Wiki History!

Wiki History is an exciting lecture series on African American history and social justice issues. Lectures are short and teach how you how to use history and MAKE history!

Black WWI Soldiers: The Forgotten Story 05/10/2019

Espresso Talk: The End of Black History Month 04/30/2019

May Podcast #2: Why I love history 05/21/2018

Activists and Events Issue: April 05/08/2018

The Celebration of Kwanzaa Day 7: Imani (faith) 12/28/2017

The Celebration of Kwanzaa: Day 6 (Kuumba) 12/23/2017

Kwanzaa: Day 5 (Nia) 12/21/2017

Kwanzaa: Day Four (Ujamaa) 12/20/2017

Kwanzaa: Day Three (Ujima) 12/19/2017

Kwanzaa Day Two: Kujichagulia 12/19/2017

Kwanzaa Day One: Umoja 12/19/2017

Kwanzaa: A brief introduction 12/19/2017

Hope for Black Veterans: The GI Bill 11/24/2017

Blacks in the Military: The Struggles of Black Veterans 11/21/2017

Great Black Explorers and Adventurers: Lessons on Passion and Persistence 10/28/2017

Becoming a Better American 10/19/2017

Remembering History Introduction 10/13/2017

Remembering History Introduction The Importance of African American history: Believe in fairy tales! Hi and welcome to the Wiki History lecture series called History is Power! Produced by rememberinghistory.com where history is power. Today, we’re going to discuss the importance of knowing African American history. We begin by asking why is history important? Great question. Perhaps the answer can be found in this famous journal entry, which says, Next time I go to a movie and see a picture of a little ordinary girl become a great star, I’ll believe it. And whenever I hear someone read fairy tales to my little boy, I’ll listen. I know that dreams do come true. I know because I am now playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the big leagues! I always dreamed about playing for the Dodgers, but honestly, I always had my doubts. I used to tell myself: “Something will happen. It just isn’t in the books for you to play in the majors. You’re a Negro. Negroes haven’t been in the big leagues. Some day they will be. But you won’t be the lucky guy. Can you guess who wrote this entry? Jackie Robinson. In 1947--following his first major league game with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson was the first Black person to play major league baseball. He made history. And he went on to win the league’s MVP award in 1949. During his career, he would play in 6 World Series. He concluded this entry by saying, Being up here is absolutely wonderful. That’s why I’m a believer in fairy tales now. You see, it actually happened to me! It was said that Jackie Robinson endured more racial insults and threats of violence than anyone in American history. But we know that Jackie Robinson made history. And history is power. Yes, we can learn a lot from history—that can inspire AND empower US, too. With this inspiration and empowerment, WE can make history. And THAT is our goal at rememberinghistory.com. We are remembering history AND we’re MAKING it. You’re gonna hear about many African Americans that made great accomplishments, contributions and changes in every field—law, medicine, art, literature, science, engineering, the environment, sports, American society and even the world! We will learn that they faced lots of obstacles, problems, rejections and sometimes even violence. But most importantly we will learn that—despite all of their challenges-- they still made history. Nothing came easy for Jackie Robinson or any of the other African Americans that you’re gonna hear about. Yet through their resolve, perseverance, focus, determination and hard work, they made a difference for themselves and for others. They MADE history. You see, just like Jackie Robinson said: fairy tales can come true. It happened for him. And it can happen for you, too. History teaches that it can happen. History also teaches HOW things happened and why. And that nothing ever had to happen in the way that it did. So we need to know the African Americans who came before us; what happened before us—the successes, the defeats, the victories and the challenges. We need to know the African Americans who helped to build and transform the United States and, indeed, who helped to shape our world. Some names will be unfamiliar from the past: Dr. Carter G. Woodson who wrote the Negro National Anthem later called the African American National Anthem (yes, there is one!) and who founded Black History Month. Ida B. Wells who fought against the horrible (but at-the-time common) practice of lynching. And, of course, the mathematical genius, Benjamin Banneker, who made great discoveries in astronomy and developed theories about relativity. Did I mention that Benjamin Banneker was born in 1731, a descendant of enslaved parents? And, like Jackie Robinson, the road was not easy yet they endured. Others did too. There was James McCune Smith, who moved to Scotland to earn his medical degree because no American universities would accept a Black man. He graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1837 becoming the first African American to receive a medical degree. Dr. Smith then returned to the U.S. where he had a distinguished medical career in private practice, opened two pharmacies, and trained young Black doctors. And there is Marcelite Harris who, in 1997, became the first woman to achieve the rank of major general in the US Air Force. Yes, she became the highest ranking woman in the United States Air Force and the country’s highest ranking African American woman in the Department of Defense! However, she had to apply THREE TIMES before her application for training was accepted. And did you know that Michael Jordan was cut from the basketball team in his sophomore year?! Most of us know what he went on to achieve! You see; nothing came easy for any of them. But these people were not afraid to be first. Or to stand out. Or even to stand alone. They weren’t afraid to fail. They never gave up. Neither should we. We can learn a lot from them. We can begin by asking ourselves: What was it like to be alive during their time? What it was like to walk in their shoes? What motivated them? What were they afraid of? What didn’t they know? But remember that history is not just the study of the past. It is interesting because nobody ever lived in the past. People have only lived in the present. Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman didn’t think of themselves as living in the past. They were living in the present. The difference is that it was THEIR present. Not ours. They were caught up in the living moment exactly as we are today. They didn’t know how things would turn out. Neither do we today. Jackie Robinson didn’t know what would happen when he joined the Dodgers and stepped on the field that day in 1947. Dr. Smith did not know what would happen when he moved to Scotland to study medicine or when he returned to America in 1837. And Major General Marcelite Harris never knew if she would ever be accepted into the Air Force or that she would receive so many medals and honors but she kept trying. But we can use their stories and strength (their fairy tales) to be empowered, inspired, and moved to make our own fairy tales. We know the history. And history is power. History teaches us that we can believe in fairy tales. And that we can make history. This website will span 400 years of the African American experience: from slavery to freedom to equality to justice. The stories and lessons will empower and inspire you. We will learn about Black explorers, educators, civil rights, the Black experience in the military, Black holidays and celebrations, the struggle for equality through marches and protests and many more fascinating subjects. Take a look at rememberinghistory.com for the complete schedule. We’ll also discuss CURRENT events and TODAY’S heroes and history makers. That’s gonna keep us busy and intrigued as well but we MUST recognize and honor them too. People like Marva Collins, a great educator who founded an elementary school for Black kids who were labeled as “uneducatable”. But she developed a school and system to help these children to learn and become successful adults. Another current hero is Mae Jamison who is an engineer, physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first African American woman to travel in space. Did I mention that she also speaks four languages?! You’ll have to listen to the podcast show to find out which ones! She has been described as one of the most impressive people that you’ll ever meet. And, we absolutely cannot forget Colin Kaepernick, who was a skilled and talented quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers taking them to the Superbowl and NFC championships. He has not been signed to ANY NFL team since he started the “take a knee” movement, which focuses police violence and racial injustice against African Americans. He is a brave and committed role model and leader that deserves our respect. All of these people are deserve our respect because they fought and defeated the odds and lots of obstacles. They are making a difference and making history. You see, these are great stories and there are so many of them to listen to, enjoy and learn from. So, we hope that you will join us at rememberinghistory.com. And that you will read our newsletter called Making History Today where you can learn how to make a difference in your community and even the world! And we do hope that you will make comments, ask questions and join this wonderful community of history lovers and aspiring history makers on the website or on Facebook. Or both! No limits! Keep believing in fairy tales! They do happen. We hope to see you soon at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it. Every day. Bye for now! /episode/index/show/robinlofton/id/5836899

