In 2000, Martin Luther King Day was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time. It was a long and arduous battle to gain national recognition for the life of the civil rights icon. If your kids are anything like mine, that is probably hard for them to believe. The life of Martin Luther King Jr. is practically central to the public school civil rights curriculum. It may seem as though the leader was always universally celebrated and respected. In actuality, it wasn’t easy to get national recognition for the slain leader. Here are seven facts to teach your kids about the history of this important day.
In 2000, Martin Luther King Day was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time. It was a long and arduous battle to gain national recognition for the life of the civil rights icon. If your kids are anything like mine, that is probably hard for them to believe. The life of Martin Luther King Jr. is practically central to the public school civil rights curriculum. It may seem as though the leader was always universally celebrated and respected. In actuality, it wasn’t easy to get national recognition for the slain leader. Here are seven facts to teach your kids about the history of this important day:
1. A bill to make Martin Luther King’s birthday a holiday was first introduced a few months after Dr. King’s death.
In 1968, a few months after Martin Luther King’s assassination, Congressman John Conyers (MI) and Senator Edward Brooke (MA) introduced a bill to make January 15, Dr. King’s birthday, a national holiday. It didn’t go to the House of Representatives until 1979 and failed to pass by five votes.
2. The petition to support the holiday garnered close to six million signatures.
Shortly after Dr. King’s assassination, the King Memorial Center was founded in Atlanta. The center launched a campaign to solicit support for a national holiday from the public and along with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, garnered millions of signatures in support. As of 2006, it was considered the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history.
3. Stevie Wonder wrote the song “Happy Birthday” to gain support for the holiday.
In 1980, Stevie Wonder’s released the song “Happy Birthday” to popularize the campaign to make Dr. King’s birthday a national holiday. Lyrics include: “I just never understood/ How a man who died for good/ Could not have a day that would/ Be set aside for his recognition/ Because it should never be/ Just because some cannot see/ The dream as clear as he/ That they should make it become an illusion/ And we all know everything/ That he stood for time will bring/ For in peace our hearts will sing/ Thanks to Martin Luther King…”
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter From Birmingham City Jail
4. Senator Jesse Helms led a filibuster against the bill to create MLK Day.
In 1980, the bill passed in Congress but faced opposition in the Senate. Among those opposed to MLK Day were then-House Republican, now Senator John McCain (AZ) and Senators Jesse Helms and John Porter East, Republicans from North Carolina. Helms and East criticized Martin Luther King for opposing the Vietnam War and accused him of being associated with communists. In October 1983, when the bill once again came before the senate, Senator Helms led a filibuster against the bill. He submitted a 300 page document alleging that King had associations with communists. New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously called the document a “packet of filth,” threw it on the Senate floor, and stomped on it. Although President Ronald Reagan initially opposed the bill, he signed the bill into law in 1983. The first official holiday was observed in 1986 by 27 states and the District of Columbia.
5. The NFL moved Super Bowl XXVII from Arizona to California in protest of Arizona’s decision not to recognize the holiday.
Even after the bill passed, many states refused to recognize the holiday. Arizona was among them. 1n 1992, the NFL moved Super Bowl XXVII from Arizona to California to protest the state’s failure to recognize the holiday. In response to the NFL’s protest and growing opposition, Arizona passed legislation to recognize the holiday.
6. South Carolina was the last state to recognize the holiday.
In 2000, South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges signed a bill into law to make MLK Day an official state holiday. Prior to that, citizens could chose between celebrating MLK Day and other holidays celebrating members of the Confederacy. Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, and Virginia continue to combine MLK Day with other observances.
7. MLK Day is celebrated around the world.
Japan, Canada, Israel and The Netherlands hold celebrations in honor of Dr. King.
Faye McCrayis an attorney by day and writer all the time. Her work has been featured on My Brown Baby, AfroPunk, AfroNews, For Harriet, Madame Noire, Black Girl Nerds, Black and Married with Kids, and other popular publications. Faye also has a number of short stories and a full length novel available for purchase on Amazon. Most importantly, Faye is a proud wife and mother to three beautiful and talented young boys who she is fiercely passionate about raising. You can find Faye on Twitter @fayewrites and on the web at fayemccray.com.
