entire museum!  I wish we had one. Just the art and clothing would be fantastic, in addition to all the stories that are probably buried in that history.
> 
> We do have a museum about the Native American tribes, which I always intended to visit and never got around to. Maybe some day I'll be able to get there.


I visited the National African American History museum in October 2019. I met up with my online BFF of 13 years for the first time. It was more about us meeting and her also meeting some cousins she had found on Ancestry.  She's originally from D.C. so other cousins met us there too. We wound up only seeing one floor of the museum before lunch in their cafe. The day was cut short by a big storm that was coming through. I hope to get back there one day also. I'd love to take my two youngest grandchildren, ages 16 and 18 (at least). I took my son to the Smithsonian when he was a youngster and he thoroughly enjoyed it.


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## Irwin (Feb 3, 2021)

On this day in history, the 15th Amendment was ratified.



> The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government and each state from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." It was ratified on February 3, 1870, as the third and last of the Reconstruction Amendments.


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## Sunny (Feb 3, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I visited the National African American History museum in October 2019. I met up with my online BFF of 13 years for the first time. It was more about us meeting and her also meeting some cousins she had found on Ancestry.  She's originally from D.C. so other cousins met us there too. We wound up only seeing one floor of the museum before lunch in their cafe. The day was cut short by a big storm that was coming through. I hope to get back there one day also. I'd love to take my two youngest grandchildren, ages 16 and 18 (at least). I took my son to the Smithsonian when he was a youngster and he thoroughly enjoyed it.


Diva, which floor did you see?  The way they have it laid out is very interesting. The downstairs level deals with the past, including slavery, Jim Crow, and all the horrors.  But when you go upstairs, the picture brightens considerably. It has a lot of exhibits about Blacks in the modern world who accomplished tremendous things. Both are part of African American history, of course, but you really need to see both to get a balanced picture.  I hope you and your grandchildren get a chance to visit the museum again.

I miss the Smithsonian, and hope to be able to go down there this year. Our Metro service has been terrible, and is often shut down. I hope that improves also; it's the only way I'd go to downtown DC.  (The Metro used to be a wonderful subway system; I don't know what's happened to it.)


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## Nosy Bee-54 (Feb 3, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Hmmmm....don't know if I've ever heard authentic Trinidadian music Pecos. Can you recommend any songs/artists?


Look up the Mighty Sparrow and Destra Garcia on Youtube.


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## Pecos (Feb 3, 2021)

The Harlem Hellfighters of the 369th Infantry distinguished themselves during World War One

Among the first U.S. regiments to arrive in France for World War I, and among the most highly-decorated when it returned, was the 369th Infantry (formerly the 15th Regiment New York Guard), more gallantly known as the "Harlem Hellfighters." The 369th was an all-black regiment under the command of mostly white officers, including commander Colonel William Hayward.

General John J. Pershing assigned the 369th to the 16th Division of the French Army, where they helped repel the German offensive and launched a counteroffensive. The Harlem Hellfighters fought at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood, with a total of 191 days in combat-- longer than any other American unit in the war.

"My men never retire, they go forward or they die," said Colonel Hayward. Indeed, the 369th was the first Allied unit to reach the Rhine.

The extraordinary valor of the 369th earned them fame in Europe and America. Newspapers headlined the feats of Corporal Henry Johnson and Private Needham Roberts. In May 1918 they were defending an isolated lookout post on the Western Front, when they were attacked by a German unit. Though wounded, they refused to surrender, fighting on with whatever weapons were at hand. They were the first Americans awarded the Croix de Guerre, and they were not the only Harlem Hellfighters to win awards; 171 of its officers and men received individual medals and the unit received a Croix de Guerre for taking Sechault.

https://www.military.com/history/untold-stories-harlem-hellfighters


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 3, 2021)

Pecos said:


> The Harlem Hellfighters of the 369th Infantry distinguished themselves during World War One
> 
> Among the first U.S. regiments to arrive in France for World War I, and among the most highly-decorated when it returned, was the 369th Infantry (formerly the 15th Regiment New York Guard), more gallantly known as the "Harlem Hellfighters." The 369th was an all-black regiment under the command of mostly white officers, including commander Colonel William Hayward.
> 
> ...


Excellent post Pecos; thank you! I'd never heard of the Harlem Hellfighters before! I must share this on other forums! 

@Nosy Bee-54 Thank you. I had heard of Mighty Sparrow. I'll check them both out.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 3, 2021)

Sunny said:


> Diva, which floor did you see?  The way they have it laid out is very interesting. The downstairs level deals with the past, including slavery, Jim Crow, and all the horrors.  But when you go upstairs, the picture brightens considerably. It has a lot of exhibits about Blacks in the modern world who accomplished tremendous things. Both are part of African American history, of course, but you really need to see both to get a balanced picture.  I hope you and your grandchildren get a chance to visit the museum again.
> 
> I miss the Smithsonian, and hope to be able to go down there this year. Our Metro service has been terrible, and is often shut down. I hope that improves also; it's the only way I'd go to downtown DC.  (The Metro used to be a wonderful subway system; I don't know what's happened to it.)


We went to the fourth floor, the media/entertainment floor. My online BFF's good friend was an Oscar winner. She face timed him as soon as we got there to ask him where his Oscars were located so he directed us to that floor. We headed up there and wound up not only seeing the exhibits and watching videos playing but just hanging out having conversation with one another. Had we known about the storm warning sooner we probably would have at least tried to see another floor. She and her S.O. had a 40 minute drive to their hotel. They dropped me off at mine which was only about 5 or 6 minutes away. By the time I got to my hotel, the strong winds and rain had started.  Here's the pictures of her friend Russell William's Oscars and what he won them for. As you can see, Russell made history himself.


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## officerripley (Feb 3, 2021)

Hope this is not too far off topic (since it's not historical but happening now) but such a cool thing; quilts by African-American women in Alabama for sale online for the first time: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/gees-bend-etsy-1940879.


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## squatting dog (Feb 4, 2021)

I don't mind and I admire Black History month, but, there are a few mis-conceptions. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Wire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Haslett


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## Pinky (Feb 4, 2021)

Nosy Bee-54 said:


> Look up the Mighty Sparrow and Destra Garcia on Youtube.


A woman I worked with in the 60's, from Barbados, clued me into The Mighty Sparrow, who was renowned.


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## Pecos (Feb 4, 2021)

African American John Robinson was fighting fascism in North Africa long before the United States entered WWII. The Col became known as the Father Of The Tuskegee Airman here in the United States.

In 1935, fascism was on the rise in Europe and Asia, but the world had not yet had to fight its territorial expansion on a global scale. Adolf Hitler had been elected as chancellor of Germany just two years prior, and Hideki Tojo was still six years away from bringing the United States into World War II.

But Benito Mussolini, who had been in power in Italy since 1922, was bent on finally conquering Ethiopia. It would erase Italy's failure at the 1896 Battle of Adwa that secured Ethiopia's independence and kept it from becoming a European colony while establishing Italy as a major world power.

Leading Ethiopia's young air force was African American pilot John Robinson, a young black activist and aviation enthusiast who would blaze a trail of black men flying into combat against fascist dictators.

Robinson, a former shoe-shiner and warehouse worker, left his home in Mississippi after the 10th grade to earn a degree in auto repair from Alabama's famed Tuskegee Institute. He traveled around the country looking for work, but had a hard time finding someone who would hire a black mechanic.

His persistence paid off, and he eventually found himself working in a garage doing what he loved. But he had a new dream: flying. While working in a Detroit garage, he met Cornelius Coffey, a fellow mechanic. The two were inspired by the achievements of Chicago's Bessie Coleman, the first black woman to receive an international pilot's license. Coleman famously encouraged African Americans and women to learn to fly.

Coffey and Robinson applied to the Curtiss-Wright School of Aviation in Chicago and were accepted -- until the school learned about their race.

The school repeatedly denied Robinson's applications to attend, so he took a job as a janitor and sat in on classes anyway. He was an attentive student, even if he wasn't technically enrolled. He learned so much he was able to build his own aircraft with Coffey, using an old motorcycle motor. It was a feat that finally inspired the school to accept them as students.

Soon, Robinson had a pilot's license of his own. He didn't stop there, however. He and Coffey founded an African American flight school, the John Robinson School of Aviation, in Robbins, Illinois, a predominantly black suburb of Chicago. Though the school hired them to teach black pilots, the two were not allowed to use white airstrips.

So they built one by hand.

In 1935, Italy was bullying Ethiopia for territory in East Africa as European powers and the League of Nations looked the other way. Robinson volunteered to go to Ethiopia and fly in service to its emperor, Haile Selassie I. When the emperor learned about his new volunteer, he extended an invitation for Robinson to come and teach his pilots how to fly.

Robinson was appointed commander of the Ethiopian Air Force by August 1935. He didn't have much to work with -- about 19 unarmed biplanes and 50 pilots. But his men were able to fly reconnaissance and resupply missions to Ethiopian troops in the field. They were outmatched by the superior combat aircraft the Italians were flying. Still, Robinson’s skill and daring in the air earned him the nickname "the Brown Condor."

That October, Italy invaded in full force, and Ethiopia was crushed. The war lasted just seven months before Ethiopia was annexed by Italy. Robinson returned home to the United States, where he received a hero's welcome.

The 'Father of the Tuskegee Airmen' Led the Fight Against Fascism in Africa | Military.com


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 5, 2021)

squatting dog said:


> I don't mind and I admire Black History month, but, there are a few mis-conceptions.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Wire
> https://en.wi_*ki*_pedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Haslett


Wikipedia as well as this booklet about African American scientists and inventors that I got at the African American historical museum in Philadelphia both credit Garrett Morgan with the invention of the *three position* *traffic signal *in 1916*.* Lester Wire is  credited with inventing the *electric* traffic light in 1912. Apparently there is enough of a difference in the two inventions to allow for both men being credited with "firsts".  This line from Morgan's Wiki page may explain. _"To deal with the growing problem of traffic accidents, a number of different versions of traffic signaling devices began to be developed simultaneously, starting around 1913." _Here are two Wikipedia pages listing Garrett Morgan as the inventor and his page from the booklet. I'll check out Hazlett later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_Morgan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_inventors_and_scientists


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## Irwin (Feb 6, 2021)

The Great Otis Rush!


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## Dana (Feb 7, 2021)

*Interesting story for Black American History month.*






*The President's black and white families meet each other.*


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## Murrmurr (Feb 7, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I visited the National African American History museum in October 2019. I met up with my online BFF of 13 years for the first time. It was more about us meeting and her also meeting some cousins she had found on Ancestry.  She's originally from D.C. so other cousins met us there too. We wound up only seeing one floor of the museum before lunch in their cafe. The day was cut short by a big storm that was coming through. *I hope to get back there one day* also. I'd love to take my two youngest grandchildren, ages 16 and 18 (at least). I took my son to the Smithsonian when he was a youngster and he thoroughly enjoyed it.


In the meantime, there's a bunch of virtual tours on youtube.

Here's one:


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 7, 2021)

@Pecos @Irwin & @Dana  Thank you for your contributions to this thread. They are interesting and informative. Pecos, I'd never heard of John Robinson although I'd heard of The Tuskegee Airmen. Dana, I heard the Sally Hemmings story before but had never seen the documentary,  I'll watch the Oprah episode later. Irwin, Montreux sure has had some great concerts. I wasn't aware of Otis Rush and his music but he's really good.  Him and Eric Clapton on stage...what a treat for the audience. Excellent collaboration.

@Murrmurr Thank you for sharing this video. I'll definitely check it out others as well.


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## tbeltrans (Feb 7, 2021)

Question:
Black History Month: Why Is It Needed?​My answer:

The great achievements of Black people and women in general have largely been ignored in history.  I have heard of women in history who either used masculine names for their writings or had their works recognized as being created by their husbands.  I don't know if that is also true of Black people of both genders having their contributions recognized as having been achieved by white people or not, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Recognition of the achievements and contributions by Black people is long overdue.  If anything, it is a real shame that it has taken this long to recognize these achievements and contributions.

Tony


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## Pepper (Feb 7, 2021)

If it weren't for Robert Johnson.................I hate to think about it.  Besides selling his soul, he died at that magical musical age of *27*, but he left a great, incredible legacy.