Making History Today Newsletter Introduction 09/13/2017

Making History Today Newsletter Introduction Hi everyone, I’m so glad that you are reading this issue of Making History Today and listening to this podcast. I’m Robin Lofton, editor-in-chief, of Making History Today! and I like to add that I’m also one of the in-house history lovers and aspiring history makers. That’s what this newsletter is all about and what Rememberinghistory.com is committed to. In this September issue of Making History Today!, I’m gonna address an issue that many people have approached me about: How can I work as an activist that focuses on the United States when I’m not actually LIVING in the United States? You might be surprised but this is a common concern for many (estimated 9 million) American citizens living around the globe. This issue is very VERY important to me. You see, I am an American expat living in Belgium. I was born and raised in San Francisco then went to college at UCLA and law school at University of Pennsylvania. I left the United States in 1994 to get my Master of Law degree at the Rijksuniversiteit Maastrict in the Netherlands. But I had only planned to stay in Europe for a year then to return back home the United States. Well, it’s 2017, I’m still living in Europe. Lots of stuff has happened like marriage, children and other work and study opportunities so I’m still here. That’s a long story and maybe I’ll share that with you in another issue. I’m gonna be honest with you though that for most of my time in Europe, my activism was limited to watching CNN and being the resident “American” among my non-American friends. That basically meant that people asked me questions about the United States like “why don’t most Americans speak more than 1 language?” “Why does U.S. health care cost so much? And my personal favorite “Why do Americans need so many guns?” I answered for all 325 million of my fellow Americans. That was the extent of my activist activities. I was an armchair activist or a slacktivist like I mentioned in the July issue of Making History Today!. That’s pretty sad, huh? But, over the years, things began to change. I began to pursue my love of history again—I’d always been interested in history—and I started writing about history, which was how Rememberinghistory.com was born. Over the years and 3 presidents (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama), I began to grow more interested in politics and was able to see the United States from a distance. Suddenly, I began to see the problems more clearly: outrageously expensive health care, gun violence, economic disparity, rising levels of racism, sexism and xenophobia and a long list of others. (No, everything isn’t bad but these things definitely exist there!) And with the election of Donald Trump in November, 2016 as the 45th president of the United States, everything became clear: the time had come to move from only studying and learning history to MAKING history. To taking action. With that commitment, it has not been difficult working as an expat activist. And it has been so rewarding. So I am glad that people are asking me how to work effectively as an activist when living abroad. What can you do? To be brief, you can do A LOT. Let me get more specific: Connect with the local political party: Democrats Abroad is a worldwide organization and it is definitely following the major issues in the United States and issues that affect Americans living abroad (such as taxation). But mostly they are focused on issues happening within the United States. You can work directly with them as a volunteer on projects that you’re interested in. Or you can get on their mail list and work on your own following their suggestions such as calling members of congress. They have a great campaign right now in which you take a picture of yourself calling your member of congress and reading a certain script. They send the picture to the main office with the hashtag #NotTooFarAwayToCall. By the way, you don’t have to be a member of the Democratic Party to join Democrats Abroad. (BTW, Republicans Abroad also has groups for U.S. expats. Connect with PAGE, which is Progressives Abroad, Global Exchange. This is a worldwide group of progressive-minded people who want to get involved in U.S. politics. There are offices in many cities around the world. Each office is independently operated by a local expat. This organization is much smaller than Democrats Abroad and they are also more independent. Each group will decide which issues that it wants to focus on and pursue. If there is no group in your city, then you can work on your own or start a group. The global office of PAGE provides weekly guidance and regular support. This is a dynamic, exciting and diverse organization and they are very committed to making change in the United States and around the globe. Remember, you can work with an established group or on your own. Either way, you get lots of exposure to issues and practical ideas that you can implement. What else can YOU do? Write letters. Send tweets. Send postcards. These can—and should—have a simple message: Support the DREAM Act. Protect the rights of immigrant families. Provide universal health care. They don’t need to be THIS simple but just make sure that your message is clear and easily read. And it should be polite too. Make phone calls. Your congressional representative is required to keep records on every phone call that the office receives. So, get your message or script ready and make your call. You can call every day. Leave a message on the voice mail or leave it with the receptionist. This applies to calling the President as well. By the way, you can call anonymously if you like. Volunteer locally on issues that are important to you. I’m interested in migrants and refugees. So, yes, I focus on the United States by sending my postcards, making phone calls, and sending email messages and tweets about the DACA program and the DREAM Act to my Congressional reps and President Trump. But I also volunteer to serve meals to refugees in Brussels and I make donations to organizations that are supporting or providing services to refugees in Belgium and the United States. These organizations need your help in many different ways. Be that resident American. As I said earlier, people would often as my opinion about issues or events happening in the United States. I speak up about these issues. I don’t try to “hide our dirty laundry” by making things look different than they are. I answer in a straightforward way if I am knowledgeable about the issue (such as immigration) or I respond about my personal experience with the issue, for instance, the health care system. Today, I speak up. You can too. That’s great activism. Start a Facebook page or campaign. You can connect with so many people through Facebook by starting a general page about politics, a specific political issue or about what President Trump is doing on a daily basis. This page can be informative, activist or both. But you can attract other people who share your viewpoint so you can work together to make your views known. Attend a march. There are marches happening around the world. Join the march and meet with people who share your views. One point here is that I encourage you to march as a means to unify people not to divide or incite people. There’s a big difference. Keep aware and informed. I know this might sound trite and obvious but it is SO important to stay informed about what’s happening in your home country and globally. (Remember it’s all connected.) If you want to have an impact, you gotta know what’s goin’ on. (Sorry, don’t mean to sound like Marvin Gaye!) But you DO need to know what’s goin’ on. At a minimum, watch the news channels like CNN or MSNBC or the BBC. But find also find your favorite non-traditional news (dare I say alt-news?) website, YouTube Channel or other news channel, radio station or online source, commentary sources and even the newspaper. Read regularly. Stay up to date. Personally, I follow what’s happening in the United States government so I have signed up for free updates at GovTrack.us and I have signed up for updates on the websites of my congressional representatives. So, I’m notified whenever they vote on ANYTHING—like a piece of legislation, federal and states judges. And I know when they will speak on an issue and what they said. These days, it is quite easy to stay informed. You just have to choose your sources and keep the information (and there will be lots of it!) organized and accessible. Speaking of organization. You must organize yourself. Make a plan. I discovered when I got started in activism that there are actually lots of issues that I care deeply about. So many, in fact, that I simply don’t have the time to work on all of them. I can do 2 or 3 on a regular basis then temporarily address 1 more if a crisis develops. That’s all. Prioritize your issues so that you can focus your efforts and energy to make the greatest impact. Make an advocacy plan. If you don’t know how to make a plan for your activist activities, the advocacy coaches at rememberinghistory.com are here to help. So, that’s all for now. You see, there are many different ways that you can make an impact as an activist even when you aren’t living in the country where your efforts are focused. American expats can be effective as activists working on U.S. issues. You will be effective and you will definitely be busy. But remember to have a plan. That probably should have been the first thing that I mentioned! And this works not just for Americans but for any expat activists. You’re not too far away to care or to make a difference. If you have any questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact me at or at the 2 Make History Today Facebook page. So, I’m signing off now. Thanks for listening and thanks for reading Making History Today! Bye for now. /episode/index/show/robinlofton/id/5735620