Dr. Mae Jemison is a medical doctor, trailblazing astronaut and humanitarian. Her life and career have been full of inspirational moments. Here are a 7 must-know facts about this living legend.
Dr. Mae Jemison is a medical doctor, trailblazing astronaut and humanitarian. Her life and career have been full of inspirational moments. Here are 7 must-know facts about this living legend.
1. Before becoming an astronaut, she was engaged in life saving work with the Peace Corps.
In 1977, Jemison, a Decatur, Alabama native, graduated from Stanford University with dual degrees in Chemical Engineering and African and Afro-American Studies. She went on to receive her doctorate in medicine from Cornell University in 1981. After briefly practicing medicine, Dr. Jemison served in the Peace Corps from 1983 through 1985. She was the Area Peace Corps Medical Officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia. In this role, she was responsible for managing the delivery system of health care for United States Embassy personnel and Peace Corps personnel. This multi-faceted role entailed providing medical care, overseeing any medical administrative issues, supervision of medical staff, a large pharmacy and a modern laboratory.
During her time in West Africa, Dr. Jemison implemented and participated in research on a Hepatitis B vaccine and a rabies vaccine in partnership with the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control. She taught personal health training classes to local residents, developed health related programming and curriculum for the Peace Corps, and developed guidelines for dealing with public health issues for volunteer job placement sites.
2. She was the first Black woman to be an astronaut with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Dr. Jemison became one of fifteen applicants selected out of more than 2,000 in the 1987 class of astronauts for NASA. After one year of intensive training, she became the first Black woman to be an astronaut with NASA. On September 12, 1992, Dr. Jemison made history again when aboard the space shuttle “Endeavor” she became the first Black woman (and first woman of color) to go into space. The mission was a joint mission with Japanese astronauts to study the effect of weightlessness on bones, and 42 other experiments relating to life sciences and human adaptations. Her time with NASA lasted six years and her pioneering work continues to inspire generations.
3. She formed the Jemison Group and the BioSentient Corporation to address unique concerns related to science and technology.
After leaving NASA in 1993, Dr. Jemison formed the Jemison Group, an engineering consulting firm located in Texas. The Jemison Group works closely in its education wing with the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence(founded in honor of her late mother with the help of her brother and sister) to create innovative science curriculum that can be taught in schools. The organization also serves as an engineering consulting firm offering project consultation for mid to large scale projects.
In 2000, Dr. Jemison formed the BioSentient Corporation which is a medical devices and technology services business that designs, develops and brings to market ambulatory equipment which improves performance through physiologic monitoring and self-regulation. She currently serves as President of both companies.
4. She is committed to teaching science to children in honor of her late mother.
Dorothy Jemison, Dr. Mae Jemison’s mother, was an educator in Chicago public schools for almost thirty years. She was dedicated to holding her students to high standards and pushing them to achieve their own personal excellence. After her mother passed away, the Jemison children created the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence (DJF) to offer curriculum and projects to schools that would encourage students to high levels of achievement through science. Initiatives like “The Earth We Share” (TEWS), an international science camp, and “Shaping the World”, an international essay contest where kids compete by writing about fascinating scientific topics, were sponsored by the DJF in the 1990s and early 2000s. Students and teachers from all over the world, representing countries such as Nigeria, Sweden, Portugal, Hong Kong and several others, participated in training offered by the DJF and learned new methods of teaching science to children.
In 2006, the DJF created a program in Chicago called “Reality Leads Fantasy: Celebrating Woman of Color in Flight” that educated the public on important woman of color who were involved in aviation and the study of space throughout the world. In 2011, the DJF sponsored the “TEWS-Space Race” which was focused on improving the scientific education and accomplishments of students in Los Angeles who came from poor and underserved communities.