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## Pepper (Feb 7, 2021)

Thank you so much for this thread @OneEyedDiva!


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 7, 2021)

tbeltrans said:


> Question:
> Black History Month: Why Is It Needed?​My answer:
> 
> The great achievements of Black people and women in general have largely been ignored in history.  I have heard of women in history who either used masculine names for their writings or had their works recognized as being created by their husbands.  I don't know if that is also true of Black people of both genders having their contributions recognized as having been achieved by white people or not, but I wouldn't be surprised.
> ...


Tony I agree. Thank you for posting this. My husband and I went to Rev. Al Sharpton's music forum that had featured Michael Jackson and other Black artists who were there to discuss not receiving their just dues from the music industry. Michael was only at the podium a couple of minutes after we arrived because we were late. But he had the same complaint as everyone else. I met a woman who, if I recall correctly, had been a member of The Crystals. She said her grandfather wrote a song Elvis recorded that became a hit. Her grandfather never got credit nor payment for it. There are certainly other examples of White artists covering songs by Black artists.

Then of course, there are the women who were so critical to NASA mission successes whose story was finally told in the movie Hidden Figures (mentioned in another thread). I don't know about specific incidences of Black female authors but I believe women in general took male pseudonyms when they wrote because they felt they had to in order for their works to be taken seriously and get published.


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## tbeltrans (Feb 7, 2021)

Pepper said:


> If it weren't for Robert Johnson.................I hate to think about it.  Besides selling his soul, he died at that magical musical age of *27*, but he left a great, incredible legacy.


The weird thing about Robert Johnson's music is that it took the British to bring this music to the white American public by doing covers of his tunes.  In this country, recordings by Black musicians were called "race records" and were not to be played on radio intended for white audiences.  Part of the marketing decision behind Elvis with tunes such as "Hound Dog" was that he (sorta kinda, in a round about way) sounded Black, and because he was white, could be played on white stations.  When we did get to hear Black musicians, it was not Robert Johnson and any of the Delta Blues players, but instead Chuck Berry and those of the early days of rock and roll.  Not that there was anything wrong with these musicians, they were great, but it wasn't until the Rolling Stones, Cream, John Mayall, and other British musicians began doing covers of Robert Johnson tunes that white American audiences were introduced to this music that originated in their own country.

Edit: The folk revival also served to bring a number of forgotten southern Black musicians to New York's Greenwich Village, the Newport Folk Festival, and other such venues.  The guitarist, John Fahey, also did much to bring a number of older Black blues musicians to white audiences.

Anyway, the overall point here is that it took a relatively small number of very dedicated Americans to bring this music to the public, along with British musicians who made it into mainstream American radio to overcome the barriers of racism in the music business.

Tony


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 7, 2021)

I first became aware of the Great Kings and Queens of Africa decades ago when Budweiser published a poster with their pictures and an article was done about them in Ebony magazine. We certainly were never taught about these magnificent, powerful, beautiful rulers in our schools. I was so happy to find this video, also sponsored by Budweiser, when I searched to see if the poster was still available.


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## officerripley (Feb 8, 2021)

"Sometimes referred to as the Jackie Robinson of professional bull riding, Myrtis Dightman made history in 1964 when he became the first African-American to compete in the National Finals Rodeo and he went on to compete on rodeo’s biggest stage six more times in a brilliant career that spanned three decades." To read the rest of the article: https://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/...d to as the,career that spanned three decades.


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## Irwin (Feb 8, 2021)

tbeltrans said:


> The weird thing about Robert Johnson's music is that it took the British to bring this music to the white American public by doing covers of his tunes.  In this country, recordings by Black musicians were called "race records" and were not to be played on radio intended for white audiences.  Part of the marketing decision behind Elvis with tunes such as "Hound Dog" was that he (sorta kinda, in a round about way) sounded Black, and because he was white, could be played on white stations.  When we did get to hear Black musicians, it was not Robert Johnson and any of the Delta Blues players, but instead Chuck Berry and those of the early days of rock and roll.  Not that there was anything wrong with these musicians, they were great, but it wasn't until the Rolling Stones, Cream, John Mayall, and other British musicians began doing covers of Robert Johnson tunes that white American audiences were introduced to this music that originated in their own country.
> 
> Edit: The folk revival also served to bring a number of forgotten southern Black musicians to New York's Greenwich Village, the Newport Folk Festival, and other such venues.  The guitarist, John Fahey, also did much to bring a number of older Black blues musicians to white audiences.
> 
> ...


Eric Clapton is also partially responsible for the popularity of Reggae music after he recorded Bob Marley's _I Shot the Sheriff_.

The Fillmore in San Francisco, and Winterland, I think those were the names, used to have blues musicians open for big name rock bands. Some of them probably made more from one show than they did from years of performing in the Chitlin' circuit.


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## Tish (Feb 8, 2021)

“*Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it*.”–*George Santayana.*


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## Pecos (Feb 8, 2021)

In 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded seven Medals of Honor to African Americans for distinguishing themselves during World War Two. Of these, only Vernon Baker was still alive.

*Vernon Joseph Baker* (December 17, 1919 – July 13, 2010) was a United States Army first lieutenant who was an infantry company platoon leader during World War II and a paratrooper during the Korean War. In 1997, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, for his actions on April 5–6, 1945, near Viareggio, Italy.[1]

Baker and six other Black Americans who served in World War II were awarded the Medal of Honor on January 12, 1997.[2] The Medal of Honor was presented to Baker by President Bill Clinton on January 13, 1997 during a Medals of Honor ceremony for the seven recipients at the White House in Washington, D.C. The seven recipients are the first and only Black Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II. Baker was the only living recipient of the medal.[3] Baker died in 2010 at the age of 90 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia.[4]"

CITATION:​The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Vernon J. Baker, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action on 5 and 6 April 1945, while serving with Company C, 370th Infantry Regiment, 92d Infantry Division, in action near Viareggio, Italy. Then Second Lieutenant Baker demonstrated outstanding courage and leadership in destroying enemy installations, personnel and equipment during his company's attack against a strongly entrenched enemy in mountainous terrain. When his company was stopped by the concentration of fire from several machine gun emplacements, he crawled to one position and destroyed it, killing three Germans. Continuing forward, he attacked and enemy observation post and killed two occupants. With the aid of one of his men, Lieutenant Baker attacked two more machine gun nests, killing or wounding the four enemy soldiers occupying these positions. He then covered the evacuation of the wounded personnel of his company by occupying an exposed position and drawing the enemy's fire. On the following night Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective. Second Lieutenant Baker's fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his men and exemplify the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.

This upgrade from Distinguished Service Crosses was the result of a 1993 study that concluded there was racial bias in the initial awards. 

In March of 2014, Melvin Morris was added to the study and had his Vietnam War DSM upgraded as well.

CITATION:​The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class [then Staff Sergeant] Melvin Morris, United States Army, for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commander of a Strike Force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Chi Lang, Republic of Vietnam on 17 September 1969. On that afternoon, Staff Sergeant Morris's affiliated companies encountered an extensive enemy mine field and were subsequently engaged by a hostile force. Staff Sergeant Morris learned by radio that a fellow team commander had been killed near an enemy bunker and he immediately reorganized his men into an effective assault posture before advancing forward and splitting off with two men to recover the team commander's body. Observing the maneuver, the hostile force concentrated its fire on Staff Sergeant Morris's three-man element and successfully wounded both men accompanying him. After assisting the two wounded men back to his forces' lines, Staff Sergeant Morris charged forward into withering enemy fire with only his men's suppressive fire as cover. While enemy machine gun emplacements continuously directed strafing fusillades against him, Staff Sergeant Morris destroyed the positions with hand grenades and continued his assault, ultimately eliminating four bunkers. Upon reaching the bunker nearest the fallen team commander, Staff Sergeant Morris repulsed the enemy, retrieved his comrade and began the arduous trek back to friendly lines. He was wounded three times as he struggled forward, but ultimately succeeded in returning his fallen comrade to a friendly position. Staff Sergeant Morris's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.


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## fmdog44 (Feb 8, 2021)

raybar said:


> Care to list some of those big differences?


Are you saying there are none?


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## jamesrush308 (Feb 8, 2021)

Growing up in the south I have seen so much racism and watched as the times changed. My parents and grandparents were old fashioned in that regard but I always thought it was silly to treat someone differently because of their skin.. I served with many black men back in the day and those folks earned a whole lot of respect.  I have taken my kids and later on my grandkids to black history museums and I made sure they didn't grow up learning that wrong things were right! I've shared a few stories of the great men I fought with as well. We are all human


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 9, 2021)

Hold on to your cowboy hats Ladies & Gents. The real Lone Ranger was a Black man. There's an upcoming movie about him. The casting of White actors to play characters who in real life were Black, Hispanic and Asian was commonplace, especially in the earlier days of Hollywood.
_"When you hear stories about the Lone Ranger, you are often told about a masked Caucasian cowboy who hung out with a Native American named Tonto. In reality, the real Lone Ranger was a formerly enslaved man, *Bass Reeves,* who became the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. After making a brief cameo in HBO's Watchmen, his story is coming to the big screen in the Lionsgate film, Hell on the Border."_
https://www.bet.com/celebrities/exclusives/bass-reeves-movie-hell-on-boarder-trailer.html
Here's a photo of the real Bass Reeves (cool name, BTW) And a beautiful piece of art depicting him.


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## Sassycakes (Feb 9, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Hold on to your cowboy hats Ladies & Gents. The real Lone Ranger was a Black man. There's an upcoming movie about him. The casting of White actors to play characters who in real life were Black, Hispanic and Asian was commonplace, especially in the earlier days of Hollywood.
> _"When you hear stories about the Lone Ranger, you are often told about a masked Caucasian cowboy who hung out with a Native American named Tonto. In reality, the real Lone Ranger was a formerly enslaved man, *Bass Reeves,* who became the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. After making a brief cameo in HBO's Watchmen, his story is coming to the big screen in the Lionsgate film, Hell on the Border."_
> https://www.bet.com/celebrities/exclusives/bass-reeves-movie-hell-on-boarder-trailer.html
> Here's a photo of the real Bass Reeves (cool name, BTW) And a beautiful piece of art depicting him.
> View attachment 148808View attachment 148809


  *Thank you soo much for showing this, it is amazing. I think they should have aired the show(which was a favorite of mine)with the real way the Lone Ranger truly was and not change him to a white man.*


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## Pepper (Feb 9, 2021)

Sassycakes said:


> *Thank you soo much for showing this, it is amazing. I think they should have aired the show(which was a favorite of mine)with the real way the Lone Ranger truly was and not change him to a white man.*


Are you kidding?  In the fifties Hollywood, and most of white society, didn't know black people existed except in roles helpful to white people, like your maid or some other servant, which is why when folks talk about the 'good old days' I think 'good for who?'


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## Pinky (Feb 9, 2021)




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## raybar (Feb 9, 2021)

Regarding black and white people, Rosemarie said, "there are big differences between the two." [message #12]

I asked "Care to list some of those big differences?" [message #16]

fmdog44 then asked "Are you saying there are none?" [message #55] 

==========

I am not saying anything. I asked a question.

"There are 'big differences' between the two" strikes me as a very racist statement. But maybe it wasn't meant that way, so I asked for some examples. Maybe Rosemarie was just referring to who tends to be better at what sports, or who is more at risk for certain illnesses, or who is more likely to have flat feet. 

So, Rosemarie, what are you saying?


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## officerripley (Feb 9, 2021)

"James Beckwourth, one of only a handful of early mountain men to emerge from the system of slavery, [was] born in Fredericksburg, Virginia." To read the rest of the article: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/james-beckwourth-is-born. (I don't live too far away from a town and a trail named after him.)


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## Dana (Feb 9, 2021)

*History* Builds Empathy Through Studying the Lives and Struggles of Others. Studying the *diversity *of human experience *helps us* appreciate cultures, ideas, and traditions that are *not our own* – and to recognize them as meaningful products of specific times and places.

History is not an island - it does *not* stand alone. To really understand, one has to embrace *all* the facets that relate to historical events.