The Joy of Marching 06/16/2017

The Joy of Marching Marching Podcast #1 Welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it every day! March is the month in which we focus on—surprise!—marching! Marching is one of the most common and I would say most effective ways to protest. And Americans have been protest marching since the country was founded. Americans have marched for many reasons. American marched to protest the Stamp Tax—actually that march took place even before the United States officially existed. Americans have marched to protest wars like the War of 1812 and the Vietnam War. We have marched to protest racial inequality. We have marched to ensure the right to vote for women and people of color. We have marched to bring attention to and protest against police violence and gun “carry” laws. Americans have marched to show unity and solidarity with immigrants, refugees and other vulnerable and disenfranchised groups. Americans have been marching for almost 250 years and there is no reason to think that we will ever stop marching. In fact, I hope that we don’t stop marching because it is the hallmark of a democracy that people can “speak out” against their government’s action. Of course, Americans aren’t the only people who march. I’m reminded of Gandhi marching against British rule in India. I’m also reminded of Black South Africans who marched against the violent and racist regime of apartheid. I can’t forget the suffragettes in England who marched to demand the vote for women AND for other social and economic rights for women. And, on a smaller but still important scale, I remember the students at Oxford in 1973 were marching and chanting: “What do we want? A student union! When do we want it? Now! What are we wearing? Dirty jerseys!” This was a major act of civil disobedience by Oxford students in violation of a strict and centuries-long dress code. And yes they DID get their student union. And India got independence from Britain. And apartheid was ended in South Africa. And English women got the right to vote. Marching works! Yes, marching is a worldwide phenomenon to demand, to oppose, to protest and to bring attention to a problem and evoke emotion in people. Marching is effective. Marching is powerful. Marching makes history. So, this month (March), rememberinghistory.com salutes all of those brave, strong and committed people who get out and march. And just as people need marches, marches need people. And the people who brave the elements, the security forces, the wrath and power of the government, and the criticism of friends and family members to get out and march deserve our respect and our gratitude. So, this episode is dedicated to marchers and marches around the world. In this first show about marching, we will look at some marches from the past. Some of the marches are VERY famous and iconic. Others are not-so-famous or widely-known. However, the common thing about all of these marches is that they were very effective in what they were trying to achieve. That takes us directly to our second podcast show this month which will discuss how to conduct a march effectively and how to participate in a march safely. Marches are often started by ordinary citizens just like you—individuals who CARE about an issue and want other people and their government to know about it and DO something about it. These were people who cared enough to get involved. And they made history. You can also make history and the next podcast show can help to you organize a march or participate in one. One last bit of housekeeping then we’ll get straight to learning about marches in history: First, if you enjoy this show, you can get more information at the Wiki history podcast page on Facebook. You will find pictures, short videos and a community of history lovers. There is also a place for comments, which I hope that you will leave for me because I really appreciate them and I do respond. Also, if you enjoy this show, please let others know about it. They might like it and find it inspirational too. We can all remember history AND we can all make history! Finally, I just want to remind you that in 2017, the Wiki History podcast show is dedicated to the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington DC. Museums are a great way to bring history to life and to keep it alive for future generations. Wiki History is honored to be a part of this important process. For every person that listens to this podcast show, rememberinghistory.com will donate $1 to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. I also donate personally and I hope that you will too. That’s enough for now. Let’s get started with this great and groundbreaking Wiki history podcast show. Today’s show is called “marches that made history.” When I was remembering or reading about important marches, I found myself torn between marches that were huge—100,000 people or more—and marches that were relatively small—some were less than 50 people. We will discuss a march that had only ONE person. Which marches had the most impact? Which marches got media attention? Which marches changed laws and society? Which marches are still remembered? What I discovered was nothing short of remarkable. Size didn’t matter! The number of people participating in the march was not as important as the organization, focus and determination of the marchers. Of course, participation is important—I really want to stress that—but I want to stress even more that the determination of the marchers was more important than any other factor. Their determination to affect change, to persist in the face of adversity, to be united in their cause, and to be committed to this form of nonviolent protest. With that said, let’s begin our journey down the memory lane of marching! We will open with a small march that left a mark on the city of Oakland and perhaps beyond: The Twelve-Man March This march was organized to bring awareness to the reality and the dangers of racial profiling. This was a great march: here’s what they did: On July 19, 2013, twelve African American men marched to Oakland’s city hall. All the men wore business attire: suit, tie, dress shoes, etc. All the African American men presented as businessmen. They peacefully marched to city hall holding signs condemning racial profiling and the negative portrayal of African American men in the media. In speeches at Oakland’s famous Ogawa Hall, the protesters cited the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida and Alan Blueford in Oakland. Both were African American, young, and unarmed when they were killed. Alan Blueford killed by law enforcement. Trayvon Martin by a self-proclaimed neighborhood watch officer. No one was convicted in either killing. Racial profiling was the cause that identified (incorrectly and unjustly) these young men as dangerous criminals. Racial profiling had also been involved in other kinds of harassment of African Americans by law enforcement officers. This was a small, but powerful and focused march that that brought awareness to racial profiling and presented a powerful vision of African American men that is rarely shown to the public. Let’s jump back in time for a moment—and for some of the most famous marches. We’re going to the 1960s. This was a huge decade of social change and it witnessed LOTS of marches. Of course, there was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom held on August 28, 1963. Did you know that was the FULL name of the march? The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his iconic “I have a dream speech.” There were an estimated 250,000 people in attendance—people of all races, ethnicities, genders and religious backgrounds. The focus of the march was to encourage President Kennedy to sign a civil rights bill that prohibited discrimination in employment, housing, education and the use of public facilities. Also in the 1960s, staying with the same theme were the Selma to Montgomery marches. These were a series of three marches to demand the passage of a voting rights act. The marchers walked along Route 80 from Selma, Alabama to the capitol in Montgomery. On March 7, 1965, as the marchers peacefully crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, state troopers and county attacked the unarmed marchers with and after they passed over the county line. It was a violent and aggressive act by law enforcement that was witnessed by the entire country and even internationally. This event became known as Bloody Sunday. The second march took place March 9. Troopers, police, and marchers confronted each other at the county end of the bridge, but when the troopers stepped aside to let them pass, King led the marchers back to the church. The third march started March 21. Protected by 1,900 members of the Alabama National Guard under federal command by President Johnson, and many FBI agents and Federal Marshals, the marchers averaged 10 miles (16 km) a day along the highway. The marchers arrived in Montgomery on March 24 and at the on March 25.[11] With thousands having joined the campaign, 25,000 people entered the capital city that day in support of voting rights. The route is memorialized as the "Selma To Montgomery Voting Rights Trail," and is designated as a . The Voting Rights Act was passed in that same year. Another march that turned violent was an Anti-Vietnam War march, held on November 15, 1969. More than a half-million people marched on Washington, DC to protest the US sending troops to fight in Vietnam. This was just one of many marches opposing the Vietnam War—some were peaceful, some were not. But they all were impassioned and determined. (Just a separate note here: some people claimed that the Vietnam War was one of the first wars to ignite public protest and marches. Not true. The first major movement against an American war was to protest the War of 1812. These marches often did become violent, threatening President Madison and members of Congress.) Leaving the 1960s, the Reagan presidency (1981 to 1989) ignited another wave of marches and protests. One of the largest and most memorable (for its uniqueness) was the Solidarity Day march. Do you remember that march? I do even though I was a teenager at the time! On September 19, 1981, more than 260,000 people marched in Washington DC in support of the air traffic controllers. President Reagan had just summarily fired 12,000 air traffic controllers who had gone on strike for better wages and safer working conditions (for instance, to limit their working hours). But the larger goal of the march was to protest Reagan’s budget cuts and tax policies. Labor unions—particularly the AFL-CIO—and civil rights organizations met at the Washington Monument to show solidarity against the president’s policies. The next year, 1982, witnessed one of the biggest marches in US history against the building and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Held on June 12, 1982, more than a million people marched in New York City to protest President Reagan’s proposed budget that expanded the military budget to allow for the research and building of nuclear weapons—while cutting the budgets for health care and education. These marches remained peaceful—by both marchers and law enforcement—but tensions and passions ran very high during these events. And who could ever forget the National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian rights? Held on October 11, 1987—still during Reagan’s presidency—the “Great March” as it was dubbed was attended by 200,000 people—of all orientations—demanding federal money for AIDS research and treatment and an end to discrimination against homosexuals. This march was held during the “AIDS epidemic” which was disproportionately affecting the gay and lesbian communities but the federal government had not responded with federal funds or legislation to protect this segment of American society. The next major march on this issue was the March on Washington for LGBT rights and LIBERATION. Held on April 25, 1993 (just 6 years after the previous march on Washington for Gay and Lesbian rights), an estimated million people marched to demand a civil rights bill against discrimination, to demand more funding for AIDS research and for reproductive rights. Two years later, Washington DC experienced its next million-person march called the Million Man march. Held on October 16, 1995, more than a million people marched in Washington DC. This march had a different goal than the others—it was not primarily making demands on the government (for legislation for example) or telling the government to stop something (like the Vietnam War or funding nuclear weapons). The million-man march—more accurately could be called the million black man march. It focused on bringing solidarity and unity to the African American community. It was a serious march and also a fun and festive black family day of picnics, music and fun. The new millennium witnessed a new kind of marching. Single city marches expanded into multi-city, even multi-national marches--all coordinated on a single day or weekend. In other words: marching went global! The invention of the Internet/World Wide Web and later social media helped to expand the reach and inclusion and coordination of marchers and protesters focused on a single goal. One of the biggest of these modern marches was the march against the Iraq war. This march was held on February 15 and 16 in 2003 and occurred in cities across the United States (including New York, Seattle and Los Angeles). More than 10 million people attended. This march is known as the largest march in world history and it demanded that President Bush stop the invasion of Iraq. Another large, multi-city march was held the following year on April 25, 2004 in cities across the United States. It was the march for women’s lives and was the largest pro-choice march ever held in the United States--attended by 1.5 million people both women AND men. Wow, so the marches got larger but more focused. More diverse, inclusive and sophisticated. This is activism at its finest and these marches all made a difference. And the marchers made history. While the early marches (like the Vietnam War marches) might seem like they were unsophisticated and simple, that is simply untrue. People were focused and passionate. They coordinated their efforts and took to the streets—sometimes facing the wrath of law enforcement. The people on that fateful bridge in Selma* had very little protection from law enforcement or recourse for the violence taken by the police or military. These marchers put their lives on the line. (And lest one thinks that this cannot happen today, just look at the DAPL marchers* in North Dakota, facing private military forces and being deprived of basic necessities in their protest march for clean water and respect for their sacred lands.) Without the Internet and social media back in the 1960s, people relied on phones, meetings and word of mouth. I remember in college that I would see posters that advertised marches about issues like the environment, rights of minority groups and health care. Marching has definitely evolved over the decades (actually centuries!) but they continue to be an essential tool to let our government know what we think and to make demands for our rights. And marching continues to bring us together as a people. Think of January 21, 2017. The Women’s march following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th U.S. president took place in numerous cities and countries (including my resident city of Brussels, Belgium). And it brought us all together to remember that we are “ONE” people and that we must support each other during bad times and good. It was one of the most unifying events that I have ever witnessed, seeing women AND men and everyone else standing together as one. It reminded of that saying, “A people united can never be defeated.” I want to conclude this Wiki history podcast show by discussing one more march. It is a notable march though you probably won’t read about it in many history books. It is not notable because it involved thousands of people because it didn’t. It is not important because it involved multiple cities or countries. It isn’t notable because so many famous people participated in it. But it IS important and it IS notable. This march definitely made history. This march involved one man with an important cause. His name was William Lewis Moore. Moore was a white man, a former graduate student at Johns Hopkins and postal worker who became an activist supporting rights for mentally ill persons and later supporting civil rights for African Americans. (In fact, he became a member of CORE—the Congress of Racial Equality). William Moore participated in a series of one-man marches in support of civil rights. On his first march he walked to , the state capital. On his second march he walked to the . His third march started in Chattanooga, Tennessee and was headed to the state capitol in Jackson, Mississippi. He was carrying a letter that he planned to hand-deliver to Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett urging racial equality and an end to segregation. During his march, he wore a sandwich board sign that said “Equal rights for all and Mississippi or bust!” Moore said: "I intend to walk right up to the governor's mansion in Mississippi and ring his doorbell. Then I'll hand him my letter." ***** Unfortunately, on April 21, 1963, 70 miles into his march to Mississippi, Moore was found dead by the roadside, having been shot twice in the head at close range. No one was ever convicted of his murder. In his bag, he had the letter that he had planned to deliver. In part, it said, "the white man cannot be truly free himself until all men have their rights." He asked Governor Barnett to "Be gracious and give more than is immediately demanded of you...." Moore was 36 years old at the time of his murder. You can find additional information about William Moore, including pictures, on the Wiki History podcast page on Facebook. This might be a downer to end with but I do want it to have an impact. This was a march by one brave man who stood for racial equality and wanted to take his views directly to the governor of Alabama. That took courage! He deserves to be remembered for his bravery and activism. That’s what rememberinghistory.com is all about! So, that’s all for today’s podcast show. Marches are great! I hope that this trip down the memory lane of marches and marching has left you feeling as inspired as I am. From the biggest multi-city, multi-national marches to the 12-man march in Oakland and William Moore’s one-man march in Alabama, individuals can have an impact and make a difference. And marching is one way to make a difference AND make history. In the next podcast show, you will learn HOW to march and the elements of an effective protest march. Learning history IS important but MAKING history is essential. And you’re gonna learn how to do JUST that in the next show. Remember to go to the Wiki History Podcast page for more information about great marches and great marchERS. And that for everyone who listens to these great and groundbreaking podcast show, rememberinghistory.com will make a contribution to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. And let’s all remember the words of... /episode/index/show/robinlofton/id/5454385