5. She appeared on an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
In 1993 Dr. Jemison appeared in an episode of the sixth season of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” entitled “Second Chances.” In the episode she played Lieutenant Junior Grade Palmer. Actor LeVar Burton directed the episode and requested her appearance. It was the first time an actual astronaut appeared on “Star Trek.” Dr. Jemison is a huge “Star Trek” fan and was always inspired by the actress Nichelle Nichols who played “Lieutenant Uhura” on the original series.
(c) Abrams Brooks
6. She is working towards ensuring human travel to another solar system within a century.
Dr. Jemison is a principal in the 100 Year Starship,an organization dedicated to ensuring the facilities exist for a successful human journey to another star by the year 2112. She believes space exploration, and the experimentation associated with it, lead to major advances in invention and quality of life on Earth. By having the scientific and business community pursuing this goal, the organization argues that life on Earth can be dramatically improved for all people.
The organization was started in 2011 with a joint grant from the United States Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NASA. Dr. Jemison points out that the ultimate goal is not to have a human go to another star in the next century, but to have the world commit to the goal with investment, scientific endeavor, and civic participation to make interstellar travel a legitimate possibility.
7. She has two schools named in her honor.
On Tuesday, August 2, 2016, the Dr. Mae Jemison High School was dedicated in Huntsville, Alabama, her home state. The school features high tech facilities such as a 3-D titanium printer that allows students to practice skills for advanced manufacturing. There is also a component to teach the newest forms of the growing field of cybersecurity. Dr. Jemison cut the ribbon and gave a speech during the dedication of the school. With the advanced facilities, students will be able to complete up to 60 hours of college credit while still attending high school. The first school named after Dr. Jemison is the Mae C. Jemison Academy, which is an alternative public school in Detroit, Michigan that was dedicated in 1992.
Rick McCrayis a married father of three amazing sons. He is also a proud graduate of Duke University where he holds a BA in History and African/African American History, and Howard University School of Law. He is also a regular commentator on the In The Black podcast. Rick is passionate about our history and helping to educate our community concerning the great contributions of people of color to the world. You can find Rick on Twitter @RealRickMcCray.
On Saturday, September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture will open to incredible fanfare in Washington, D.C. This magnificent museum is finally opening after decades of hard work from luminaries who were dedicated to creating a national archive that told the our story of strength and perseverance. Here are five facts about how we got to this glorious day.
On Saturday, September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture will open to incredible fanfare in Washington, D.C. This magnificent museum is finally opening after decades of hard work from luminaries who were dedicated to creating a national archive that told our story of strength and perseverance. Here are five facts about how we got to this glorious day.
1. For Founding Director, Lonnie G. Bunch III, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture has been almost 40 years in the making.
Lonnie Bunch has wide-ranging experience in making history come alive. In the 1980s, he served as the curator of history and program manager for the California Afro-American Museum. In this role he organized successful exhibitions like, “Black Angelenos: The Afro-American in Los Angeles, 1850-1950” which was an award-winning feature that explored the Black contribution to Los Angeles history and culture. He also produced historical documentaries that aired on public television.
His work with the Smithsonian began in 1989 when he worked as a supervising curator for the National Museum of American History. During his tenure, he managed curatorial staff, worked on educational projects, and helped create the “Smithsonian’s America” for the American Festival Japan 1994. This was an exhibit presented in Japan, which revealed the history, culture and diversity of the United States of America.
He has taught at his alma mater, American University, and the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth, and George Washington University. He is a prolific author and has either written, co-written, or contributed to over thirty books. He has traveled internationally and given lectures on education and museum curation to professionals throughout the globe. He was appointed the Founding Director for the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in 2005.
2. Over 75% of donations from individuals came from the African American community!
The Museum’s final price tag was $540 million. In 2003, Congress passed the legislation establishing the Museum and pledged to fund $270 million or half of the Museum’s expense. Interestingly, previous Smithsonian museums had received all or most of their funds from the government. The shortfall was made up by donations from major corporate sponsors and our community. Churches, fraternities, sororities, celebrities and civic organizations were galvanized for the fundraising effort. Over 75% of donations from individuals came from the African American community. Over $4 million in funds came from people donating in amounts less than $1,000. Oprah Winfrey has been the largest donor at $21 million. As of this writing, the Museum has raised over $315 million in private funds which far exceeded the congressional requirement.