*The theme for Black American History month for 2021 is: 

"The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity."*


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## Dana (Feb 9, 2021)

For those who are interested - couple of really good articles:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/02/black-americans-native-creek-nation

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1185117?seq=1

Their ancestors were black slaves owned by Native Americans. Now they’re suing the Creek nation to fully restore their citizenship


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 9, 2021)

Dana said:


> *History* Builds Empathy Through Studying the Lives and Struggles of Others. Studying the *diversity *of human experience *helps us* appreciate cultures, ideas, and traditions that are *not our own* – and to recognize them as meaningful products of specific times and places.
> 
> History is not an island - it does *not* stand alone. To really understand, one has to embrace *all* the facets that relate to historical events.
> 
> ...


I agree with you Dana. My family is quite diverse and includes Native American, east Indian, European as well as African ancestors.


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## rgp (Feb 10, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Hold on to your cowboy hats Ladies & Gents. The real Lone Ranger was a Black man. There's an upcoming movie about him. The casting of White actors to play characters who in real life were Black, Hispanic and Asian was commonplace, especially in the earlier days of Hollywood.
> _"When you hear stories about the Lone Ranger, you are often told about a masked Caucasian cowboy who hung out with a Native American named Tonto. In reality, the real Lone Ranger was a formerly enslaved man, *Bass Reeves,* who became the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. After making a brief cameo in HBO's Watchmen, his story is coming to the big screen in the Lionsgate film, Hell on the Border."_
> https://www.bet.com/celebrities/exclusives/bass-reeves-movie-hell-on-boarder-trailer.html
> Here's a photo of the real Bass Reeves (cool name, BTW) And a beautiful piece of art depicting him.
> View attachment 148808View attachment 148809




  What does one have to do with the other? The lone Ranger was a fictional character , about a lone Texas Ranger. Bass Reeves was a live U.S. Marshal .


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## officerripley (Feb 10, 2021)

"Crispus Attucks, a multiracial man who had escaped slavery, is known as the first American colonist killed in the American Revolution." To read the rest of the article: https://www.history.com/news/crispus-attucks-american-revolution-boston-massacre


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## officerripley (Feb 10, 2021)

"[Jester Hairston:] Actor, Musician. An arranger, composer, traveling choir leader, actor and story teller, his career took him all over the world." To read the rest of the article: https://www.singers.com/bio/2790. (My brother got to meet him just briefly years ago.)


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## officerripley (Feb 10, 2021)

"Samuel Ball...Did a Former Slave Find the Mysterious Treasure That Has Intrigued Treasure Hunters for Over 200 Years?" To read the article: https://michaeleastwriter.medium.co...cabbage-farmer-or-something-more-1bf3d1f626a9
​


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## officerripley (Feb 10, 2021)

"The history of Black Stunt people's fight for equal opportunity in Hollywood": https://www.marketplace.org/2020/06...les-fight-for-equal-opportunity-in-hollywood/
​


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## officerripley (Feb 10, 2021)

Nance Legins Costley, the first slave freed by Abraham Lincoln, is now buried under Peoria pavement: https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/h...kin-the-first-slave-lincoln-freed/4292402001/


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## JimBob1952 (Feb 10, 2021)

I think that a hundred years from now race will be much less of an issue.  People won't be more enlightened, but there will be so many multi-racial people that old ethnic barriers won't make sense anymore.  

I also think that in a hundred years we will all be vegetarians.


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## Rosemarie (Feb 10, 2021)

JimBob1952 said:


> I think that a hundred years from now race will be much less of an issue.  People won't be more enlightened, but there will be so many multi-racial people that old ethnic barriers won't make sense anymore.
> 
> I also think that in a hundred years we will all be vegetarians.


It's interesting to speculate what the world will be like in a hundred years time. However, human nature doesn't change so hostility towards those of other races will still be around.
In Africa at the moment, there are wars between the different African tribes...so what hope is there for a society of mixed races?
In the UK at present there are rival black gangs knifing each other in the street.  At least they are  not blaming white people for the problems they have with each other!
Sorry.....I've gone off-topic!


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## officerripley (Feb 10, 2021)

Rosemarie said:


> It's interesting to speculate what the world will be like in a hundred years time. However, human nature doesn't change so hostility towards those of other races will still be around.
> In Africa at the moment, there are wars between the different African tribes...so what hope is there for a society of mixed races?
> In the UK at present there are rival black gangs knifing each other in the street.  At least they are  not blaming white people for the problems they have with each other!
> Sorry.....I've gone off-topic!


_"In Africa at the moment, there are wars between the different African tribes...so what hope is there for a society of mixed races?"_ I think that hope is something you can choose to have and the more people that choose hope, the greater likelihood of good, just things happening. Also, there's no valid scientific basis for the concept of different human "races": chttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/04/race-genetics-science-africa/.


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## Pecos (Feb 10, 2021)

officerripley said:


> "[Jester Hairston:] Actor, Musician. An arranger, composer, traveling choir leader, actor and story teller, his career took him all over the world." To read the rest of the article: https://www.singers.com/bio/2790. (My brother got to meet him just briefly years ago.)


I really appreciate the way that you have presented your posts in a very easily digestible form, one item at a time instead of dozens of pictures followed by many additional links like we have been seeing lately. When people do that, it becomes overwhelming and I feel like I am back in school receiving a rather large homework assignment for the entire weekend. I have learned to simply ignore the entire post.

If I have ever done that myself. I sincerely apologize.  

The way you have done it makes reading far more pleasurable.


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## officerripley (Feb 10, 2021)

Pecos said:


> I really appreciate the way that you have presented your posts in a very easily digestible form, one item at a time instead of dozens of pictures followed by many additional links like we have been seeing lately. When people do that, it becomes overwhelming and I feel like I am back in school receiving a rather large homework assignment for the entire weekend. I have learned to simply ignore the entire post.
> 
> If I have ever done that myself. I sincerely apologize.
> 
> The way you have done it makes reading far more pleasurable.


Thanks, Pecos. (I was feeling kind of lazy because I hadn't posted any pix, lol; it's nice to get a compliment.   )

And btw, a hat-tip to this site's team: posting pix and links and even media (YouTube or whatever) here on SF is the most user-friendly I've ever encountered; on some sites I've been on, seems like to post even pix you've gotta hold your mouth just right, jump through a knot-hole backwards all while whistling Beethoven's 5th!


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 11, 2021)

officerripley said:


> _"In Africa at the moment, there are wars between the different African tribes...so what hope is there for a society of mixed races?"_ I think that hope is something you can choose to have and the more people that choose hope, the greater likelihood of good, just things happening. Also, there's no valid scientific basis for the concept of different human "races": chttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/04/race-genetics-science-africa/.


"I think that hope is something you can choose to have and the more people that choose hope, the greater likelihood of good, just things happening." I absolutely agree Officer. And I *thank you* for your very interesting and enlightening contributions to this thread. My online BFF who I call "Li'l Sis (mentioned in my comment in this thread about the African Heritage Museum) worked in Hollywood. Not only are Black stuntmen affected by racism in Hollywood, but so are actors, writers and producers. She's seen it first hand and has told me many stories. She worked on a project with Damon Wayans and said he made sure Black people were included in various positions for his show. She's worked on other projects as well. Some of the writers and producers who have made big names for themselves with award winning projects, like Jordan Peele (Get Out, multi award winner including an Oscar) and Ava Duvernay (Selma, multi award winner including Golden Globe) had to do it on their own because White Hollywood did not give them the same opportunities as their White counterparts. And of course we all know of Tyler Perry's success. He now owns the biggest movie studio complex in the country.

I'm glad you felt lazy Officer.   I agree with @Pecos. The way you post your comments and links is easier to manage, especially if I'm not able to read all of them at the same time. Also easier on the eyes and less confusing. BTW The History Channel website says the article you posted the link for about race-genetics-science-africa is no longer available.


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## officerripley (Feb 12, 2021)

Prince Hall, a contemporary of John Adams, soldier of the American Revolution, and an African-American: https://www.historyisfun.org/learn/learning-center/prince-hall/


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 12, 2021)

*"Robert Robinson Taylor* (June 8, 1868 – December 13, 1942) was an American architect and educator. Taylor was the first African-American student enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the first accredited African-American architect when he graduated in 1892.[1] He was an early and influential member of the Tuskegee Institute faculty." per Wikipedia. More here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Robinson_Taylor


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## officerripley (Feb 13, 2021)

"Carolivia Herron draws on her experience as an African American Jewish woman living in Washington, D.C. to reimagine the traditional form of 'the epic' through her writing." (I got to briefly meet this lady when she was a visiting professor at the university where I worked; she was very nice & didn't condescend to me (for being "uneducated"--i.e., no college degree--) as some of the resident professors did. https://jwa.org/people/herron-carolivia


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## officerripley (Feb 15, 2021)

"The CW is [well it was about 4 or 5 years ago; looks like it's either been cancelled or postponed, unfortunately] developing a period crime drama series based on real-life Black [private] detective, Samuel Marlowe." https://www.philasun.com/entertainm...sed-real-life-black-detective-samuel-marlowe/
​


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## oldiebutgoody (Feb 15, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I first became aware of the Great Kings and Queens of Africa decades ago when Budweiser published a poster with their pictures and an article was done about them in Ebony magazine. We certainly were never taught about these magnificent, powerful, beautiful rulers in our schools. I was so happy to find this video, also sponsored by Budweiser, when I searched to see if the poster was still available.






The Histories - Audiobook, by Herodotus | Chirp (chirpbooks.com)


Why put a Greek history book on this thread?  Simple: while we have generally been taught that western civilization began in Greece, Herodotus (the Father of Greek history) wrote that it was the ancient Egyptians who virtually spoon fed the basics of civilization to the ancient Hellenic people.  This encyclopedia in written as opposed to audio form is about 700 pages.  A full 10% or 70 pages are devoted to the African origin of Greek history.  Virtually every value that is cherished in the Western world began in Africa --- the true founders of Western Civ.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 16, 2021)

*"Black Africans were part of The Roman Empire at its height when the Roman Empire included territorry stretching all the way into North Africa."
"prominent Black Africans made History in Ancient Rome like the Emperor Septimus Severus who was Rome’s first African Emperor. 
Another important person from Africa who made an impact on the Roman Empire was Lusius Quietus.
He was an African Roman officer from Morocco who rose from Roman Calvary Officer to first becoming a Senator, then thereafter becoming Govenor of Judea in the Roman Empire." Entire article: https://www.afrikaiswoke.com/africans-in-ancient-rome/*


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 16, 2021)

@officerripley  I found this article and I think it may be what you had posted about (but the link didn't work). 
Sequence African genomes for Africa and the world: scientist​https://medicalxpress-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-sequence-african-genomes-africa-world.amp?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=16131489309357&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fmedicalxpress.com%2Fnews%2F2021-02-sequence-african-genomes-africa-world.html


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## officerripley (Feb 17, 2021)

"A Black Soldier's Heroism, Overlooked in 1965, May Finally Be Lauded in 2021": https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/us/paris-davis-medal-of-honor.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab

I want a good movie made about this gentleman and the guys who served under him and I want it now!


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 17, 2021)

*African Americans & The Railroad System*

The link between African-Americans and the growth of American railroads is much deeper than carrying luggage or preparing a sleeping car.
The entire southern railroad network that was built during the slavery era was built almost exclusively by slaves. Some of the railroads owned slaves, other railroads hired or rented slaves from slave owners. And the most shocking thing was that women as well as men were actually involved in the hard, dangerous, brutal work of railroad construction and continued to work for railroads after they were built in lesser roles. But in the construction phase, little difference between the abilities, considered abilities, for Black women, and White women would never have been considered for any of those jobs.