Great American Marches in History 03/30/2017

Great American Marches in History Great American Marches in History Welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it every day! March is the month in which we focus on—surprise!—marching! Marching is one of the most common and I would say most effective ways to protest. And Americans have been protest marching since the country was founded. Americans have marched for many reasons. American marched to protest the Stamp Tax—actually that march took place even before the United States officially existed. Americans have marched to protest wars like the War of 1812 and the Vietnam War. We have marched to protest racial inequality. We have marched to ensure the right to vote for women and people of color. We have marched to bring attention to and protest against police violence and gun “carry” laws. Americans have marched to show unity and solidarity with immigrants, refugees and other vulnerable and disenfranchised groups. Americans have been marching for almost 250 years and there is no reason to think that we will ever stop marching. In fact, I hope that we don’t stop marching because it is the hallmark of a democracy that people can “speak out” against their government’s action. Of course, Americans aren’t the only people who march. I’m reminded of Gandhi marching against British rule in India. I’m also reminded of Black South Africans who marched against the violent and racist regime of apartheid. I can’t forget the suffragettes in England who marched to demand the vote for women AND for other social and economic rights for women. And, on a smaller but still important scale, I remember the students at Oxford in 1973 were marching and chanting: “What do we want? A student union! When do we want it? Now! What are we wearing? Dirty jerseys!” This was a major act of civil disobedience by Oxford students in violation of a strict and centuries-long dress code. And yes they DID get their student union. And India got independence from Britain. And apartheid was ended in South Africa. And English women got the right to vote. Marching works! Yes, marching is a worldwide phenomenon to demand, to oppose, to protest and to bring attention to a problem and evoke emotion in people. Marching is effective. Marching is powerful. Marching makes history. So, this month (March), rememberinghistory.com salutes all of those brave, strong and committed people who get out and march. And just as people need marches, marches need people. And the people who brave the elements, the security forces, the wrath and power of the government, and the criticism of friends and family members to get out and march deserve our respect and our gratitude. So, this episode is dedicated to marchers and marches around the world. In this first show about marching, we will look at some marches from the past. Some of the marches are VERY famous and iconic. Others are not-so-famous or widely-known. However, the common thing about all of these marches is that they were very effective in what they were trying to achieve. That takes us directly to our second podcast show this month which will discuss how to conduct a march effectively and how to participate in a march safely. Marches are often started by ordinary citizens just like you—individuals who CARE about an issue and want other people and their government to know about it and DO something about it. These were people who cared enough to get involved. And they made history. You can also make history and the next podcast show can help to you organize a march or participate in one. One last bit of housekeeping then we’ll get straight to learning about marches in history: First, if you enjoy this show, you can get more information at the Wiki history podcast page on Facebook. You will find pictures, short videos and a community of history lovers. There is also a place for comments, which I hope that you will leave for me because I really appreciate them and I do respond. Also, if you enjoy this show, please let others know about it. They might like it and find it inspirational too. We can all remember history AND we can all make history! Finally, I just want to remind you that in 2017, the Wiki History podcast show is dedicated to the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington DC. Museums are a great way to bring history to life and to keep it alive for future generations. Wiki History is honored to be a part of this important process. For every person that listens to this podcast show, rememberinghistory.com will donate $1 to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. I also donate personally and I hope that you will too. That’s enough for now. Let’s get started with this great and groundbreaking Wiki history podcast show. Today’s show is called “marches that made history.” When I was remembering or reading about important marches, I found myself torn between marches that were huge—100,000 people or more—and marches that were relatively small—some were less than 50 people. We will discuss a march that had only ONE person. Which marches had the most impact? Which marches got media attention? Which marches changed laws and society? Which marches are still remembered? What I discovered was nothing short of remarkable. Size didn’t matter! The number of people participating in the march was not as important as the organization, focus and determination of the marchers. Of course, participation is important—I really want to stress that—but I want to stress even more that the determination of the marchers was more important than any other factor. Their determination to affect change, to persist in the face of adversity, to be united in their cause, and to be committed to this form of nonviolent protest. With that said, let’s begin our journey down the memory lane of marching! We will open with a small march that left a mark on the city of Oakland and perhaps beyond: The Twelve-Man March This march was organized to bring awareness to the reality and the dangers of racial profiling. This was a great march: here’s what they did: On July 19, 2013, twelve African American men marched to Oakland’s city hall. All the men wore business attire: suit, tie, dress shoes, etc. All the African American men presented as businessmen. They peacefully marched to city hall holding signs condemning racial profiling and the negative portrayal of African American men in the media. In speeches at Oakland’s famous Ogawa Hall, the protesters cited the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida and Alan Blueford in Oakland. Both were African American, young, and unarmed when they were killed. Alan Blueford killed by law enforcement. Trayvon Martin by a self-proclaimed neighborhood watch officer. No one was convicted in either killing. Racial profiling was the cause that identified (incorrectly and unjustly) these young men as dangerous criminals. Racial profiling had also been involved in other kinds of harassment of African Americans by law enforcement officers. This was a small, but powerful and focused march that that brought awareness to racial profiling and presented a powerful vision of African American men that is rarely shown to the public. Let’s jump back in time for a moment—and for some of the most famous marches. We’re going to the 1960s. This was a huge decade of social change and it witnessed LOTS of marches. Of course, there was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom held on August 28, 1963. Did you know that was the FULL name of the march? The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his iconic “I have a dream speech.” There were an estimated 250,000 people in attendance—people of all races, ethnicities, genders and religious backgrounds. The focus of the march was to encourage President Kennedy to sign a civil rights bill that prohibited discrimination in employment, housing, education and the use of public facilities. Also in the 1960s, staying with the same theme were the Selma to Montgomery marches. These were a series of three marches to demand the passage of a voting rights act. The marchers walked along Route 80 from Selma, Alabama to the capitol in Montgomery. On March 7, 1965, as the marchers peacefully crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, state troopers and county attacked the unarmed marchers with and after they passed over the county line. It was a violent and aggressive act by law enforcement that was witnessed by the entire country and even internationally. This event became known as Bloody Sunday. The second march took place March 9. Troopers, police, and marchers confronted each other at the county end of the bridge, but when the troopers stepped aside to let them pass, King led the marchers back to the church. The third march started March 21. Protected by 1,900 members of the Alabama National Guard under federal command by President Johnson, and many FBI agents and Federal Marshals, the marchers averaged 10 miles (16 km) a day along the highway. The marchers arrived in Montgomery on March 24 and at the on March 25.[11] With thousands having joined the campaign, 25,000 people entered the capital city that day in support of voting rights. The route is memorialized as the "Selma To Montgomery Voting Rights Trail," and is designated as a . The Voting Rights Act was passed in that same year. Another march that turned violent was an Anti-Vietnam War march, held on November 15, 1969. More than a half-million people marched on Washington, DC to protest the US sending troops to fight in Vietnam. This was just one of many marches opposing the Vietnam War—some were peaceful, some were not. But they all were impassioned and determined. (Just a separate note here: some people claimed that the Vietnam War was one of the first wars to ignite public protest and marches. Not true. The first major movement against an American war was to protest the War of 1812. These marches often did become violent, threatening President Madison and members of Congress.) Leaving the 1960s, the Reagan presidency (1981 to 1989) ignited another wave of marches and protests. One of the largest and most memorable (for its uniqueness) was the Solidarity Day march. Do you remember that march? I do even though I was a teenager at the time! On September 19, 1981, more than 260,000 people marched in Washington DC in support of the air traffic controllers. President Reagan had just summarily fired 12,000 air traffic controllers who had gone on strike for better wages and safer working conditions (for instance, to limit their working hours). But the larger goal of the march was to protest Reagan’s budget cuts and tax policies. Labor unions—particularly the AFL-CIO—and civil rights organizations met at the Washington Monument to show solidarity against the president’s policies. The next year, 1982, witnessed one of the biggest marches in US history against the building and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Held on June 12, 1982, more than a million people marched in New York City to protest President Reagan’s proposed budget that expanded the military budget to allow for the research and building of nuclear weapons—while cutting the budgets for health care and education. These marches remained peaceful—by both marchers and law enforcement—but tensions and passions ran very high during these events. And who could ever forget the National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian rights? Held on October 11, 1987—still during Reagan’s presidency—the “Great March” as it was dubbed was attended by 200,000 people—of all orientations—demanding federal money for AIDS research and treatment and an end to discrimination against homosexuals. This march was held during the “AIDS epidemic” which was disproportionately affecting the gay and lesbian communities but the federal government had not responded with federal funds or legislation to protect this segment of American society. The next major march on this issue was the March on Washington for LGBT rights and LIBERATION. Held on April 25, 1993 (just 6 years after the previous march on Washington for Gay and Lesbian rights), an estimated million people marched to demand a civil rights bill against discrimination, to demand more funding for AIDS research and for reproductive rights. Two years later, Washington DC experienced its next million-person march called the Million Man march. Held on October 16, 1995, more than a million people marched in Washington DC. This march had a different goal than the others—it was not primarily making demands on the government (for legislation for example) or telling the government to stop something (like the Vietnam War or funding nuclear weapons). The million-man march—more accurately could be called the million black man march. It focused on bringing solidarity and unity to the African American community. It was a serious march and also a fun and festive black family day of picnics, music and fun. The new millennium witnessed a new kind of marching. Single city marches expanded into multi-city, even multi-national marches--all coordinated on a single day or weekend. In other words: marching went global! The invention of the Internet/World Wide Web and later social media helped to expand the reach and inclusion and coordination of marchers and protesters focused on a single goal. One of the biggest of these modern marches was the march against the Iraq war. This march was held on February 15 and 16 in 2003 and occurred in cities across the United States (including New York, Seattle and Los Angeles). More than 10 million people attended. This march is known as the largest march in world history and it demanded that President Bush stop the invasion of Iraq. Another large, multi-city march was held the following year on April 25, 2004 in cities across the United States. It was the march for women’s lives and was the largest pro-choice march ever held in the United States--attended by 1.5 million people both women AND men. Wow, so the marches got larger but more focused. More diverse, inclusive and sophisticated. This is activism at its finest and these marches all made a difference. And the marchers made history. While the early marches (like the Vietnam War marches) might seem like they were unsophisticated and simple, that is simply untrue. People were focused and passionate. They coordinated their efforts and took to the streets—sometimes facing the wrath of law enforcement. The people on that fateful bridge in Selma* had very little protection from law enforcement or recourse for the violence taken by the police or military. These marchers put their lives on the line. (And lest one thinks that this cannot happen today, just look at the DAPL marchers* in North Dakota, facing private military forces and being deprived of basic necessities in their protest march for clean water and respect for their sacred lands.) Without the Internet and social media back in the 1960s, people relied on phones, meetings and word of mouth. I remember in college that I would see posters that advertised marches about issues like the environment, rights of minority groups and health care. Marching has definitely evolved over the decades (actually centuries!) but they continue to be an essential tool to let our government know what we think and to make demands for our rights. And marching continues to bring us together as a people. Think of January 21, 2017. The Women’s march following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th U.S. president took place in numerous cities and countries (including my resident city of Brussels, Belgium). And it brought us all together to remember that we are “ONE” people and that we must support each other during bad times and good. It was one of the most unifying events that I have ever witnessed, seeing women AND men and everyone else standing together as one. It reminded of that saying, “A people united can never be defeated.” I want to conclude this Wiki history podcast show by discussing one more march. It is a notable march though you probably won’t read about it in many history books. It is not notable because it involved thousands of people because it didn’t. It is not important because it involved multiple cities or countries. It isn’t notable because so many famous people participated in it. But it IS important and it IS notable. This march definitely made history. This march involved one man with an important cause. His name was William Lewis Moore. Moore was a white man, a former graduate student at Johns Hopkins and postal worker who became an activist supporting rights for mentally ill persons and later supporting civil rights for African Americans. (In fact, he became a member of CORE—the Congress of Racial Equality). William Moore participated in a series of one-man marches in support of civil rights. On his first march he walked to , the state capital. On his second march he walked to the . His third march started in Chattanooga, Tennessee and was headed to the state capitol in Jackson, Mississippi. He was carrying a letter that he planned to hand-deliver to Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett urging racial equality and an end to segregation. During his march, he wore a sandwich board sign that said “Equal rights for all and Mississippi or bust!” Moore said: "I intend to walk right up to the governor's mansion in Mississippi and ring his doorbell. Then I'll hand him my letter." ***** Unfortunately, on April 21, 1963, 70 miles into his march to Mississippi, Moore was found dead by the roadside, having been shot twice in the head at close range. No one was ever convicted of his murder. In his bag, he had the letter that he had planned to deliver. In part, it said, "the white man cannot be truly free himself until all men have their rights." He asked Governor Barnett to "Be gracious and give more than is immediately demanded of you...." Moore was 36 years old at the time of his murder. You can find additional information about William Moore, including pictures, on the Wiki History podcast page on Facebook. This might be a downer to end with but I do want it to have an impact. This was a march by one brave man who stood for racial equality and wanted to take his views directly to the governor of Alabama. That took courage! He deserves to be remembered for his bravery and activism. That’s what rememberinghistory.com is all about! So, that’s all for today’s podcast show. Marches are great! I hope that this trip down the memory lane of marches and marching has left you feeling as inspired as I am. From the biggest multi-city, multi-national marches to the 12-man march in Oakland and William Moore’s one-man march in Alabama, individuals can have an impact and make a difference. And marching is one way to make a difference AND make history. In the next podcast show, you will learn HOW to march and the elements of an effective protest march. Learning history IS important but MAKING history is essential. And you’re gonna learn how to do JUST that in the next show. Remember to go to the Wiki History Podcast page for more information about great marches and great marchERS. And that for everyone who listens to these great and groundbreaking podcast show, rememberinghistory.com will make a contribution to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. And let’s all remember the... /episode/index/show/robinlofton/id/5218501