3. The museum’s collection was built from scratch.
Museum Director Lonnie Bunch and the other organizers of the museum had the monumental task of building the collection from scratch. Unlike any of the Smithsonian’s eighteen previous museums, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture was created without any artifacts on hand. To grow a collection, the organizers came up with the unique idea of “Saving African-American Treasures,” which was a 15 city tour launched in 2009. During this effort, they encouraged Americans to donate family heirlooms to the museum. The result was amazing. Precious artifacts were found hidden in the community. One woman from Virginia Beach, Virginia donated Nat Turner’s Bible which had been kept safe in her closet for decades! It is estimated that over half of the Museum’s 37,000 artifacts came from donations.
4. The building’s architecture is an ode to African and African-American roots.
The principle architect for the building, David Adjaye, wanted the building to be unique and speak to the creativity of Africans throughout the Diaspora. The building is inspired by a Yoruban caryatid, which is a column popular in West Africa with a corona at its peak. The building’s patterns also allude to architecture found in Georgia and South Carolina that was built by enslaved and freed Blacks. This metalwork inspired Mr. Adjaye and the bronze color and shape of the building is an additional aspect similar to that Southern style of architecture.
5. The fight to create a museum to honor our history initially began in the 1800’s.
The idea to create a museum that honored African-American history started from a desire to create a museum that honored Black Civil War veterans. After different permutations of honoring African Americans with a national museum festered, the strongest push came in the 1980s. In 1988, Mickey Leland who was a Representative in the United States House of Representatives from the state of Texas, co-sponsored legislation with fellow Representative and Civil Rights legend John Lewis of Georgia to establish a museum honoring African-American history. Mr. Leland died in a plane crash the next year, so Mr. Lewis took up the cause himself. Each year for the next fifteen years, Mr. Lewis proposed his legislation but it was defeated. In 1994, it passed the House of Representatives but staunch segregationist Jesse Helms of North Carolina filibustered against the bill and it died in the Senate.
It was not until the early 2000s when Republicans like Representative J.C. Watts of Oklahoma and Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas showed their support that the bill was passed. On December 16, 2003, George W. Bush signed H.R. 3491 into law which authorized a Smithsonian Institution museum created to honor the legacy of African Americans in America.
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Information attained from:
Michael Kimmelman, “David Adjaye on Designing a Museum that Speaks a Different Language”, New York Times, published September 21, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/arts/design/david-adjaye-museum-of-african-american-history-and-culture.html?action=click&contentCollection=Art%20%26%20Design&module=RelatedCoverage®ion=EndOfArticle&pgtype=article
Graham Bowley, “How the Fight for a National African American Museum was Won”, New York Times, published September 4,2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/05/arts/design/how-the-fight-for-a-national-african-american-museum-was-won.html
Lonnae O’Neal, “Our place in America: New Smithsonian museum portrays the furious flowering of black history and culture”, The Undefeated/ESPN.com, published September 22, 2016, http://theundefeated.com/features/smithsonian-museum-of-african-american-history-our-place-in-america/
Newsdesk, “Staff Biographies: Lonnie G. Bunch III,” Smithsonian, http://newsdesk.si.edu/about/bios/lonnie-g-bunch
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About The Author
Rick McCrayis a married father of three amazing sons. He is also a proud graduate of Duke University where he holds a BA in History and African/African American History, and Howard University School of Law. He is also a regular commentator on the In The Black podcast. Rick is passionate about our history and helping to educate our community concerning the great contributions of people of color to the world. You can find Rick on Twitter @RealRickMcCray.
Given the level of media coverage of his actions, you would think Colin Kaepernick was the first person to challenge blind patriotism. However, here are six other public figures that refused to honor their countries because of moral or political reasons.
Featured Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty
On August 26, 2016, before a preseason game, Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers chose to sit instead of stand during the playing of the United States National Anthem. During a post-game interview, Kaepernick stated, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media.