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## officerripley (Feb 17, 2021)

"A Quest to Return the Banjo to its African Roots: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blog...pJobID=1941611466&spReportId=MTk0MTYxMTQ2NgS2


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## Pink Biz (Feb 18, 2021)

*Matilda Sissieretta Jones, née Joyner, byname Black Patti or Madame Jones, (born January 5, 1869, Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.—died June 24, 1933, Providence, Rhode Island), American opera singer who was among the greatest sopranos in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Unfortunately, no recordings exist of her acclaimed voice.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Matilda-Sissieretta-Jones*


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## officerripley (Feb 18, 2021)

"Maggie Lena Walker was one of the most important Black businesswomen in the nation, and today too few people have heard of her...[She] was the first Black woman in the nation to organize and run a bank. And she did it in the segregated South in the former capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia. But that’s not all...": https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blog...pJobID=1941695552&spReportId=MTk0MTY5NTU1MgS2


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 19, 2021)

Pink Biz said:


> View attachment 150522
> 
> *Matilda Sissieretta Jones, née Joyner, byname Black Patti or Madame Jones, (born January 5, 1869, Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.—died June 24, 1933, Providence, Rhode Island), American opera singer who was among the greatest sopranos in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Unfortunately, no recordings exist of her acclaimed voice.
> 
> https://www.britannica.com/biography/Matilda-Sissieretta-Jones*


Wow Pink Biz! I just came on to post about this! She was the first African American to perform at Carnegie Hall. Thank you for posting this.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 19, 2021)

A friend of mine who is a historian posted about this on Facebook. *The practice of wet nursing.*
"The children of slaves grew healthy while many white families lost their children to ill health. This made many westerners force slave mothers to breastfeed their white children so that they could develop better and survive the early months of childhood."
In addition to their plantation duties, many female slaves were taken into the homes of their masters to serve their mistresses, cook, clean and wash for them. If a mistress had too many children, the domestic worker was made to help in caring for the child. After a while, female slaves were made to take the place of low-class women paid to breastfeed babies, a practice known as wet nursing."
https://face2faceafrica.com/article...orced-to-breastfeed-white-babies-in-the-1600s


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## officerripley (Feb 20, 2021)

"Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a prominent journalist, activist, and researcher, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In her lifetime, she battled sexism, racism, and violence." https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ida-b-wells-barnett


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## Irwin (Feb 20, 2021)

We started watching this documentary about Stax Records last night. It's pretty interesting and available for free on YouTube, although the audio was cut in one section -- I presume for copyright reasons.

Booker T and the MGs were the session musicians at Stax and they backed some of the all time great soul and blues artists like Otis Redding and Albert King. But their recording studio was in a bad part of Memphis where there was a lot of crime and violence. I read a bit about that somewhere, I forget where, and we haven't reached that part yet in the video. We're only about 1/3 of the way through.

Respect Yourself Stax Records Story​


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## officerripley (Feb 20, 2021)

"Remember Henry Harris, [Auburn University's] first black athlete, the forgotten pioneer...": https://www.al.com/sports/2013/10/remember_henry_harris_auburns.html


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## Pecos (Feb 20, 2021)

As an example of the fact that true talent will emerge whenever it is allowed to, I offer Dave Drake (also known as Dave the Potter) whose talent as a artistic Pottery Maker and Poet flourished during slavery. He lived about 20 miles from my current residence and produced some of the finest Pots on the East Coast. His owner taught his slaves to read and write despite it being against the law. Dave signed his name to many of his creations and also inscribed small poems on them. Today they are extremely valuable. We do have a couple of them in our local Aiken County Museum.

Oak Spring Garden Foundation - Dave the Potter and His Historic Ceramics (osgf.org)


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 20, 2021)

Irwin said:


> We started watching this documentary about Stax Records last night. It's pretty interesting and available for free on YouTube, although the audio was cut in one section -- I presume for copyright reasons.
> 
> Booker T and the MGs were the session musicians at Stax and they backed some of the all time great soul and blues artists like Otis Redding and Albert King. But their recording studio was in a bad part of Memphis where there was a lot of crime and violence. I read a bit about that somewhere, I forget where, and we haven't reached that part yet in the video. We're only about 1/3 of the way through.
> 
> Respect Yourself Stax Records Story​


Thank you for posting this Irwin! I'm pretty sure this is the same documentary my former supervisor put on DVD for me. I think he did it in two parts. I have to pull that out and compare.  He is of Polish ancestry and shared my love of good soul music. I believe his basement looked like a record store from the way he described it. Unfortunately during Hurricane Sandy his house was demolished and nothing was salvageable. Booker T and the MGs were famous for Green Onions but here's my favorite by them. Stays in my Favorite Jazz & Instrumentals playlist.


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## Dana (Feb 20, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Wow Pink Biz! I just came on to post about this! She was the first African American to perform at Carnegie Hall. Thank you for posting this.View attachment 150922




_Sissieretta Jones sang for kings, presidents, and to audiences around the world, becoming the highest paid African-American entertainer of the late 19th century. She headlined at Carnegie Hall and was hailed as one of the greatest sopranos of her time, yet she never performed on the operatic stage. A real shame.

When it was offered to costume her so that her colour would not be prominent…her reply was ‘No, I will not hide my race, I am proud of who I am.’

By 1896, however, she abandoned her career as a soloist to become the lead singer of Black Patti’s Troubadours, a vaudeville company and I feel so sad about that._


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## Irwin (Feb 20, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Thank you for posting this Irwin! I'm pretty sure this is the same documentary my former supervisor put on DVD for me. I think he did it in two parts. I have to pull that out and compare.  He is of Polish ancestry and shared my love of good soul music. I believe his basement looked like a record store from the way he described it. Unfortunately during Hurricane Sandy his house was demolished and nothing was salvageable. Booker T and the MGs were famous for Green Onions but here's my favorite by them. Stays in my Favorite Jazz & Instrumentals playlist.


I'd never heard that one before. It kind of reminds me of Traffic's Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, which they put out about three years later. I wonder if Steve Winwood's playing was inspired by Booker T's.

We watched the rest of the video this evening. It was well worth the watch for anyone who loves blues and soul music, or Shaft!  

My wife and I went to Memphis about 12 or so years ago where I picked up the Back to Stax DVD... Ah, on checking YouTube, it's available to stream! Great music! Here's the video:


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## officerripley (Feb 22, 2021)

"Why These Four Banjo-Playing Women Resurrected the Songs of the Enslaved[:] The [2019] Folkways album 'Songs of Our Native Daughters' draws spiritually from slave narratives and other pre-19th-century sources...": https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smit...pJobID=1941994374&spReportId=MTk0MTk5NDM3NAS2


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## Pink Biz (Feb 24, 2021)

*Emmanuel Taylor Gordon (center front) with friends in White
Sulphur Springs, Montana. He would go on to become a world
famous singer in the 1920s, at the height of the Harlem
Renaissance. With his musical partner, J. Rosamond Johnson,
Gordon was a crucially important figure in popularizing African
American spirituals as an art form, giving many listeners their first
experience of black spirituals.

Gordon's story: working in the White Sulphur Springs brothels as
an errand boy, traveling the country in John Ringling's private
railway car, performing on vaudeville stages from New York to
Vancouver to Los Angeles, performing for royalty in England,
becoming a celebrated author with a best-selling 1929
autobiography, and his long bout of mental illness, adds depth to
the history of the Harlem Renaissance and makes him one of the
most fascinating figures of the twentieth century.*


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## OneEyedDiva (Mar 3, 2021)

This is Sarah Boone. She was born into slavery and married a freedman at age 15. When her family relocated to New Haven Connecticut, she took up dressmaking as a profession. In the course of her work she noticed the difficulty of flattening out creases in the sleeves and bodies of women's dresses. Ironing at the time was done on a wooden plank propped between chairs or on the kitchen table. Sarah developed a design of a tapered board on a stand. By rotating the fabric around the board, it completely smoothed any portion of a dress. As a result, her design was issued US Patent # 473,653 on April 26, 1892. Mrs Boone was one of the first Black American women to be issued a patent and her design for the ironing board is still used today.


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## Elsie (Mar 4, 2021)

Why is it so amazing the things BLACK people have accomplished?"  Why shouldn't they have?  Music, inventions, medicines, etc.??  They're people with the same talents, intelligence, etc. born with as much as any other race of people.  As a young adult I once had a dream of myself and 2 black men being chased at night by white men through some woods to hang us.  I felt strong horrible fear.  I woke up before they caught us.   I think the dream came from some black and white T V show.  ... I had no idea why black people were frowned upon (hated-?)


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## Pepper (Mar 4, 2021)

Elsie said:


> Why is it so amazing the things BLACK people have accomplished?"  Why shouldn't they have?


While not amazing, it was certainly kept under wraps, without credit, without reflection in society. Now the knowledge is blossoming, it's about time.  If not now, when?


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## OneEyedDiva (Mar 4, 2021)

Elsie said:


> Why is it so amazing the things BLACK people have accomplished?"  Why shouldn't they have?  Music, inventions, medicines, etc.??  They're people with the same talents, intelligence, etc. born with as much as any other race of people.  As a young adult I once had a dream of myself and 2 black men being chased at night by white men through some woods to hang us.  I felt strong horrible fear.  I woke up before they caught us.   I think the dream came from some black and white T V show.  ... I had no idea why black people were frowned upon (hated-?)


That we have accomplished things, in of itself is no more amazing than any other fantastic accomplishment. What is amazing is that our accomplishments have mostly been hidden, not in the history books and classrooms and many claimed by Whites. I once read a comment about Black History Month where the poster said Blacks had done nothing for this country.  I've read and was told of several accounts of Black people being deemed much less intelligent than White people. I did a report a few decades ago for college (I attended as an adult) about teachers, some in the NYC school system who were crushing Black students' dreams about college by telling them that they didn't have what it takes. And I have a good friend who's teacher told her when she was about 10 years old that "Black people have no history". So your question "Why shouldn't they have?" is a great one. I wish many more people had your attitude about it.


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## Chris P Bacon (Feb 1, 2022)

Happy Black History Month
We can't all be black but
we can all be kind, can't we?​


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## Lavinia (Feb 1, 2022)

The question is.....should children  just be taught the history of the country they are living in? The population of America consists of people from all over the world. Can schools be expected to teach the history of each of their original countries?  African slaves were a major part of America's history and that should be included in their lessons. However, African history is a separate subject.


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## old medic (Feb 1, 2022)

Pecos said:


> One group of Black Servicemen who were seriously underappreciated were the Tuskegee Airmen who distinguished during WWII. Upon their return to the states, German prisoners of war were treated better than they were.
> 
> Tuskegee Airmen (historynet.com)


Pecos, Have you been to the memorial in Walterboro SC? As a WWII buff I didn't know about this till we drove past a sign and had to stop in.


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## Chris P Bacon (Feb 1, 2022)

Lavinia said:


> The question is.....should children  just be taught the history of the country they are living in? The population of America consists of people from all over the world. Can schools be expected to teach the history of each of their original countries?  African slaves were a major part of America's history and that should be included in their lessons. However, African history is a separate subject.


Schools get tasked with teaching a lot of different subjects. History is one of them. I recall being in school and mainly learning about things American because that's where I lived. we touched upon African history as well as South American, Australian, Asian and European history as well. But we also learned about math, science, health, physical education, etc.

In my hometown there was a special Africentric High School built that probably taught more about Africa and African history than the other schools there but it wasn't built until long after I attended high school. The issue of slavery in America was covered pretty extensively as I recall but I don't remember hearing much about some European countries like Lichtenstein and Latvia, even though I'm sure that those places too must have made some contribution to the world at large.

My original post was just intended as a general "happy thought". I'm of European descent, meaning not black but in the spirit of goodwill, I tried to be among the first to acknowledge that today begins Black History Month. I hope we wont all stay in the dark about black _or_ African history.


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## Mike (Feb 1, 2022)

Surely Black History is the same as the history of
the country that you live, nothing is separate in
life except by bigots.

My history applies to all the black, brown and
Chinese, who have chosen this place as their
home, there is no difference.

Pointing out the achievements of black people
individually, is a different matter and that is the
life history of that person, there are many great
achievements by lots of black people all over the
World, that may be the aim of effort, to point
these out.

Mike.


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## officerripley (Feb 1, 2022)

U.S. Howard University librarian Dorothy Porter "decolonized" the way books were catalogued by challenging the racial bias in the Dewey Decimal system; to read the rest of the article:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/hist...olonized-way-books-were-catalogued-180970890/


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## Rah-Rah (Feb 1, 2022)

For me Black History is needed number one because it is important history and these people are important to it. They also overcame so much throughout their lives to achieve so much and they still are even today. Not only the really prominent Blacks in history such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, George Washington Carver, Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall and others, but also others that lead in their particular fields like Sammy Davis Jr, Tiger Woods, Arthur Ashe, and also Barack Obama.