Students in the Civil Rights Movement 02/09/2017

Students in the Civil Rights Movement Do you recognize the names of Emmett Till, Melba Patillo, Gloria Ray, David Richmond or Ruby Bridges? Perhaps you recognize some but not others. Perhaps none. That’s okay. They weren’t seeking fame or fortune. They just wanted to get an education, vote or just eat at a cafeteria lunch counter. You might not know their names but they made a difference for all of us. In this podcast show, you’re gonna here EXACTLY what they did. Hi, I’m Robin Lofton, the Chief In-house Historian and host of this great and groundbreaking show that can inspire YOU and your FAMILY with true stories, real experiences, practical lessons, cultural traditions, and fun celebrations—all inspired by African American history. I find history to BE inspirational, instructional and entertaining. And African American history fits the bill in all of these ways. Personally, I hate boring stuff. So boring stuff is not allowed at rememberinghistory.com or at this Wiki history podcast show. This was planned as the third and final podcast in our series on civil rights and the civil rights movement. But the rememberinghistory.com team decided that a change was necessary: This show about student activists has been divided into TWO parts. Why? Because this is a FASCINATING topic (you’re gonna here some great stores) and we wanted to make it practical too. So we’ve added a section on ways that young people and students TODAY can also help to make changes and have an impact in their communities, the country and world. So, that’s what we’ll discuss in part II of the series. In the previous podcast shows, we discussed lessons we can STILL learn from Martin Luther King. If you haven’t heard that show, I really encourage you to do so because there were great lessons—yes, we can still learn from Dr. King and it stirred up a lot of interesting discussion. Spoiler alert: The first lesson was called “be maladjusted.” People really had a lot to say about that and I’m sure that you will too. The other podcast show was about voting rights in America. Yes, there is still a lot of discrimination in voting—in deciding how districts will be formed, in the voter registration process, even directly at the polling stations. And we presented specific and doable ways to fight discrimination in voting. The types of voter discrimination actions were shocking but it was also an empowering show. So be sure to listen so that you are ready to fight for your right to vote. And, of course, we made great animated videos to summarize the issues and entertain you as well. You can find them at rememberinghistory.com and on our YouTube channel. Remember, we don’t “do boring” here so prepare to be entertained AND learn a little something useful. Today’s show refocuses on the people in history: a very special group of people who participated—and gave special momentum—to the civil rights movement. Young people and students. I planned to focus on college students. Yes, they did a lot. But as I thought about it more, I remembered that high school students and even elementary school students played an important part in the movement. So, we gonna include them in this discussion too. You see, even a CHIEF inhouse historian can change her mind and learn something new. This is a particularly important show. Often, young people feel they can’t make a difference that they can’t have an impact and that decisions are being made only by the adults. This show will prove that this is simply not true. And I hope that it will convince young people and students that they do have a voice and an important role to play in protecting civil rights or in any cause that they’re passionate about. That’s important to remember. While these shows focus on civil rights, there are many causes that need and deserve attention and action. But protecting civil rights is an urgent focus right now—perhaps now more than in any time since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. And this show will suggest some ways in which they can get involved in protecting the civil rights—of people of color, of the economically disadvantaged, of refugees and immigrants and frankly of any group under attack or suffering injustice. Remember those famous words of Dr. Martin Luther King: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Well, let’s get to the show, “The Youth and Students in the Civil Rights Movement”* Is it strange of think of young people and students focused, committing and working for civil rights? If you find it hard to imagine that children were brave enough, that high school students were focused enough and that college students were concerned enough to work together for civil rights, then it’s time to grab a chair and get comfortable. Perhaps even grab your kids to listen with you. This is history at its finest! This is the story of young people from elementary school—the youngest was only 7 years old!—through the college who showed commitment and courage under fire. And the “fires” that they faced were real and deadly—beatings, dog attacks, imprisonment, threats, and yes murder as well. Yet these young people stood up for their rights to equality and justice—and they stood up for your rights too. In one youth-led movement in 1963, Martin Luther King told the students who had been jailed (in Birmingham, Alabama) : “What you do this day will impact children who have not yet been born.” Wow. Sooo true. And these kids DID forge a path for us. Stay tuned—remember in Part II, we will present ways that young people can continue to be involved in social activism and have an impact on kids that are not yet born. *[Applause break here] Many of the young people involved in the Civil Rights Movement actively joined and participated in the meetings, marches, demonstrations and other nonviolent activities to draw attention to their cause. Others became involuntary victims of the racist and oppressive culture of segregation. However, both groups—whether actively participating or involuntarily drawn in-- made an invaluable contribution to the cause. We are gonna begin today’s journey by discussing a name whom I hope is familiar. Very familiar. Sadly familiar. But don’t worry if it’s not because we’re learning here together. The name: Emmett Till. Personally, I don’t remember the first time that I heard the name of Emmett Till. I must have been too young. But he was a name that was always deeply embedded in me—not the details of his horrific claim to fame. But the feeling his fate stirred up: sadness, anger, disbelief, fear. I’m sure that all of these feelings came from my parents and I picked them up as an impressionable child. But his name is a part of my life story. Why? Because ALL Black children could have been young Emmett. Actually, I know that there were other Emmetts but HIS terrible experience changed everything. I’m jumping ahead of myself. Let’s hear the story. In the summer of 1955, Emmett was just like any other 14-year old Black kid. Just finished the 7th grade at his Chicago school. High-spirited. Fun-loving. Growing into manhood. Polite. Looking forward to a great summer. Adored by his mother. Emmett was especially excited because he would spend the summer with his cousins in Mississippi. Emmett had never visited the segregated south so his mother counseled him about how to behave around white people. The rest of the story has become a sad legend. Emmett enjoyed his first few days in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. Worked in the cotton fields during the day and played with his cousins in the evening. On his third day there, he went to a grocery store with his cousins and that’s when the trouble started. There is no clear account of what happened but Emmett might have whistled at the wife (who was white) who owned the store. A few nights later, her husband and brother-in-law went to house of Emmett’s uncle in the dead of night mind you, snatched Emmett out of bed and drove off with him into the night. Three days later, Emmett’s horribly mutilated body was discovered in a river. I won’t go into details, but young Emmett had been tortured, beaten and shot in the head. Witnesses recounted hearing a young boy screaming and calling for help from a barn. He was mutilated beyond recognition. His grieving but brave mother firmly decided on an open casket at his funeral in Chicago. Thousands of mourners filed past the casket. Jet Magazine and several other Black publications printed the graphic photos of Emmett’s body. I have seen the horrific almost gruesome pictures and I will never forget them. Several of older friends actually went to Emmett’s funeral and viewed his body. I can see the pain and sadness still in their eyes—from 1955. The murderers of Emmett Till were quickly tried and acquitted. I think that it took only an hour. Is that scenario familiar today? One of the killers even gave an interview to LOOK Magazine detailing how they killed Emmett. Many people say that the murder of Emmett Till sparked the modern Civil Rights Movement. It brought light to the brutality and regularity of lynching in the south, the effects of segregation and the vulnerability of Black lives. Emmett Till could have been any Black man, woman or child in the Jim Crow south. African Americans demanded justice for Emmett. And young Black children and students were especially outraged and fearful because Emmett was only 14 years old so they connected with this movement perhaps feeling that their lives hung in the balance. The Civil Rights Movement was on—and young people were a committed and focused part of it. Emmett was not a voluntary student-activist but his name will be remembered as someone who started a