“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Although both the 49ers and the National Football League have declined to take disciplinary action, public reaction has been mixed. Some are calling him unpatriotic while others are calling his civil act of disobedience heroic. Given the level of media coverage of his actions, you would think Kaepernick was the first person to challenge blind patriotism. However, here are six other public figures that refused to honor their countries because of moral/political reasons:
1. Frederick Douglass
On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass was invited to give a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, held at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, NY. The audience got more than they bargained for when instead he told them,”This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” He went on to ask, “Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?”
In his speech, which became one of his most famous, he said:
“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim… There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.”
Frederick Douglass was arguably the most famous orator of the 19th century and was the most photographed person of the 19th century. He sat for several pictures because he wanted to show the dignity of Black people during a time when minstrel shows were prominent.
2. Muhammad Ali
On April 28, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the United States Army and his heavyweight boxing title was subsequently taken away. Ali, who converted to Islam and changed his name in 1964, cited religious reasons for his decision to forgo military service. However, in March 1967, Ali explained:
“I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality… If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. But I either have to obey the laws of the land or the laws of Allah. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail. We’ve been in jail for four hundred years.”
On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed and returned to the ring on October 26, 1970. On June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned his conviction for refusing the draft.Muhammad Ali would go on to be an international symbol of strength and perserverance despite incredible odds. His public battle with Parkinson’s disease while maintaining a very active lifestyle inspired millions.
3. Tommie Smith and John Carlos
On October 16, 1968, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, winners of the gold and bronze medals in the 200 meter sprint, bowed their heads and each raised one fist in protest during the playing of the national anthem. The men wore black socks with no shoes to symbolize poverty in many African American communities, and black gloves to represent our strength. Smith also wore a scarf and Carlos wore beads in memory of lynching victims. Both men were banished by the International Olympic Committee and suspended from the United States team. They both suffered ostracism from the track and field community and Olympic community for years afterward. Tommie Smith is quoted as saying:
“It was only done to bring attention to the atrocities of which we were experiencing in a country that was supposed to represent us.”
Prior to the Olympics, both men were involved with the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) where they had originally called for a boycott of the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games unless four conditions were met: 1) South Africa and Rhodesia were uninvited from the Olympics because they were nations that practiced apartheid, 2) the restoration of Muhammad Ali’s world heavyweight boxing title, 3) Avery Brundage to step down as president of the IOC, who they believe supported racist regimes, and 4) the hiring of more African American assistant coaches. Although the boycott failed to materialize, the men still made history.
4. Jackie Robinson
In his 1972 autobiography, I Never Had It Made, American Baseball League Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, described the moment when he confronted his own hesitation to stand during the National Anthem at a major league baseball game.
“There I was,” he wrote. “The black grandson of a slave, the son of a black sharecropper, part of a historic occasion, a symbolic hero to my people. The air was sparkling. The sunlight was warm. The band struck up the national anthem. The flag billowed in the wind. It should have been a glorious moment for me as the stirring words of the national anthem poured from the stands. Perhaps, it was, but then again, perhaps, the anthem could be called the theme song for a drama called The Noble Experiment. Today, as I look back on that opening game of my first world series, I must tell you that it was Mr. Rickey’s drama and that I was only a principal actor.” He continued:
“As I write this twenty years later, I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world. In 1972, in 1947, at my birth in 1919, I know that I never had it made.”
Throughout his historic career, Robinson was the target of racial epithets, baseball field violence, hate letters, and death threats.
4. Charles Roach
Aaron Vincent Elkaim/The Canadian Press
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Charles Roach immigrated to Canada in 1955. He attended the University of Toronto Law School and became an important civil rights attorney and activist in Toronto.
Roach sought Canadian citizenship; however, it never materialized because he refused to swear loyalty to a colonialist sovereign. To become a Canadian citizen, one must pledge the following: “I… do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors. So help me God.” As a result of refusing to pledge, Roach gave up the right to vote, run for public office, and attain a Canadian passport. However, non-citizens bear the burden of still paying the same taxes as regular citizens and the risk of deportation for committing certain crimes. Roach also reportedly declined an opportunity to become a judge over his principled stance against taking the oath.