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## oldiebutgoody (Feb 1, 2022)

Lavinia said:


> The question is.....should children  just be taught the history of the country they are living in? The population of America consists of people from all over the world. Can schools be expected to teach the history of each of their original countries?  African slaves were a major part of America's history and that should be included in their lessons. However, African history is a separate subject.




When I was in high school we had two classes about world history (one in autumn, the other in spring). But all year long we studied European history, only.  Not a word was spoken about the Third World. I well remember how much time we spent talking about Napoleon and his campaign.  I did particularly well in class so that one of my classmate (he was rather tall and I'm rather short) called me "Napoloeon" just for fun - I thought it was funny and actually liked the name. 

When I was in college we were taught that Greece was the cradle of Western civilization.  That was a blatant lie as Egypt was its actual beginning. If you read Herodotus's encyclopedic "The Histories" of Greece you will see that 10% or roughly 70 pages of this 700 page book was devoted to the African origin of Greek civilization. 

There is plenty of historical evidence to prove that African mariners were in the New World by the 1300s - long before Columbus was born. In his writings Columbus admitted that he found blacks descended of Africans in the Islands he traveled through. Those truths have been taken out of your history books. 

https://www.amazon.com/They-Came-Before-Columbus-Civilizations/dp/0812968174


Now it's time to put those truths back into children's school books.


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## Pepper (Feb 1, 2022)

I love Sammy Davis, Jr. and his autobiography, 'Yes I Can' is sensational and historically important in the human rights arena.  He really suffered for his art!


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## Pepper (Feb 1, 2022)

Where did you go to school @oldiebutgoody ?  What you covered in High school & even college was in my Elementary School Curriculum.  I still have my history books from 6th grade.  I stole them!


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## Rah-Rah (Feb 1, 2022)

When I was in school we had a year of United States History and a year of World History. We also had a year of United States Government. In my 12th grade year we could take either Economics, Psychology or Sociology.


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## officerripley (Feb 1, 2022)

On August 1, 1879 Mary Eliza Mahoney made nursing history by becoming the first African-American graduate nurse in the United States. To read the rest of the article: https://www.asrn.org/journal-chronicle-nursing/282-mary-eliza-mahoney.html


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## FastTrax (Feb 1, 2022)

I may be somewhat out of place in this thread and if anyone here feels that I overstepped my bounds please say so and I will delete my post with my sincerest apologies but I have to speak my mind "What little I have" about ethnic history if you will. My mom was Jewish and my dad was Haitian so in Brooklyn I was considered a two time loser, the worst of both worlds. In Crown Heights I was called a Swartza and in Bed-Stuy I was called a c**nK**e. My roots were taught to me by my mom and dad so did I feel that the national curriculum standard include Jewish history? Haitian history? Since I was, is now and until my last breath I consider myself as an American, not Haitian America or Jewish American. why? Because no matter my race, ethnicity, culture, religious affiliation I was born and raised in America. I strongly believe my loyalty should be to that country from which I was born and still reside in which is America. That's my personal choice. Every Census or other application I always check other. Even though that question is for various statistical purposes the choices offered don't include just American and that's what I consider myself. Not Black, Black American, African American, African, Haitian, West Indian, White, Jewish, Russian, German, Armenian, Hispanic, Spanish, Latino, Cuban, Italian, Greek, Latin American, Cuban, Asian, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Biracial, Multicultural so how many history classes should be included in our schools history curriculum? I am for World history and the history of the country you are in, if you thirst for the history of where you were born other then where you are presently a citizen you should self study. School curriculums can't accommodate  everyone. That's the way I see it leastways. Thanks for reading and enjoy your day.


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## Don M. (Feb 1, 2022)

The way I see it, the more that "race" is emphasized, the more likely that divisiveness will continue.


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## Alligatorob (Feb 1, 2022)

Don M. said:


> The way I see it, the more that "race" is emphasized, the more likely that divisiveness will continue.


I can see your point, however for many years the role of African American people in American history was not well represented.  Some making up for that seems to me to be in order.  

Hopefully the day will come when there is no more need to call out African American history in the US than there is to call out Irish or Italian American history.  That should be the goal.


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## JaniceM (Feb 1, 2022)

Don M. said:


> The way I see it, the more that "race" is emphasized, the more likely that divisiveness will continue.


In my opinion you're on the right track, but the divisiveness is less about emphasis on race than emphasis on "culture."  
When people are encouraged/pressured to 'practice their own cultures,' what the heck is left of America and Americans?!?

Other than later grades when the schools I attended added Economics, Sociology, etc., the Social Studies classes I had throughout school focused on History-  state history, American history, world history. The rare mentions of 'cultures' were brief overviews of countries we'd probably never have the chance to visit.  

I believe if people live in America, they should be Americans first.  People should be proud of their heritage, ancestors, etc., but other than a specific tradition or similar, shouldn't live as if they're still in "the old country."  
And when it comes to what's called Black culture or African-American culture, I wonder if anyone- especially young people- realize it has nothing to do with Africa.


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## oldiebutgoody (Feb 1, 2022)

Pepper said:


> Where did you go to school @oldiebutgoody ?  What you covered in High school & even college was in my Elementary School Curriculum.  I still have my history books from 6th grade.  I stole them!




Brooklyn, NY.  Later went to City College of NY.   Those schools were badly in need of reform back in those days.  Am glad they have undergone a major transformation in recent decades.


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## Pepper (Feb 1, 2022)

@oldiebutgoody
Well, I don't understand that.  I was schooled in Brooklyn and spent some of my undergrad years at City College, in the late sixties when we did fun stuff like take over South Campus.  Do you remember that beautiful mural of the Vietnamese woman crying painted outside a building on South Lawn, or was it gone by the time you were there?  I must be a few years older than you & I graduated HS a year early.  SP, remember that?


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## Ruthanne (Feb 1, 2022)

There was some black history taught in the classes when I was a kid and I still recall some of it.  I learned much more black history in college as we had to take mandatory black history classes.  I chose the time after the civil war.

I cried a lot reading about what it was (is) like to be black.  Believe it or not I could somewhat relate it to what it has been like to be an abused woman in every way possible.  I understand it's not exactly the same though.


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## oldiebutgoody (Feb 1, 2022)

Pepper said:


> @oldiebutgoody
> Well, I don't understand that.  I was schooled in Brooklyn and spent some of my undergrad years at City College, in the late sixties when we did fun stuff like take over South Campus.  Do you remember that beautiful mural of the Vietnamese woman crying painted outside a building on South Lawn, or was it gone by the time you were there?  I must be a few years older than you & I graduated HS a year early.  SP, remember that?




I think I recall something about "Yossarian is alive and well and living in Sweden" or something like that. But all that has become a blur to me, sad to say.  

The one thing that does stand out is old Lewisohn stadium:

Lewisohn Stadium - Wikipedia


Great architectural marvel - Tearing it down was a crime against humanity.


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## Pepper (Feb 1, 2022)

@oldiebutgoody
My mother started a scrapbook of me & my best friend plotting together in front of the Stadium on the day the Meyer Kahane Never Again group tried (and failed) to take back North Campus from us. The old NY Daily News & Post used to have centerfolds of pics and for awhile I was in there several times!  Mother was so proud.  I still have the pics but I can't find them.  Every once in a while I come across them, and lose them all over again!

eta
sorry to go off topic, but these reminiscences are great fun for me


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## AnnieA (Feb 1, 2022)

Hank Aaron.  From the ***** League in Indiana at 18 to breaking Babe Ruth's hits record in 1975 to upper level MBA management as senior vice president of the Atlanta Braves, vice president of community relations as well as board of directors for Turner Broadcasting.

Overview of his philanthropy through the years.

The day it all started: Eighteen year old Aaron left Mobile, AL in 1952 to start his pro career in Indiana.







With wife, Billye, at his 1982 induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame:


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## oldiebutgoody (Feb 1, 2022)

Pepper said:


> @oldiebutgoody
> My mother started a scrapbook of me & my best friend plotting together in front of the Stadium on the day the Meyer Kahane Never Again group tried (and failed) to take back North Campus from us. The old NY Daily News & Post used to have centerfolds of pics and for awhile I was in there several times!  Mother was so proud.  I still have the pics but I can't find them.  Every once in a while I come across them, and lose them all over again!
> 
> eta
> sorry to go off topic, but these reminiscences are great fun for me




I well remember that terrorist #########.  He spent years espousing hate and murder. In the end, he got back exactly what he tried to impose on others. May he rot in Hell for all the trouble he caused. 

Good of you to fight against his evil ways.  Black history month is one way of  affirming that patriotism and brotherhood/brethrenship is the true path to peace and reconciliation for all.


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## Alligatorob (Feb 1, 2022)

FastTrax said:


> My mom was Jewish and my dad was Haitian


An impressive pedigree indeed!  You must have many interesting stories.


FastTrax said:


> Since I was, is now and until my last breath I consider myself as an American, not Haitian America or Jewish American. why? Because no matter my race, ethnicity, culture, religious affiliation I was born and raised in America. I strongly believe my loyalty should be to that country from which I was born and still reside in which is America. That's my personal choice.


I am glad it is, as it should be.  You are first and foremost one of us.  However I do find your heritage interesting, more interesting than most...


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## Ruthanne (Feb 1, 2022)

I admire this woman:  Harriet Tubman

Link on biography of Harriet Tubman


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## Irwin (Feb 1, 2022)

The great Lonnie George Johnson: inventor of the Super Soaker


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## Alligatorob (Feb 1, 2022)

Ruthanne said:


> There was some black history taught in the classes when I was a kid and I still recall some of it.


The closest thing I recall was an 8th grade civics class where we had debates on the pros and cons of slavery.  As I recall the pro side usually won... it was hard to find anti advocates...  

That was in an old southern (US) segregated school.  Glad to here more was taught else where.


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## Sassycakes (Feb 1, 2022)

Rosemarie said:


> You have obviously never been to Africa. If you had, you would know that there are big differences between the two. I think it's very insulting to say they are the same, and it's one of the reasons why there is a problem with racism.


 You are right. I have never been to Africa, but I do live in the USA and know for a fact Black people are not treated as well as white people. Fortunately, I was raised by parents who didn't discriminate against people from different races or nationalities. My Parents had friends of all races and colors. Luckily my husband feels the same way as I do. He took a black young man under his wing and helped him succeed in his job. They call us Mom and Dad. I love them like they are my own children.


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## Pinky (Feb 1, 2022)

I think every country should teach world history to their students. It would turn out more a more well-rounded population of young people.


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## officerripley (Feb 1, 2022)

JaniceM said:


> When people are encouraged/pressured to 'practice their own cultures,' what the heck is left of America and Americans?!?


Well, if we're talking about "American" culture, are we talking about the real original Americans, the Native Americans/Indians? Or are we talking about the first "white" Americans, 17th century Europeans (mostly British, I think)? If we are, then there isn't to my knowledge very much of those cultures or ways of life (espec. of the Native Americans) left here anyway. Sure, I agree that it's problematic when an effort is not even made to learn how to speak English or obey important laws. But it's hard to understand why it's a bother that people wear different clothing, have different holiday traditions, different foods that they eat, different childraising methods, etc. Heck, I bet that some of our Founding Fathers would be shocked, maybe even disgusted by spending time in "modern" America, even that supposedly wonderful Ozzie and Harriet time of the 1950s. (I bet they'd think Ozzie & Harriet were spoiling Wally and the Beav rotten; I remember hearing that John Adams laid about one of his sons with a cane to discipline him. Culture is just such a huge, unwieldy concept that I think that it can be worried about too much.


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## Alligatorob (Feb 1, 2022)

officerripley said:


> it's hard to understand why it's a bother that people wear different clothing, have different holiday traditions, different foods that they eat


Yep, I enjoy a St Patrick's Day event, even though my Irish ancestors are long lost to any living memory, Mardi Gras even though I am not Catholic and my Cajun relations are all by marriage, Cinco de Mayo even though I have no real connection to Mexico, Pioneer Day here in Utah even though I am not Mormon (I call it Pie and Beer Day though) and so on.  Its just good to be an American and part of all these things!


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## Irwin (Feb 1, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> Yep, I enjoy a St Patrick's Day event, even though my Irish ancestors are long lost to any living memory, Mardi Gras even though I am not Catholic and my Cajun relations are all by marriage, Cinco de Mayo even though I have no real connection to Mexico, Pioneer Day here in Utah even though I am not Mormon (I call it Pie and Beer Day though) and so on.  Its just good to be an American and part of all these things!