movement. The first real student-involved movement (that we’ll discuss) took place in 1957, just two years after the lynching of Emmett Till. It involved 9 brave African Americans kids attempting to attend a white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. These kids became known as the Little Rock Nine. Let’s back up just a bit to 1954. The United States was in chaos. (More was to come, of course, but most people didn’t know that.) Interesting thing about history—it’s not the story of people living in the present. It’s the story of people living in the present, THEIR present. So, in 1954, many people didn’t know or didn’t accept that change prompted by the civil rights movement was looming in their future. Hmm…gotta think about that one. Anyway, in 1954, the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education had just been decided by the Supreme Court. The decision that desegregated public schools. Remember that’s where we got the “separate but equal is inherently unequal” quote and that THIS violated the 14th Amendment. So, segregated schools were declared illegal and ordered to integrate “with all deliberate speed.” (another great quote). But many school districts especially in the southern states refused to accept this decision. They fought back. Some just ignored the decision and dared the federal government to try to enforce it. Others closed down schools rather than integrate them. Let’s jump from the immediate aftermath of the Brown case back to the summer of 1957, Little Rock Arkansas. The NAACP (Arkansas Branch) was determined to integrate the high schools, beginning in Little Rock, the state’s capital. Daisy Bates, president of the Arkansas Branch of the NAACP recruited nine high school students whom she believed possessed the strength and determination to face the RESISTANCE to integration. During that summer, the students participated in intensive counseling sessions on what to expect and how to respond to the reaction from the white community--students AND parents. Just before school opened in September, Arkansas Governor Oval Faubus ordered the National Guard to bar the African American students from entering the state’s schools. He claimed that it was for “their own protection” (quote. Don’t we hear that one a lot today?) The next day, a federal court judge issued a counter-ruling that desegregation would proceed. As the nine Black students attempted to enter the school, a huge crowd of angry white students and adults as well as the Arkansas National Guard (ordered by the Governor) barred the students’ from entering. White protesters threatened the students, screamed racial slurs and spit on them. They were not able to enter the school that day. Days later, the students tried to enter the school again with a police escort. However, more than a thousand white protesters appeared and again blocked the students’ from entering the building. President Eisenhower finally sent federal troops to enforce the integration order. Army troops actually had to escort the students to their first day of class. But that wasn’t the end of the story. Protests against integration continued. The 101st Airborne Division stayed at the school to protect the students for an entire year. The nine kids faced verbal and physical abuse. One student had acid thrown in her face. Another was pushed down the stairs. The threats were constant and real. Both teachers AND students were hostile. But the kids survived and even thrived at their high school. All graduated and held distinguished careers. However, they only stayed at Little Rock Central High School for a year. The school board voted by 3 to 1 to close the school rather than officially integrate (of course, they cited budget cuts as the reason for the school closure.) But the brave high school students had stood up for their rights in a hostile and dangerous situation. Just imagine having to be escorted to school by federal guards. Imagine parents shouting ugly remarks at you. Imagine being spat upon, pushed around or down stairs, ignored by teachers and facing a large hostile crowd in the school cafeteria. This was definitely courage under fire and these kids deserve to be recognized and respected for their great achievement. And I want to say their names because they should become a familiar part of African American history: Elizabeth Eckford Ernest Green Thelma Mothershed Melba Patillo Minnijean Brown Gloria Ray Terrence Roberts Jefferson Thomas Carlotta Walls [Break for applause.] By the way, during this podcast, you have heard and will continue to hear about people, places, events and issues. You will HEAR about them, but I completely understand if you want to actually SEE them, too. We got that covered on the Wiki History Podcast Page on Facebook. You will find pictures, animated videos and a community of history lovers. There is also a place for comments, which I hope that you will leave for us because we really appreciate them AND we do respond. Of course, we welcome all questions too. Moving on…1960 was a BIG year for student activism. It’s really hard to know where to begin. But I’ll adopt a “ladies first” position here—especially for this little lady named Ruby Bridges. Ruby wanted to attend William Frantz Elementary School, which was an all-white school based in New Orleans. (I know what you’re thinking: you can’t have an all-white school because the Brown v. Board of Education case declared them illegal. Well, just like in Little Rock, the school boards were NOT going to give up their segregated lifestyle and institutions willingly. So the fight continued.) And little Ruby Bridges wanted to attend this school in her neighborhood school and for which she had passed a rigorous entry test. (This test had ACTUALLY been designed to screen out Black students and had been successful until Ruby.) So, she was excited to attend the kindergarten. Yes, that’s right little Miss Ruby Bridges was seven years old. She had to be escorted to school every day by 4 U.S. Marshals. She spent her first day in the principal’s office and watched as white parents removed their kids from school. A compromise was reached in which white students would return to school and Ruby would be isolated in a classroom on a floor separated from the other students. Only one teacher (Barbara Henry who was from Boston) agreed to teach her. For the remainder of the year, Mrs. Henry and Ruby would sit side-by-side going over lessons in the classroom. At recess, Ruby would stay in the classroom and play games or do calisthenics. At lunch, Ruby would eat alone in the classroom. Outside the school, the parents continued to protest against Ruby. One woman threatened to poison her every day. Another put a black baby doll in a coffin and left it at the school. Ruby said that scared her more than anything! Her father lost his job. Her mother was banned from shopping at the local grocery store. This behavior seriously affected Ruby—as it would affect any 7-year old child. She began having nightmares. Stopped eating and started to have crying fits. She received counseling and gradually settled into a normal routine with the help of her teacher, Mrs. Henry. By the second year, Ruby started making friends and attending classes with the other students. Ruby attended integrated schools all the way through high school and went on to business school. (Interestingly, Ruby was reunited with Mrs. Henry on the Oprah Winfrey show.) That must have been an emotional reunion! Teachers really do make a difference. But it was Ruby’s strength and determination that helped her to succeed. Still--no one does it alone. Remember to look for the pictures of Ruby Bridges and Barbara Henry on the Wiki History Podcast page on Face book. I’m really moved by two pictures of 7-year old Ruby marching into school escorted by 4 US Marshals. One is a real-life picture. The second is what has become an iconic portrait made by Norman Rockwell called “The Problem we all live with.” We’re still in 1960 and now we have the Greensboro Four and their protest is marked as the beginning of student activism during the civil rights movement. The group known as the Greensboro four was attending the North Carolina A & T State University. They were dedicated students who were fans of Mahatma Gandhi, believed in nonviolence and spent their evening studying and discussing current events. Like many other young people, they had been and still were deeply affected by the murder of Emmett Till 5 years earlier. They had also been very impressed and moved by the Freedom Rides in the Deep South led by the Congress of Racial Equality (or CORE). They acknowledged some progress but also recognized and refused to be distracted into thinking that this progress was good enough. Most businesses were privately owned and therefore not subject to federal law that banned segregation. They decided to take action. On February 1, 1960 at 4:30pm, all four students walked into a Woolworth in Greensboro, North Carolina. Wearing their Sunday best, they sat at the whites-only lunch counter and requested service. They were denied. They continued to request service in a polite way but they were continuously denied by store manager. They were told to leave but they refused. Police were called but they didn’t arrest the students because they had not been violent or disorderly. Media arrived. Crowds developed. The students stayed at the lunch counter for the entire day until the store closed. Woolworth issued a statement to the press that it would continue to “abide by local custom”, meaning that it would continue to practice segregation. The Greensboro Four went back the next day. More students joined the sit-in,... /episode/index/show/robinlofton/id/5069324