Throughout his career, he fought to change Canada’s citizenship requirements to allow people to swear an oath to Canada instead of the throne, which he said represented a legacy of oppression, imperialism and racism. For the majority of his adult life, he fought several court cases where he argued that an oath of allegiance to a sovereign is unconstitutional. The cases proved unsuccessful, but his fight gained much attention and support. As he stated in 2011:
“I don’t believe that anyone should have a political status just because of your birth and I feel strongly about that. For that reason, I wouldn’t take an oath to any such institution, which is based on race and religion.”
Roach had several high profile cases where he aided members of the Black Panthers from the United States who were seeking political asylum in Canada. He also helped form the Black Action Defence Committee, which pushed for the creation of Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, a civilian-led unit, which investigates cases where officers seriously injure or kill people.
Despite efforts of long time colleagues, when Roach passed away in 2012, Canada refused to grant Roach citizenship posthumously.
5. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
In 1996, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was a starting point guard for the Denver Nugggets. During the national anthem, he would stretch or stay inside the locker room instead of taking the floor. When a reporter finally asked about it, Abdul-Rauf said he viewed the American flag as a symbol of oppression and racism. Abdul-Rauf also said standing for the anthem would conflict with his Muslim faith.
“You can’t be for God and for oppression…” he said at the time. “I don’t criticize those who stand, so don’t criticize me for sitting.”
Abdul-Rauf was suspended for one game on March 12, 1996. The NBA cited a rule that players must line up in a “dignified posture” for the anthem. Although the player’s union supported him, he lost $32,000 in salary. For the remainder of the season, Abdul-Rauf agreed to stand but to pray for the oppressed with his head down during the national anthem. At the end of the season, the Nuggets traded Abdul-Rauf to the Sacramento Kings. At the time, he was leading the team in points (19.2) and averaged 6.2 assists. After his contract expired in 1998, he played overseas and had a brief stint back in the league with the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 2000-2001 season.
Muhammad Ali refuses Army induction, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/muhammad-ali-refuses-army-induction
“Muhammad Ali Refuses to Fight in Vietnam (1967) http://alphahistory.com/vietnamwar/muhammad-ali-refuses-to-fight-1967/
David Davis, Olympic Athletes Who Took a Stand, SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/olympic-athletes-who-took-a-stand-593920/?no-ist
Andy Blatchford, After decades fighting monarchy oath in citizenship requirements, Toronto activist dies without becoming Canadian, The Canadian Press http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/charles-roach-dies-before-court-rules-on-oath-to-queen-for-citizenship
Jesse Washington, Still no anthem, still no regrets for Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, http://theundefeated.com/features/abdul-rauf-doesnt-regret-sitting-out-national-anthem/
Kirsten West Savali, Jackie Robinson in 1972: ‘I Cannot Stand and Sing the Anthem; I Cannot Salute the Flag’ http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/08/jackie-robinson-colin-kaepernick-star-bangled-banner/
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About The Author
Rick McCrayis a married father of three amazing sons. He is also a proud graduate of Duke University where he holds a BA in History and African/African American History, and Howard University School of Law. He is also a regular commentator on the In The Black podcast. Rick is passionate about our history and helping to educate our community concerning the great contributions of people of color to the world. You can find Rick on Twitter @RealRickMcCray.
Since well before the Civil War, our people have participated in the fight for equal rights in the labor force. There is documentation of a strike by black caulkers at the Washington Navy Yard as early as 1835. Our ancestors fight was uniquely brutal since labor unions were segregated well into the 20th Century. The fight for equal rights in the workforce necessarily became intrinsic to the Civil Rights Movement. Here are 5 historic events everyone should know as we remember our ancestors this Labor Day.
Since well before the Civil War, our people have participated in the fight for equal rights in the labor force. There is documentation of a strike by caulkers at the Washington Navy Yard as early as 1835. Our ancestors fight was uniquely brutal since labor unions were segregated well into the 20th Century. The fight for equal rights in the workforce necessarily became intrinsic to the Civil Rights Movement. Here are 5 historic events everyone should know as we remember our ancestors this Labor Day.