Yep! They're all good excuses to get drunk!


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 3, 2022)

I came across this chart listing Black inventors, their inventions and the year of. I'm sure I've wrote about some of them already. You may have to hit your zoom feature to read the chart.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 3, 2022)

Deleted.


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## john19485 (Feb 3, 2022)

I'm going to start a white history month, an Indian history month, asian history month,


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## Pepper (Feb 4, 2022)

john19485 said:


> I'm going to start a white history month, an Indian history month, asian history month,


Great.  Nothing better than learning about all peoples.  You start...............


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## Aunt Bea (Feb 4, 2022)

John W. Jones was an interesting hero of Central New York with a little museum to preserve the memory of his life and amazing story.

Jones was part of the underground railroad and helped many runaway slaves, but he also worked to bury the Confederate dead from Elmira prison in a kind and caring way that was appreciated by the families of the men who had died far from home.








https://www.johnwjonesmuseum.org/the-john-w-jones-story


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## Irwin (Feb 4, 2022)

john19485 said:


> I'm going to start a white history month, an Indian history month, asian history month,


Sure, why not? We could do that here on SFs. Also add to the list Jewish history month and others. We could have movies and meals related to various cultures.


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## Irwin (Feb 4, 2022)

What are some good soulfood recipes?


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## Alligatorob (Feb 4, 2022)

Irwin said:


> Sure, why not? We could do that here on SFs. Also add to the list Jewish history month and others. We could have movies and meals related to various cultures.


Great idea, how about a Redneck History month?  We could sit around a fire in the yard drinking cheap whiskey!  Don't want to leave us out, but a week or just a few days might be enough.  Giving more thought, maybe a few minutes would be sufficient...


Seriously though I do think a Black History month or some recognition is logical to make up for many years of neglect.  Not so sure about the others though...


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## Irwin (Feb 4, 2022)

Here are some soul food recipes:
https://www.africanbites.com/soul-food-recipes/

I'll start a thread in the Food & Drinks section when I make a soul food dish — probably some fried chicken.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 5, 2022)

Rosemarie said:


> Actually, that isn't true. Slavery has been around for thousands of years. The Romans had slaves, in fact, there probably wouldn't have been a Roman Empire without them.
> That doesn't alter the fact that we treated the Africans appallingly.
> The point I am trying to make is that black people are Africans and they have their own history. The title 'Black History', suggests that they were non-entities before we removed them from Africa.
> It should be changed to 'The History of Blacks in White Society'.
> I'm not black but if I were I would feel very insulted by the supposition that we have no history of our own.


I find "The History of Blacks in White Society" to be offensive. Why? First of all...the title itself signifies a racist mentality. Because we had a history before we were forced to be in "White society". Did Africans have a society? The title also suggests we didn't. There were Africans who descended from royalty and those who were fierce warriors. "White society" loved to portray Africans as savages with loin cloths thereby not worthy of being considered human beings.


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## Alligatorob (Feb 5, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I find "The History of Blacks in White Society" to be offensive. Why? First of all...the title itself signifies a racist mentality. Because we had a history before we were forced to be in "White society". Did Africans have a society? The title also suggests we didn't. There were Africans who descended from royalty and those who were fierce warriors. "White society" loved to portray Africans as savages with loin cloths thereby not worthy of being considered human beings.


Interesting perspective.  I don't think our American society ever was just white.  

Black people played a significant role in it and had an effect even when they were slaves or segregated.  Look at our food, language, music, and customs and its not hard to see the Black/African influence.  

African words like gumbo, banjo, jumbo, cola, and okra are just a few examples.  Good or bad I think it always has been an "American" society, a blended one.   

Blacks and other non-white peoples have always contributed and influenced our society.


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## AnnieA (Feb 5, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I find "The History of Blacks in White Society" to be offensive. Why? First of all...the title itself signifies a racist mentality. Because we had a history before we were forced to be in "White society". Did Africans have a society? The title also suggests we didn't. There were Africans who descended from royalty and those who were fierce warriors. "White society" loved to portray Africans as savages with loin cloths thereby not worthy of being considered human beings.



Agreed.  The trouble is seeing race through our personal lens and it's so hard not to, has to be a continued refocusing that still winds up a distorted vision even with the effort. Regardless of who we are, we're going to get things wrong from someone's perspective. It's discussion in places like this that help us see when we do, how often we do  ...And we'll try again and still get it wrong just like all human relationships.  If we ever think we've got it right and stop the effort, then we're out of relationship and that's the worst wrong.


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## AnnieA (Feb 6, 2022)

Not sure if all the inventions on the list above have been fact checked.  Looked up the stethoscope because I remembered reading it was invented by a French doctor earlier than the date on the list.  It was invented by French physician Rene Laennec in 1816.


One of the most under-represented on the list (and one of my personal heros) is agronomist and botanist George Washington Carver who is mostly known for researching peanut products but this Smithsonian article shows his work was so much more extensive  than that one crop. In the late 19th and early 20th century he was researching and promoting sustainable farming practices that still are relevant for today's organic and permaculture farmers.  It was this work that led him to promote growing peanuts (nitrogen fixers) to restore soil depleted by cotton as a mono crop.  Once he had farmers growing peanuts to improved depleted soil, he then researched ways in which to use and market the peanut crop, but that was just one facet of his vast body of valuable work.  Because of his work developing products from peanuts and other crops he introduced for crop rotation, he is known as the Father of Chemurgy--a branch of applied chemistry concerned with preparing industrial products from agricultural raw materials.

Born a slave in Missouri, his mother was stolen by slave raiders when he was weeks old. An older brother who raised  George searched for her following emancipation but was never able to find what happened to her.   As a child, George was relentless in pursuit of an education and set out alone as a young teen pushing through racial barriers along the way to get it. He began studies in 1891 as the first black student at Iowa State and received his master's degree there in 1896.  In 1994--waaaaaay too late but better later than never--Iowa State awarded him posthumous doctorate. Following Iowa State, Carver moved to Alabama to take a teaching position at the Tuskegee Institute.   It was in Alabama that he saw the plight of black small farmers and sharecroppers trying to make a living growing crops in nutrient depleted soil.  That led to his interest, research and promotion of natural, sustainable agriculture practices which he carried to the wider South.

Carver lived a frugal life on campus at the Tuskegee Institute.  At his death in 1943, he had a savings of $60,000 which he left to the George Washington Carver Foundation at the Tuskegee Institute.  His epitaph reads: "He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world."

Partial list of honors:

1923, Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, awarded annually for outstanding achievement.
1939, the Roosevelt Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Southern Agriculture
1943, Liberty ship SS _George Washington Carver_ launched
1951-1954, U.S. Mint features Carver on a 50 cents silver commemorative coin
1965, Ballistic missile submarine USS _George Washington Carver_  launched.
1943, the US Congress designated January 5, the anniversary of his death, as George Washington Carver Recognition Day.
2002, Iowa Award, the state's highest citizen award.
Professor Carver in his teaching lab (second from right).


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## Irwin (Feb 7, 2022)

I was thinking about the question of why Black History Month is needed earlier and it occurred to me that we all view history from a different perspective. As a White man, I don't look as closely at oppressed minorities' contributions to U.S. history as those minorities would. Some White men wouldn't even acknowledge that they were even oppressed. That would be from the narrow viewpoint of White history, only. It would be like taking a trip to Chicago and not venturing off the Magnificent Mile. You'd see a thriving business district with little crime, and that would be one perspective of Chicago, but head a few blocks south and it's like traveling into a different world — one in which you wouldn't want to go after the sun went down because of all the violent crime. But that's the home of Chicago Blues with the greats such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Willie Dixon, and Alligator Records, among others. That's part of Chicago's history as well as our country's history. During the '60, many rock bands visited that area for the opportunity to play with the originators of the music they loved and emulated to some extent. The Rolling Stones took their name from the Muddy Waters song _Rollin' Stone_.






_Rollin' Stone_ was actually Muddy Waters' interpretation of the old Delta blues song _Catfish Blues_.






Muddy Waters grew up in the Mississippi Delta near Clarksdale, Miss. off Highway 61. Most of us White folk remember the Monkees' song _Last Train to Clarksdale_ and Bob Dylan's song _Highway 61 Revisited_. Those songs had nothing to do with Clarksdale, Mississippi, though.

What the hell was I talking about? Oh, yeah... perspectives.

The U.S. is a country of immigrants. Most of our ancestors came to America voluntarily seeking a better life. My grandparents immigrated from Lithuania during the rise of Nazism in Europe. Many Americans have Irish, British, or Italian heritage. And Russian. They've all thrived in the U.S. for the most part.

Black history is radically different. Blacks were brought here as slaves and have only been free for a little more than 150 years. They started off poor and have remained poor. Go to the poorest neighborhoods in almost any major city and you'll find a large Black population.

So that's part of why we need Black History Month. They've contributed a lot to our country, but for various reasons, they haven't thrived. They've been ripped off by White music producers. An entire Black neighborhood was burned to the ground in Tulsa, OK. They've been held back by racism.

Not only should we look at Black people's contributions to America, we should look at how we can help poor Blacks advance in American society.


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## Marie5656 (Feb 12, 2022)

*I am in process of watching Let the World See  on HULU. It is the ABC documentary about the murder of Emmitt Till back in 1955.  He was hinted down and killed for allegedly of whistling at a white woman in MIssissippi.  The men were found not guilty.  It was a sad story about racism in America.  Very strong and sad story.
In an interview with Look magazine the men admitted to the killing!!!

*


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 12, 2022)

AnnieA said:


> Not sure if all the inventions on the list above have been fact checked.  Looked up the stethoscope because I remembered reading it was invented by a French doctor earlier than the date on the list.  It was invented by French physician Rene Laennec in 1816.
> 
> 
> One of the most under-represented on the list (and one of my personal heros) is agronomist and botanist George Washington Carver who is mostly known for researching peanut products but this Smithsonian article shows his work was so much more extensive  than that one crop. In the late 19th and early 20th century he was researching and promoting sustainable farming practices that still are relevant for today's organic and permaculture farmers.  It was this work that led him to promote growing peanuts (nitrogen fixers) to restore soil depleted by cotton as a mono crop.  Once he had farmers growing peanuts to improved depleted soil, he then researched ways in which to use and market the peanut crop, but that was just one facet of his vast body of valuable work.  Because of his work developing products from peanuts and other crops he introduced for crop rotation, he is known as the Father of Chemurgy--a branch of applied chemistry concerned with preparing industrial products from agricultural raw materials.
> ...


Thank you for this wonderful post Annie! I've mentioned before that all we learned about in school was G.W. Carver's affiliation with the peanut. Such a shame his other accomplishments were omitted.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 12, 2022)

Marie5656 said:


> *I am in process of watching Let the World See  on HULU. It is the ABC documentary about the murder of Emmitt Till back in 1955.  He was hinted down and killed for allegedly of whistling at a white woman in MIssissippi.  The men were found not guilty.  It was a sad story about racism in America.  Very strong and sad story.
> In an interview with Look magazine the men admitted to the killing!!!
> 
> View attachment 208221*


Did they show the condition of his face and body when they finished beating him? It was so terribly gruesome...the child was unrecognizable. But his family opted to have his casket open so people could see.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 12, 2022)

Irwin said:


> I was thinking about the question of why Black History Month is needed earlier and it occurred to me that we all view history from a different perspective. As a White man, I don't look as closely at oppressed minorities' contributions to U.S. history as those minorities would. Some White men wouldn't even acknowledge that they were even oppressed. That would be from the narrow viewpoint of White history, only. It would be like taking a trip to Chicago and not venturing off the Magnificent Mile. You'd see a thriving business district with little crime, and that would be one perspective of Chicago, but head a few blocks south and it's like traveling into a different world — one in which you wouldn't want to go after the sun went down because of all the violent crime. But that's the home of Chicago Blues with the greats such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Willie Dixon, and Alligator Records, among others. That's part of Chicago's history as well as our country's history. During the '60, many rock bands visited that area for the opportunity to play with the originators of the music they loved and emulated to some extent. The Rolling Stones took their name from the Muddy Waters song _Rollin' Stone_.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


While I appreciate your post and love your points, I want to say that there are many more Blacks in this country than just poor ones. But middle class Blacks are held back too and have to struggle to attain their successes. And they are not talked about much. Back in the day we had to read Ebony, Jet and later Black Enterprise to find out about them, and I'm not talking about just athletes and celebrities. The Cosby family wasn't an anomaly...it was patterned after my people who have obtained measures of success. And America needs to help not only poor Blacks but poor *everybody! *After all, this country spends billions helping other countries while people here are suffering in poverty. We always hear about Black people on welfare but there are just as many or more Whites on welfare. Yes, I know we are considered minorities so the stats are relative but my point is, the stigma is always attached to Black people and sometimes as if that's all we aspire to do....sit home and collect welfare. 

