As I watched the second Inauguration of President Barack Obama on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day, I can honestly say that I was in historical awe. While most people were mesmerized by the “pageantry” (that was the most used word by news reporters) of the events, I was basking in the historical significance of…
Category: Black History
Nothing Much Has Changed in Black History in 70 Years
You know I’m researching Chicago Roller Skating History and Black Roller Skating in Chicago, right? So, I’m stuck in the 1942 Chicago Defender because there was so much going on in this city and I have to check it out. The article from the June 20, 1942 issue stuck with me because it shows how…
Happy Black History Month & Other Observances
As you know, February is Black History Month. Last week, someone asked posted on Twitter: “Why is Black History month celebrated in the shortest month of the year.” Dr. Carter G. Woodson (I love this man!) selected February for Black Negro History Week in 1926 because it is the birth month of two people he…
Watch Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
Do you think we would ever see Dr. King’s speech come to pass?
Reading the Education of The Negro Prior to 1861 by Carter G. Woodson
And I must say that this book is deep that it is taking at least 10 minutes to read ONE page. Oh my goodness, that’s so heavy stuff. Carter G. was so highly enlightened that he started Chapter 1, the introduction, with “Brought from the African wilds to constitute the laboring class of a pioneering…
Black People Were Better as Negroes
I am reading When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America by Paula Giddings, and I am so enlightened and much smarter as a result. The one thing I need to point out was how united black people were in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Life…
How Many Towns & Cities Were Like Tulsa in 1921?
My friend, Tasha Clopton-Stubbs, wrote an article, “Tulsa Race Riot Victims Seek Justice ‘Before They Die’” for a local newspaper. For those that don’t know, an entire neighborhood was burned down because of “perceived” racial issues. Known as The Black Wall Street, the affluent black neighborhood of Greenwood was completely burned down, during a racial…
The Klu Klux Klan is No Longer a Threat to Black People
The KKK leader stepped to the podium, his hood lowered around his shoulders and a look of disgust on his face. He said, “Sorry guys but this will be our last meeting; we’re going out of business.” A member stood up in back. “But why sir?” The leader sighed, “Well, reverend, the Blacks are doing…
Marcie’s Thoughts While Reading About Black Women in History
Disclaimer: I am not a racist. I have strong feelings and views about the history of black people in America. I am reading When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America by Paula Giddings, and am experiencing so many emotions. My feelings range from pride to sadness…
As NOT Seen on TV: Black Inventors
Whenever we look at TV or movies, you always see people coming up with inventions or interesting concoctions. If my memory serves me correctly, none of these people were black except Steve Urkel, played by Jaleel White, on Family Matters. If you do recall seeing black people creating things, were they practical, and not silly…