1. Creation of the Colored National Labor Union
In December 1869, 214 delegates attended the Colored National Labor Union convention in Washington, D.C. This union was in response to the National Labor Union which excluded African American workers. The assembly sent a petition to Congress requesting direct intervention in the alleviation of the “condition of the colored workers of the southern States” by subdividing the public lands of the South into forty-acre farms and providing low-interest loans to African American farmers. A few years later, in 1871, the group followed up, sending a “Memorial of the Committee of the National Labor Convention for Appointment of a Commission to Inquire into Conditions of Affairs in the Southern States.” Congress did not respond to either petition. In 1896, when the Supreme Court handed down the Plessy v. Fergusondecision which gave official recognition to the “separate but equal” doctrine, government mandated “relegation of [African Americans] to second-class status was complete.”
2. Great Migration
According to the National Archives, “during the Great Migration of 1916-1930, over one million African Americans moved from the south to the north in search of better lives.” Many found work due to the labor shortage created in the wake of the First World War. African American representation grew in industrial employment, particularly in the steel, automobile, shipbuilding, and meatpacking industries. The U.S. government, under pressure from African American leaders who demanded representation in the policymaking and administrative councils of government, established special offices such as the Office of the Director of Negro Economics to help mobilize the African American work force for the war effort. The division was the first agency of its kind in the nation.
3. Elaine Massacre of 1919
The Progressive Farmers and Householders Union was started by sharecropper Robert Lee Hill to protect agricultural workers against exploitation and “advanc[e] the intellectual, material, moral, spiritual, and financial interests of the Negro race.” Following a meeting on September 30, 1919 in Elaine, Arkansas, white law enforcement officials and vigilantes from neighboring counties and states attacked union officials and members, killing hundreds of African Americans. Whites formed militias against what they believed to be an insurrection and the Governor of Arkansas, Charles Hillman Brough deployed federal troops arresting hundreds of our people. Due to government mandated repression and mass murder, the union was largely destroyed following the massacre. The massacre has been called one of the worst in American history.
4. A. Philip Randolph and The First March On Washington
In 1925, A. Philip Randolph, noted civil rights leader and labor organizer, began his fight for equal protection of our workers by gaining recognition of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters by the Pullman Car Company, the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and the U.S. government. Early in 1941, A. Philip Randolph announced the creation of the March on Washington Committee, compelling President Roosevelt to issue an executive order ending racial discrimination in hiring by unions and employers and eliminating segregation in the armed forces. If President Roosevelt refused, Randolph promised that 100,000 Americans would march in Washington to end segregation. In response, Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 which established the Committee on Fair Employment Practice (FEPC). According to the National Archives, “after asserting that national unity was being impaired by discrimination, the executive order declared it to be the duty of employers and of labor organizations to provide for the full and equitable participation of all workers in defense industries, without discrimination because of race, creed, color, or national origin.” All federal agencies concerned with defense production were ordered to administer such programs without discrimination, and all defense contracts were to include a provision “obligating the contractor not to discriminate against any worker because of race, creed, color, or national origin.”
5. The Second March on Washington
Unfortunately, the Committee on Fair Employment Practice (FEPC) ended in 1946. Randolph’s group, however, continued to meet annually to reiterate demands for economic equality. In 1963, leaders began to plan a new March on Washington. According to the Reader’s Companion to American History (see below), the new March for Jobs and Freedom, led by A. Philip Randolph and organized by his longtime associate, Bayard Rustin, was expected to attract 100,000 participants; however, more than 200,000 Americans attended. The March for Jobs and Freedom became known for Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and spurred historic civil rights legislation and “redress through a number of court cases under Title VII, Equal Employment Opportunity, of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.”
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Information attained from:
James Gilbert Cassedy, African Americans and the American Labor Movement, Federal Records and African American History, Prologue Magazine, Summer 1997, Vol. 29, No. 2, http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1997/summer/american-labor-movement.html.