You are right about perspectives in viewing history. But if history had been taught properly in the first place, maybe those perspectives would be broader and not so tunnel visioned. I was just talking with my BFF yesterday about my ancestry after she told me of the prejudice her family faced being Italians. She comes from a prominent family but at one time they were treated poorly. They couldn't live where they wanted. They didn't want her father on the police force...he eventually became chief of police. I pulled up my Ancestry DNA results to share with her and it shows that 10% is from Europe (including Iberian Peninsula, Finland-N/W Russia, Ireland and Great Britain).

Good history lesson about the origin of The Rolling Stones name and affiliated music trivia. We are aware that our music has been pilfered and used to make millions for those who have done so, often with not so much as credit for the creators of the music. Thank you for your post Irwin.  @Pecos


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## FastTrax (Feb 12, 2022)

AnnieA said:


> Not sure if all the inventions on the list above have been fact checked.  Looked up the stethoscope because I remembered reading it was invented by a French doctor earlier than the date on the list.  It was invented by French physician Rene Laennec in 1816.
> 
> 
> One of the most under-represented on the list (and one of my personal heros) is agronomist and botanist George Washington Carver who is mostly known for researching peanut products but this Smithsonian article shows his work was so much more extensive  than that one crop. In the late 19th and early 20th century he was researching and promoting sustainable farming practices that still are relevant for today's organic and permaculture farmers.  It was this work that led him to promote growing peanuts (nitrogen fixers) to restore soil depleted by cotton as a mono crop.  Once he had farmers growing peanuts to improved depleted soil, he then researched ways in which to use and market the peanut crop, but that was just one facet of his vast body of valuable work.  Because of his work developing products from peanuts and other crops he introduced for crop rotation, he is known as the Father of Chemurgy--a branch of applied chemistry concerned with preparing industrial products from agricultural raw materials.
> ...



You are spot on about Dr. Rene Theophile-Hyacinthe Laennec inventing the stethoscope. Didn't know anything about such until paramedic school.











https://med.ucla.edu/wilkes/intro.html

www.heighpubs.org/jprr/jprr-aid1010.php

www.adctoday.com/learning-center/about-stethoscopes/history-stethoscope

www.stethoscopesreview.com/2020/2020/05/history-of-the-stethoscope/

www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/viewpoint-curious-history-first-stethoscope

https://blog.withings.com/2019/02/08/the-history-of-the-stethoscope/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stethoscope

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rene_Laennec


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## oldiebutgoody (Feb 12, 2022)

Marie5656 said:


> *I am in process of watching Let the World See  on HULU. It is the ABC documentary about the murder of Emmitt Till back in 1955.  He was hinted down and killed for allegedly of whistling at a white woman in MIssissippi.  The men were found not guilty.  It was a sad story about racism in America.  Very strong and sad story.
> In an interview with Look magazine the men admitted to the killing!!!
> 
> View attachment 208221*






60 years later the woman who accused him of impropriety recanted her testimony.  This proved he had been innocent all along.


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## Marie5656 (Feb 13, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Did they show the condition of his face and body when they finished beating him? It was so terribly gruesome...the child was unrecognizable. But his family opted to have his casket open so people could see.


Yes, but I chose not to include the photo due to it being SO graphic.


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## Marie5656 (Feb 13, 2022)

oldiebutgoody said:


> 60 years later the woman who accused him of impropriety recanted her testimony.  This proved he had been innocent all along.


Yes, but in the telling of this in the documentary, she then DENIED she ever recanted. I forget her reasoning off the top of my head. But enough evidence proves the accusations against Emmit were wrong....she also had said he reached over  a counter and grabbed her around the waist. Physically impossible of you saw layout of store and counter


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## AnnieA (Feb 13, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> While I appreciate your post and love your points, I want to say that there are many more Blacks in this country than just poor ones. But middle class Blacks are held back too and have to struggle to attain their successes. And they are not talked about much. Back in the day we had to read Ebony, Jet and later Black Enterprise to find out about them, and I'm not talking about just athletes and celebrities. The Cosby family wasn't an anomaly...it was patterned after my people who have obtained measures of success. And America needs to help not only poor Blacks but poor *everybody! *After all, this country spends billions) helping other countries while people here are suffering in poverty. We always hear about Black people on welfare but there are just as many or more Whites on welfare. Yes, I know we are considered minorities so the stats are relative but my point is, the stigma is always attached to Black people and sometimes as if that's all we aspire to do....sit home and collect welfare.


This is so true and so misrepresented by the media...esp the middle and upper middle class black people in smaller towns in the South. People outside the South think blacks who remain here are backwards or they would've left. That's so not accurate.

Most of my black friends in this group and I see issues (like education problems in the poverty stricken Delta that I posted about in another thread) similarly.  One black friend--the opera road trip buddy, talk-for-hours-on-end-kind and never get everything talked about kind--sees the problems and is still judgmental about black poverty in the Delta.  She occasionally has to preceptor nursing students there and sees hardworking people who have pursued education against a lot of obstacles still take things like the drug use associated with poverty for granted in their families.   Sylvia says it takes everything she's got some days not to stand up and make blistering speeches in breakrooms.  She knows things can be different...she's a college nursing instructor,  her brother is a thoracic surgeon,  sister is an attorney with the DOJ.

Outside the Delta,  she and her family aren't a rarity here.


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## JaniceM (Feb 13, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I find "The History of Blacks in White Society" to be offensive. Why? First of all...the title itself signifies a racist mentality. Because we had a history before we were forced to be in "White society". Did Africans have a society? The title also suggests we didn't. *There were Africans who* *descended from royalty and those who were fierce warriors*. "White society" loved to portray Africans as savages with loin cloths thereby not worthy of being considered human beings.


Some of my direct ancestors are in that category.


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## Alligatorob (Feb 13, 2022)

JaniceM said:


> There were Africans who descended from royalty and those who were fierce warriors.


Yep, recently watched a documentary about Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori, an African Prince who was captured and spent 40 years as a slave.  I did not realize until then.  Its a good show to watch.

https://www.history.com/news/african-prince-slavery-abdulrahman-ibrahim-ibn-sori


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## Lavinia (Feb 13, 2022)

Don M. said:


> The way I see it, the more that "race" is emphasized, the more likely that divisiveness will continue.


Yes, I can't help feeling that you are correct. All this talk of racism, anti-semitism, etc is bound to create more resentment and even more hostility towards  those who are different from us in any way. I also feel that black people (in Britain anyway) are being encouraged to feel that white people are their enemies, and this will also result in more physical attacks.
While I'm here, I would like to add that there have been Chinese people in America for a very long time....so why single out one racial group. Why not Chinese history month?


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## Alligatorob (Feb 13, 2022)

Lavinia said:


> Why not Chinese history month?


We kind of have one, the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month https://asianpacificheritage.gov/about/ 

But it gets a lot less attention.  I won't defend the way Chinese were treated historically here, but it was not the same as the Black slavery thing.  And Chinese today, on average, do better economically here than Blacks.  Some of the reasons I believe Black History month gets more attention.


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## Lavinia (Feb 13, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> We kind of have one, the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month https://asianpacificheritage.gov/about/
> 
> But it gets a lot less attention.  I won't defend the way Chinese were treated historically here, but it was not the same as the Black slavery thing.  And Chinese today, on average, do better economically here than Blacks.  Some of the reasons I believe Black History month gets more attention.


Thank you for responding. This whole subject is one which causes people to get emotional and it can be difficult to keep things rational and calm.


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## Alligatorob (Feb 13, 2022)

Lavinia said:


> This whole subject is one which causes people to get emotional and it can be difficult to keep things rational and calm.


For sure!


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## Pepper (Feb 13, 2022)

oldiebutgoody said:


> 60 years later the woman who accused him of impropriety recanted her testimony.  This proved he had been innocent all along.


Having a problem with the word "innocent" used here.  Even if this child did whistle he was still innocent.  A white boy whistling at a grown woman would have been laughed at and made a joke of like "What's up boy?  Biting off more than you can chew?"  But Emmit, being a black child, was given the death penalty.  Whether he did or not, he was still innocent of any "crime."


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 13, 2022)

oldiebutgoody said:


> 60 years later the woman who accused him of impropriety recanted her testimony.  This proved he had been innocent all along.


I wonder how she felt seeing that child after his brutal murder. I hope it haunted her (haunts her) for the rest of her life. I hope she loses sleep every night.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 13, 2022)

JaniceM said:


> Some of my direct ancestors are in that category.


Which category? Are you referring to my last sentence?


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 13, 2022)

AnnieA said:


> This is so true and so misrepresented by the media...esp the middle and upper middle class black people in smaller towns in the South. People outside the South think blacks who remain here are backwards or they would've left. That's so not accurate.
> 
> Most of my black friends in this group and I see issues (like education problems in the poverty stricken Delta that I posted about in another thread) similarly.  One black friend--the opera road trip buddy, talk-for-hours-on-end-kind and never get everything talked about kind--sees the problems and is still judgmental about black poverty in the Delta.  She occasionally has to preceptor nursing students there and sees hardworking people who have pursued education against a lot of obstacles still take things like the drug use associated with poverty for granted in their families.   Sylvia says it takes everything she's got some days not to stand up and make blistering speeches in breakrooms.  She knows things can be different...she's a college nursing instructor,  her brother is a thoracic surgeon,  sister is an attorney with the DOJ.
> 
> Outside the Delta,  she and her family aren't a rarity here.


Thank you for sharing this Annie. In my family there are three physicians, two dentists, one psychologist, one attorney that I know of, there was one principal as well several educators, school administrators and business administrators. When you're poor to begin with, it's hard to pick up and leave, to improve your lot. i've even seen stories of people who couldn't evacuate when advised to because they didn't have the means, unless transportation and a place to stay was provided for them. People who are judgmental of the poor need to take heed to the saying "there but by the grace of God go I".  It could happen and has happened to those who never dreamed they'd be in that position.


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## Alligatorob (Feb 13, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I wonder how she felt seeing that child after his brutal murder. I hope it haunted her (haunts her) for the rest of her life.


I hope so too.

However, she was pretty young, and did not do all of this herself. I suspect there were some older people who pressured her into sticking to the story and maybe helped make it up.  And the prosecutor, law enforcement people and judge(s) who went along.  They are at least as guilty as she was, but probably all dead.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 13, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> I hope so too.
> 
> However, she was pretty young, and did not do all of this herself. I suspect there were some older people who pressured her into sticking to the story and maybe helped make it up.  And the prosecutor, law enforcement people and judge(s) who went along.  They are at least as guilty as she was, but probably all dead.


I don't doubt that's how it all went down. And yes, they are likely all dead, so may their souls forever burn in a special kind of hell.


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## Nosy Bee-54 (Feb 13, 2022)

William Edward Burghardt _Du Bois_ was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and editor.

"Your country? How came it yours? Before the Pilgrims landed we were here. Here we have brought our three gifts and mingled them with yours: a gift of story and song - soft, stirring melody in and ill-harmonized and unmelodious land; [Second] the gift of sweat and brawn to beat back the wilderness, conquer the soil, and lay the foundations of this vast economic empire two hundred years earlier than your weak hands could have done it; the third, a gift of spirit. Around us the history of the land has centered thrice a hundred years; ..."


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## AnnieA (Feb 13, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Thank you for sharing this Annie. In my family there are three physicians, two dentists, one psychologist, one attorney that I know of, there was one principal as well several educators, school administrators and business administrators. When you're poor to begin with, it's hard to pick up and leave, to improve your lot. i've even seen stories of people who couldn't evacuate when advised to because they didn't have the means, unless transportation and a place to stay was provided for them. People who are judgmental of the poor need to take heed to the saying "there but by the grace of God go I".  It could happen and has happened to those who never dreamed they'd be in that position.