The Fight for the Right: The Voting Rights in the United States 01/22/2017

The Fight for the Right: The Voting Rights in the United States Can you vote? Do you want to vote? Do you even have a vote? Great questions! You might have a quick answer that “of course” you can vote. Or you WILL vote after you turn 18. That’s excellent if you do! Now what if someone told you that YOU couldn’t vote? You might answer: No, that’s wrong. I meet the age requirement. I’m over 18. But then you are asked: Do you know the US Constitution? Of course! I know about it, you say. Then the registrar says: Great. Now recite the entire Constitution. Do you mean that I should read it to you? Can you read? Yes, again, of course. No, she says, just recite the entire Constitution from memory. But I don’t KNOW it from memory! So, the registrar says, “Then you can’t vote. Your application to register to vote is denied!” Or the scenario could go this way: You might be asked: Did you pay the $1,000 poll tax? No, but I can pay it. I can write you a check right now. Then the registrar says: No, you have paid it for 10 years. You owe $10,000 plus fines. Can you pay it now? Your answer: No. Then you cannot register to vote! Or you might have been asked: Was your granddaddy registered to vote before the Civil War? Or explain what “Full faith and credit” means or what “ex post facto laws” are. Or I noticed that your name has a hyphen on the registry but not on your ID. Denied. Denied. Denied. I think that you get the picture: You are not going to be allowed to vote. Not today. This was the situation faced by most African Americans in the after they received their freedom. They were regularly denied the right to vote. And that is not the whole story. Many African Americans were threatened with losing their jobs, they were beaten, had their house burned down or even killed if they tried to register to vote. This was happening primarily—but not exclusively—in the southern states. And this was what African Americans, former enslaved persons, their children and grandchildren faced until the 1965. So, when I asked: can you vote, do you want to vote and do you have a vote, I hope that you answered a resounding “yes!” to those questions. Because African Americans (and others) fought for the right to vote for a very long time. And the fight continues today—we’ll get to that a bit later. First, I want to welcome you to Rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it. Hi, I’m Robin Lofton, the In-house Historian and host of this great and groundbreaking show that inspires YOU and your FAMILY with true stories, real experiences, practical lessons, cultural traditions, and fun celebrations—all inspired by African American history. I find history to be inspirational, instructional and entertaining. And African American history fits the bill in all of these ways. Personally, I hate boring stuff. So boring stuff is not allowed at rememberinghistory.com or at this Wiki history podcast show. So, if you’re looking for boring, sorry you might have to turn to the other media. (I won’t mention any names.) In the previous podcast show, I mentioned how my history of jazz course in college has inspired a lifelong love of jazz. Some of you sent me your stories about how a history class and even a history teacher inspired you to read more, learn African history, to teach and even to go to law school. History really does have it all—the mystery, the drama, the suspense, the personalities, the victories and yes even the crushing defeats. My favorite historian—yes, I have a favorite historian-- David McCullough, said, “For almost anyone with the normal human allotment of curiosity and an interest in people, history is a field day!” He continues on to say, “Why would anyone wish to be provincial in time any more than being tied down to one place through life, when the whole reach of the human drama is there to experience in some of the greatest books ever written?” And this applies to all kinds of history—not just western civilization, American or European history. But also to African history (remembering the great Oyo and Ashanti Empires, the Kingdom of Kush, the amazing empires of Benin, Wolof and Kanem-Bornu—which flourished for a thousand years and there were so many others), and of course African American history (including but definitely not limited to slavery) and evolving as an integral part of American history. The saga continues. Like I said, you won’t ever find boring stuff here. Okay, let’s get back to the show! Every month, the Wiki history podcast show focuses on a theme. The theme for January is: civil rights. And an essential part of civil rights is…voting rights. That’s what we’ll discuss in this show. The previous show in January (for the new listeners) was a fun and innovative podcast called Lessons from a King. (Martin Luther King, that is.) His birthday is celebrated in January so the rememberinghistory.com team thought that this was a good opportunity to discuss Dr. King. We discussed 3 lessons—and they weren’t what you might have expected. I don’t want to spoil the surprise and ruin the fun so I’ll just encourage you to listen to the previous podcast: Lesson from a King. Get ready to be surprised. And inspired. The next and last show in January on civil rights won’t focus on the law or rights but instead on the modern civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. The show will focus on a group that is often neglected though they had a huge impact: college students. College students were often on the front lines of civil rights activities. These student-activists were marching, engaging in sit-ins, writing articles and making speeches, registering people to vote and so many other activities. They were often threatened, beaten and sometimes worse. But their impact is undeniable. Stay tuned for this important show. Students can make a difference. So that’s where we’re going in the next podcast show. We will get started with today’s show in just a moment. Just a bit of information first. During this podcast, you will hear about people, places, events and issues. You will HEAR about them, but I completely understand if you want to actually SEE them, too. We got that covered on the Wiki History Podcast Page on Facebook. You will find pictures, animated videos and a community of history lovers. There is also a place for comments, which I hope that you will leave for me because I really appreciate them and I do respond. Also, if you enjoy this show, please let others know about it. They might like it and find it inspirational too. Let’s change the way that we think of history—one friend at a time. I have one more item of interest, it’s about our podcast dedication for 2017—but I’ll save it for AFTER the show. That’s enough for now. Let’s get started with this great and groundbreaking Wiki history podcast show called “The Fight for the Right: Voting Rights in America.” Let’s think back to the opening of this podcast to the scenario where you were submitting your application to register to vote and the voting registrar asked crazy questions, made crazy demands and basically set up insurmountable barriers to voting (like requiring you to recite the entire 4500-word Constitution). In the end, you were not allowed to vote. And this was the situation faced by many African Americans for almost a hundred years—until 1965 with the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Yes, that’s right, this discriminatory voting system started around 1870 (shortly after the end of slavery) and continued until 1965. In some ways, it continues today but we’ll get to that a bit later. You might say but wait, what about the 15th Amendment to the Constitution?! Great question and it’s a great place to start with our discussion about voting rights in the United States. The 15th Amendment (passed in 1869) was short. It said, “The right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” That should resolve the question right there. Race, color or previous condition of servitude (namely enslavement) should not prevent a person from voting. The immediate effect of the 15th Amendment was that more African Americans started voting and more African Americans were elected to public office. This didn’t last long, however. This short and vague amendment merely forbade the denial of the vote based on race, color and previous enslavement (weird thing to say). But it (very conspicuously) ignored more detailed issues such as the use of indirect methods to block the vote—like the poll tax and literacy test in the opening scenario of this podcast. Did you notice that they never asked or commented on your race in the opening scenario? And these “INDIRECT methods of disenfranchisement” were directly responsible for keeping African Americans out of the voting booths for nearly 100 years. During that period, there was systematic disenfranchisement of African Americans led by conservative southern Democrats (yes, Democrats). They used: Literacy tests—first used in South Carolina. (Most former slaves couldn’t read.) Understanding tests—the potential voter had to demonstrate an understanding of certain clauses in the Constitution. Poll taxes—large sums were required to register to vote, sometimes cumulative back taxes were required. This eliminated most African Americans and poor whites from registering. Grandfather clauses—your grandfather must have been eligible to vote before the Civil War. Of course, most enslaved persons and their children would not qualify to vote under the grandfather clauses. Fortunately, the Supreme Court invalidated these grandfather clauses in a case against Oklahoma in 1915. Residency requirements—you had to have resided in a specific area to vote. Long-term residency requirements Constant re-residency requirements—changing the reqs without notice Election fraud was rampant. There was ballot box stuffing, throwing out votes by African Americans, and the refusal to count votes for Black candidates (this was discovered in Kentucky) but happened throughout the southern United States in the early 1900s. And violence was actually the principal means used to disenfranchise African Americans and to keep them from voting or running for elected office. The Ku Klux Klan (founded in Kentucky in 1866) was formed with the purpose of terrorizing African Americans who acquired economic and/or political power, particularly focusing on Blacks who tried to vote. But “citizens councils” and other groups used violence to disenfranchise African Americans. This period of black disenfranchisement (1870 to 1965) demonstrates that it was not caused solely by the actions of Southern states and individual people using violence and terror. It was also a failure of the PRESIDENT to uphold and exercise federal power to ensure that Blacks could participate in the electoral system. CONGRESS also failed to use its powers under the 14th and 15th amendments. And the SUPREME COURT actively undermined federal executive powers to protect black voting rights, refused to acknowledge racial discrimination even when it was obvious, and it accepted blatant constitutional violations. Lots of cases about that but too many to mention now. We’ll examine one case soon though. Let’s move from THAT bleak picture to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits racial discrimination in voting. Notice the difference from the 15th Amendment? No focus on merely race or color or previous enslavement. The focus of the Voting Rights Act is on prohibiting ANY kind of action that in purpose or effect discriminates against racial minorities. That’s big. Much bigger than the deliberately watered-down language of the 15th Amendment. The DOJ said it best: the Voting Rights Act is the most effective piece of legislation ever enacted in the country. It was signed by President Lyndon Johnson and has been amended at least 5 times to expand its scope. The immediate and lasting effect of the Voting Rights Act was to SUSPEND literacy tests, poll taxes, understanding tests, grandfather clauses and all the other obstacles placed before African Americans applying to vote. But it did even more than that. It assigned federal examiners to oversee elections and assigned observers to help people register to vote. And most importantly it required states that had a history of racial discrimination in voting to apply to the U.S. Attorney General WHENEVER the state or local government wanted to create new laws, rules or codes that might result in racial discrimination in voting. Again, that’s another “wow!” The Voting Rights Act contains numerous provisions that regulate election administration. The Act's "general provisions" provide nationwide protections for voting rights. The Act also contains "special provisions" that apply ONLY TO CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS. A core special provision is the Section 5 preclearance requirement, which prohibits certain jurisdictions from implementing any change affecting voting without receiving preapproval from the that the change doesn’t discriminate against protected minorities. Remember this special preclearance requirement (where they had to get approval from the Attorney General) only applies to certain jurisdictions. I’m sure that you can guess which, but I’ll tell you anyway. Alabama Georgia Louisiana Mississippi South Carolina Virginia Alaska, Arizona and Texas were added in 1975. And a few counties in California, Florida, New York, North Carolina (actually 40 counties in NC) and South Dakota. Just look at the immediate effect. In 1964, a year before the Voting Rights Act was passed, 29 percent of African Americans were registered to vote. (That’s a nationwide percentage—the figures in the southern states were definitely lower.) But just 2 years AFTER the Voting Rights Act was passed, 52 percent of African Americans were registered to vote. From 29 percent to 52 percent in just 3 years. The Voting Rights Act was POWERFUL. No wonder that it was a prime objective of Dr. Martin Luther King to pass this law! If you’re still not impressed, let me give you some real numbers. Going beyond registered voters. Here’s one figure. In 1964 (the year before the Voting Rights Act), 6 percent of African Americans were registered to vote in Mississippi. By 1969, 59 percent of African Americans were registered! That’s impressive! But I’m sorry to say that problems continue for African Americans and other racial, ethnic and language minorities in the American voting system. In one of its worst blows to civil rights, the Supreme Court invalidated important sections of the Voting Rights Act. The case was called County of Shelby v. Holder, decided in 2013. In a 5-4 decision, the Court admitted that voting discrimination continues to exist but said the Voting Rights Act exceeded Congress’s power to enforce the 15th Amendment and was punishing states for past behavior that might not be relevant today. The Shelby County v. Holder case was an unfortunate step backwards in the long struggle to end discrimination in voting. The reality is that discrimination in voting REMAINS a real and immediate problem. Violations still occur. And any violation (even if it seems small) often impacts thousands, tens of thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of voters. (Recent presidential elections have been decided by these kinds of numbers!) I have official reports that list serious violations in practically every state in the country. The violations are numerous. The reports are detailed. And they show unequivocally that discrimination in voting remains a serious problem. I won’t list all the violations here—there are just too many of them—but they are important so maybe I’ll make a different podcast discussing them. But the most common violations can be grouped under the category of vote dilution. Attempts to dilute the voting power of individuals or groups of minorities. Vote dilution is the practice of reducing he potential effectiveness of a group’s voting strength by limiting the group’s chances to translate voting strength into voting power. In the United States, this occurs when a traditional white majority precludes a minority group’s choices from having any bearing or significant meaning in an election on par with the white voters in the same election. (I know that’s vague so I’ll try to get more specific.) The usual device for diluting the minority vote is manipulation of district lines either by fragmenting the minority voters into several districts where a bloc-voting majority can routinely outvote them or “packing” minority voters into a small number of districts to minimize their influence in adjacent districts. This kind of re-districting is common, effective and insidious in disenfranchising African Americans and other minority groups. And it is happening right now. I do want to mention other modern ways of disenfranchising voters. Requiring state ID for voters. This was done in Georgia, Kansas and Alabama. Excessively long waiting lines in some areas (for example, Maricopa County in Arizona had ONLY one polling station for every 21,000 residents while the rest of the state had one for every 11,000 residents.) People waited for hours to vote and sometimes the voting station closed before everyone in line could vote. Closing polling stations in exchange for mail-only polling station. This was done in San Juan County, Utah. This opens the door to voter fraud and rejecting ballots from voters in certain areas (identified by the zip code). Rejecting people whose names don’t match EXACTLY the driver’s license or social security cards. People were rejected for a missing accent or hyphen on the card. This particularly affected women, Latinos and African Americans. Prohibiting people with a felony conviction from voting. That means more nearly 6 million Americans, including 1 in 13 African Americans are forever barred from voting. These are pretty sneaky but effective ways of prohibiting large groups of people from voting. And it definitely has an effect in elections. But don’t despair. All is not lost. The Voting Rights Act is not dead. In 2014, Congress introduced the Voting Rights Amendment Act (with bipartisan support!) directly in response to the Supreme Court case. The VRAA includes NEW methods of federal action, NEW tools to identify and stop voting discrimination BEFORE it occurs and it works to ensure that election changes are transparent. So, the fight against voting discrimination continues in the Congress. That brings me to the final section that examines what YOU can do to fight voting discrimination. Everyone has a role to play and, as you can see from the history, people from all backgrounds, races, genders and ethnicities have been working hard to ensure the right to vote and that the vote has an impact. So, what can YOU do? Be sure to register to vote. Check your registration status periodically to ensure that you have not been removed from the voter registry. (This happens A LOT!) But don’t just focus on federal elections. Vote in state,... /episode/index/show/robinlofton/id/5012991