Faye McCrayis an attorney by day and writer all the time. Her work has been featured on My Brown Baby, AfroPunk, AfroNews, For Harriet, Madame Noire, Black Girl Nerds, Black and Married with Kids, and other popular publications. Faye also has a number of short stories and a full length novel available for purchase on Amazon. Most importantly, Faye is a proud wife and mother to three beautiful and talented young boys who she is fiercely passionate about raising.
185 years later, here are some important lessons children can learn from the Nat Turner Rebellion.
by Rick McCray
With all the recent news on the upcoming film, Birth of Nation, many are revisiting a complex time in American History. The film, expected to be released on October 7, 2016, is a period drama about enslaved American Nate Turner, who led a rebellion in South Hampton, Virginia beginning August 21, 1831. On that day, Turner, a gifted orator and preacher, led a band of about 70 enslaved men on a journey that resulted in the death of over 50 white men, women, and children. The band was stopped on August 22 and over the next few months all of them were either executed or resold back into slavery. Nat Turner was hanged on November 11, 1831 and his body was skinned and mutilated. This rebellion resulted in the South imposing harsher slave codes as well as laws restricting the liberty of free Blacks. It also resulted in continued savagery inflicted upon our people in this country.
We all learned about the rebellion at some point in our educational career. However, when this event is discussed, it is usually in the context of how brutal Nat Turner and his compatriots were in killing white men, women and children. The discussion rarely includes what these men saw or personally endured that brought them to the point where they were willing to take lives without any thought of repercussions. That context is very important, and it is something you should discuss with your children. Here are some important lessons children can learn from the Nat Turner Rebellion:
Surviving American slavery proved the African people were strong. Africans were incredibly strong to survive the constant horrors of slavery. Slavery is a dark part of American History that existed for centuries. Jim Crow and government sanctioned discrimination impacted our communities for decades after that. Despite all of this, our people are still here and thriving.
Sometimes you have to fight and that is okay. I know, I know. In a world where we are forced to have conversations with our children about the different set of rules they must follow when interacting with authority figures, fighting is never the answer. Yet, the reality is that at some point in life you will have to fight back. Your fight may not be physical; it might be as simple as standing up for yourself by telling someone to stop treating you poorly. Telling your children that at certain times you can and must fight in order to protect lives may be unavoidable. As parents, we never want to think of our little ones having to defend their lives. However, sometimes we have to let them know that their lives are of utmost importance and must be protected at all costs.
No one that they read about in a history book was an angel. If you want to discuss the violence that Nat Turner and his compatriots leveled in a negative manner, that is your choice. However, make sure you also teach about the violent time Nat Turner was living in. Slavery was a legal institution that involved torture, murder, molestation, rape, mutilation, and countless other horrors without consequence. American history is complicated, and there are no one size fits all interpretations of any event. It is important to make sure our children are aware of different perspectives and interpretations outside of their school’s history books.
Every action has a reaction. Treating people wrong repeatedly without correcting your behavior will always result in a negative outcome. There are always consequences. Always treat others the way you want to be treated.
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About The Author
Rick McCrayis a married father of three amazing sons. He is also a proud graduate of Duke University where he holds a BA in History and African/African American History, and Howard University School of Law. He is a regular commentator on the In The Black podcast. Rick is passionate about our history and helping to educate our community concerning the great contributions of people of color to the world. You can find Rick on Twitter @RealRickMcCray.
attorney by day and writer all the time. Her work has been featured on My Brown Baby, AfroPunk, AfroNews, For Harriet, Madame Noire, Black Girl Nerds, Black and Married with Kids, and other popular publications. Faye also has a number of short stories and a full length novel available for purchase on Amazon. Most importantly, Faye is a proud wife and mother to three beautiful and talented young boys who she is fiercely passionate about raising. You can find Faye on Twitter @fayewrites and on the web at fayemccray.com.
rried father of three amazing sons. He is also a proud graduate of Duke University where he holds a BA in History and African/African American History, and Howard University School of Law. He is also a regular commentator on the 
attorney by day and writer all the time. Her work has been featured on 
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