Sylvia (who is herself black) isn't judging the poor so much as she's judging other black health care workers from poor backgrounds who beat the odds to get their education and jobs but are continuing to enable family who aren't making good choices. She gets upset about it after carrying her students to impoverished Delta areas where the problems are so concentrated.


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## oldiebutgoody (Feb 13, 2022)

Pepper said:


> Having a problem with the word "innocent" used here.  Even if this child did whistle he was still innocent.  A white boy whistling at a grown woman would have been laughed at and made a joke of like "What's up boy?  Biting off more than you can chew?"  But Emmit, being a black child, was given the death penalty.  Whether he did or not, he was still innocent of any "crime."




Well actually, that's my point.


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## Irwin (Feb 13, 2022)

Since this is Super Bowl Sunday, we need to show our appreciation of all the great Black football players and coaches! Here's to all of you!


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## Alligatorob (Feb 13, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> may their souls forever burn in a special kind of hell.


I feel the same, but can't help but wonder what I might have done and thought had I been born 100 years earlier...  It is easy to be self-righteous in hindsight...  

Easy to think we would have been the Atticus Finch in _To Kill a Mockingbird_.  I fear its more likely many of us would been the more realistic Atticus in _Go Set a Watchman._

Anyway, I am glad those times are past...


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 13, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> Yep, recently watched a documentary about Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori, an African Prince who was captured and spent 40 years as a slave.  I did not realize until then.  Its a good show to watch.
> 
> https://www.history.com/news/african-prince-slavery-abdulrahman-ibrahim-ibn-sori


Interesting and informative. I'd never heard of him. This brings up another point. Many of the Africans brought here as slaves were Muslims. I learned this from watching a PBS show decades ago, which was actually about Christianity, called We've Come This Far By Faith. His name is a Islamic name. The Ibn means son of. 

I had posted the following last year...don't know if you saw it. I first learned about the kings and queens of Africa when Budweiser published a poster that was featured in Ebony magazine. I was so glad to find a video about this:


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## Georgiagranny (Feb 14, 2022)

Rosemarie said:


> You have obviously never been to Africa. If you had, you would know that there are big differences between the two. I think it's very insulting to say they are the same, and it's one of the reasons why there is a problem with racism.


Thank you for that, @Rosemarie! I wanted to say it but couldn't figure out a way to say so without sounding condescending. We live in a very diverse neighborhood, and just in our five-family cul de sac there is a black family and there are also two mixed-race families. Right next door is a mixed couple, he's black, she's white. One day he and I were talking about the treatment of one of their sons at the pool by an obvious racist couple, and he asked me what I see when I see him. I told him I see a black man because saying "I don't see your color" is insulting. His response was "Thank you for that!" He's black and proud, and I support that for sure.

The racist couple at the pool? They demanded to see his son's ID to prove he was allowed to be there. Whaaaaat? 

Apparently, the couple at the pool didn't like the fact that our subdivision is diverse with families from South and Central America, Russia, Greece, Mexico, as well as families of lesbian and gay couples. The pool couple? They sold their house and moved with their seven kids to wherever. They haven't been missed.

Unfortunately, in this country we are still a long way from equality


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## JaniceM (Feb 14, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Which category? Are you referring to my last sentence?


No, the part I bolded in your post:
*There were Africans who* *descended from royalty and those who were fierce warriors*.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 14, 2022)

JaniceM said:


> No, the part I bolded in your post:
> *There were Africans who* *descended from royalty and those who were fierce warriors*.


Oh okay. Know what...I was thinking I'd bolded that part! Pardon me, my brain isn't working that great...not getting enough sleep.  Anyway...that's very cool that you know that about your ancestry.


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## JaniceM (Feb 14, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Oh okay. Know what...I was thinking I'd bolded that part! Pardon me, my brain isn't working that great...not getting enough sleep.  Anyway...that's very cool that you know that about your ancestry.


I'm with ya on the need for sleep!!!


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## Irwin (Feb 14, 2022)

Chuck Berry: the father of modern rock-and-roll!


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 15, 2022)

This article is titled "The disturbing history of enslaved mothers forced to breastfeed white babies in the 1600s. This came about because children of slaves were healthy while many white babies fell into ill health and died. This practice called "wet nursing" was popular in Europe and then in America. Wet nursing also became the excuse White mothers used to avoid having to breastfeed their children and maintain their stature since women seen breastfeeding were thought of as uncultured, according to the article.
https://face2faceafrica.com/article...orced-to-breastfeed-white-babies-in-the-1600s


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 15, 2022)

My historian friend posted this on Facebook: 
"March 5th, 1959, 69 African American boys, ages 13 to 17, including Lawrence’s 15-year-old brother Lindsey Cross, were padlocked into their dormitory for the night at the ***** Boys Industrial School in Wrightsville. Around 4 a.m., a fire mysteriously ignited, forcing the boys to fight and claw their way out of the burning building. It's an event in history possibly forgotten or unknown by many, but it's that moment that claimed the life of 21 boys.
The boys in the school were committed for being orphaned, homeless or for committing offenses described as mischief and alleged petty crimes. The school and the treatment of the children became a fiery representation of segregation within the South during the Jim Crow Era.  "A whole part of this is our history with white supremacy and the way African Americans have been discriminated against historically in Arkansas. It was never separate but equal, it was always unequal," said Stockely." Full article with video:
https://katv.com/news/local/wrightsville-21


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## FastTrax (Feb 16, 2022)

john19485 said:


> I'm going to start a white history month, an Indian history month, asian history month,



Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May)



www.npr.org/series/997876283/asian-american-annd-pacific-islander-heritage-month

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Pacific_American_Heritage_Month






African American History Month (February)



www.npr.org/2022/02/10/1075623826/why-is-february-black-history-month

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_History_Month






Haitian Heritage Month (May)



www.npr.org/2016/10/11/497518303/to-be-an-american-says-haitian-american-means-you-have-a-voice

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Heritage_Month






Hispanic Heritage month (September)



www.npr.org/series/1035962806/hispanic-heritage-month

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hispanic_Heritage_Month






Irish-American History Month (March)



www.npr.org/2014/03/17/290860502/st-patricks-day-beyond-kiss-me-signs-and-green-bagels

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish-American_Heritage_Month


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## Irwin (Feb 16, 2022)

This Frontline episode looks interesting:




Who killed Wharlest Jackson Sr.? In this feature-length documentary from FRONTLINE and Retro Report, an unsolved 1960s murder reveals an untold story of the civil rights movement and Black resistance. 

I'm going to take a look at it this evening.


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## FastTrax (Feb 16, 2022)

Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month (October)



www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130437796

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian-American_Heritage_and_Culture_Month






Jewish American Heritage Month



www.npr.org/2012/10/09/162569153/should-you-hide-your-heritage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_American_Heritage_Month






Native American Indian Heritage Month (November)

www.npr.org/series/1047406725/native-american-heritage-month

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_Indian_Heritage_Month






Polish American Heritage Month (October)



www.npr.org/transcripts/92035186

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_American_Heritage_Month


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## Alligatorob (Feb 16, 2022)

Thanks @FastTrax for the various month things.  I tried to find one for us rednecks and failed.  I did find a definition in Wikipedia:

_*Redneck* is a derogatory term chiefly, but not exclusively, applied to white Americans perceived to be crass and unsophisticated, closely associated with rural whites of the Southern United States. Its meaning stems from the sunburn found on farmers' necks dating back to the late 19th century. Its usage is similar in meaning to cracker (especially regarding Texas, Georgia, and Florida), hillbilly (especially regarding Appalachia and the Ozarks), and white trash (but without the last term's suggestions of immorality). In Britain, the Cambridge Dictionary definition states: "A poor, white person without education, esp. one living in the countryside in the southern US, who is believed to have prejudiced ideas and beliefs. This word is usually considered offensive." People from the white South sometimes jocularly call themselves "rednecks" as insider humor._ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck

I was surprised I never considered it derogatory, even though I are one...  White trash is the derogatory term.


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## john19485 (Feb 16, 2022)

Just think this is dividing people, from what I have observed thru my 74 years, we have different colors of the rainbow in my family , we don't call Jack brown, nor do we ask for a special month called brown , just because the color of his skin,


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## FastTrax (Feb 16, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> Thanks @FastTrax for the various month things.  I tried to find one for us rednecks and failed.  I did find a definition in Wikipedia:
> 
> _*Redneck* is a derogatory term chiefly, but not exclusively, applied to white Americans perceived to be crass and unsophisticated, closely associated with rural whites of the Southern United States. Its meaning stems from the sunburn found on farmers' necks dating back to the late 19th century. Its usage is similar in meaning to cracker (especially regarding Texas, Georgia, and Florida), hillbilly (especially regarding Appalachia and the Ozarks), and white trash (but without the last term's suggestions of immorality). In Britain, the Cambridge Dictionary definition states: "A poor, white person without education, esp. one living in the countryside in the southern US, who is believed to have prejudiced ideas and beliefs. This word is usually considered offensive." People from the white South sometimes jocularly call themselves "rednecks" as insider humor._ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck
> 
> I was surprised I never considered it derogatory, even though I are one...  White trash is the derogatory term.



I are one, lololol. That reminds me of an AMTRAK PD recruitment poster in their NYP office that had a Black male, a White male, a Black female and an Asian male representing the next APD academy graduating class. Obviously some racist APD officer who let it be known that he being of Caucasian persuasion he disliked APD using Black males and females and White males and Asian males being arbitrarily selected so with tongue in cheek humor he added the Black male saying Last week I couldn't spell polis now I is one.  The black female says where's mah gun? the Asian says \]/'\[[\/ and the White male looks up at the ceiling and says why me  GOD? This is called sanity maintenance, nothing more, nothing less.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 17, 2022)

Georgiagranny said:


> Thank you for that, @Rosemarie! I wanted to say it but couldn't figure out a way to say so without sounding condescending. We live in a very diverse neighborhood, and just in our five-family cul de sac there is a black family and there are also two mixed-race families. Right next door is a mixed couple, he's black, she's white. One day he and I were talking about the treatment of one of their sons at the pool by an obvious racist couple, and he asked me what I see when I see him. I told him I see a black man because saying "I don't see your color" is insulting. His response was "Thank you for that!" He's black and proud, and I support that for sure.
> 
> The racist couple at the pool? They demanded to see his son's ID to prove he was allowed to be there. Whaaaaat?
> 
> ...


"Carding" Black people by racists who feel we shouldn't be (wherever) is all too common! I read about a Black woman and her friend who were approached while in the area of the AirBnB they rented because surely they weren't supposed to be there. Also recently, a Black man was approached at a gym that was for corporate people where he worked. He was treated as if he had no right to be there. I'm sure the feeling was "good riddance" when the racist couple and their children left.


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## Irwin (Feb 17, 2022)

*19 Austin police officers indicted over protests*​A Texas grand jury indicted 19 Austin police officers on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for their actions during 2020 protests over racial injustice that spread nationwide following the killing of George Floyd, according to people familiar with the matter.​...​Word of the indictments came hours after Austin city leaders approved paying $10 million to two people injured by police in the protests, including a college student who suffered brain damage after an officer shot him with a beanbag round.​...​Prosecutors have not identified any of the officers facing charges. Texas law requires that an indictment remain secret until an officer has been arrested. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, when committed by a public servant, could carry a sentence of up to life prison.​https://www.independent.co.uk/news/texas-austin-travis-county-george-floyd-david-frost-b2017922.html​
Bad cops cost us a lot of money when we have to pay out settlements to their victims, yet they just keep on committing atrocities, often with impunity. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on the news with police officers shooting pepper bullets directly at reporters who were just doing their job covering the riots! And the cops were laughing about it!

The police union can be blamed for a lot of the problems within the police department because they make it so difficult to get rid of bad cops, much like the teacher's union makes it nearly impossible to get rid of bad teachers. And the current shortage of police will make it even more difficult. They may need to lower their standards to fill positions, which will lead to even more acts of police brutality, mainly towards Blacks, which will lead to more of our tax dollars being used to settle lawsuits.


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