Lessons from a King 01/15/2017

Lessons from a King Rememberinghistory.com Podcast Show January 2017 Hello and welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it. I’m Robin Lofton, the host of this great and groundbreaking show that inspires YOU and YOUR family with stories, experiences, lessons, traditions, and celebrations—all from African American history. That’s right—it’s inspirational. History—in all its forms--can be inspirational. American history, ancient history, European history, music history, history of medicine, history of technology, history of law, women’s history. All kinds of history can be inspirational, instructional and entertaining. And African American history fits the bill in all of these ways. I remember taking a course on the history of jazz when I was in college. Confession time, I took the class because I heard that it was easy and that I would easily get a good grade. What do you think that I discovered when I actually took the class? It WAS easy and I DID get a good grade. But it was easy because it was so interesting. I listened to and learned about great jazz musicians like Muddy Waters, Louie Armstrong, Count Basie, Chet Baker, Miles Davis and so many others. I learned about how and why jazz (and the blues) developed, how it changed over time and heard amazing true stories about the people who created this form of “folk music”. Yes, history of jazz was easy for me because it was absolutely fascinating. And I’ve been something of a jazz maniac ever since, going to jazz festivals throughout the United States and Europe. One class—one history class—changed me forever. That’s what history can do. I hate “boring stuff”. So you won’t ever find boring stuff here. Okay, let’s get back to the show! Every month, the rememberinghistory.com podcast show (which is actually called Wiki History) focuses on a theme. The theme for January is: civil rights. I know that you’ve heard of them but what are “civil rights”? Broadly, civil rights (as defined by Wikipedia—and a big shout out to them for their work) is a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. That’s pretty general but it’s accurate. So, this month, the Wiki History podcast show will have two shows on civil rights. The first show on civil rights is about the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibited discrimination in voting based on race, gender, religion and other characteristics. I think that this is a particularly important time to discuss the Voting Rights Act because the right and ability to vote are (in my humble but educated opinion) at the very heart of democracy. If there is no voter equality then there is really isn’t a functioning or legitimate democracy. So, this will be discussed in the podcast coming later this month. The second show on civil rights will not focus on the law but on the modern civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. The show will focus on a group that is often neglected though they had an enormous impact: college students. College students were often on the front lines of civil rights activities. These student-activists were marching, engaging in sit-ins, writing articles and making speeches, registering people to vote and so many other activities. They were often threatened, beaten and sometimes worse. But their impact is undeniable. Stay tuned for this important show. Students can make a difference. But today’s show is a slightly different—only slightly—because it is about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He fought hard for civil rights; we all know that. But his birthday is also in January—January 15th to be exact—so I felt that it was important to have a show that gives a “shout out” to him and remembers his birthday, which is celebrated as a federal holiday in the United States on the third Monday of January. Today’s Wiki history show about Dr. King won’t focus so much on what he did—though that will be discussed—but rather on how he can continue to inspire us, long after his early death in 1968. This show and every Wiki history podcast show is history at its finest. We’ll go beyond the names, dates and death counts of your high school history classes. (Remember, there is no “boring stuff” allowed here!) Instead, we’ll use history as a stepping stone to greater heights of wisdom and inspiration. We’re gonna get to it after just a bit of important information that you might find helpful. First, if you enjoy this show, you can get more information at the Remembering history podcast page on Facebook. You will find pictures, short videos and a community of history lovers. There is also a place for comments, which I hope that you will leave for me because I really appreciate them and I do respond. Also, if you enjoy this show, please let others know about it. They might like it and find it inspirational too. Let’s change the way that we think of history—one friend at a time. By the way, you also find a short animated video of this podcast on the Remembering history Podcast Page (again on Facebook.) Finally, I just want to remind you that 2017, the Wiki History podcast show is dedicated to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Located in Washington, DC as part of the Smithsonian, the National Museum of African American History & Culture opened in 2016. This kind of museum was long overdue but it finally happened and it is a place that everyone should visit and explore. Museums are a great way to bring history to life and to keep it alive for future generations. Wiki History is honored to be a part of this important process. For every person that listens to this podcast show, rememberinghistory.com will donate $1 to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. I also donate personally and I hope that you will too. That’s enough for now. Let’s get started with this great and groundbreaking Wiki history podcast show. Today’s show is called “Lessons from a King.” “I have a dream” (speech excerpt) Play excerpt August 28, 1963. I think that we all recognize this speech by Dr. Martin Luther King—one of the most famous speeches ever—given at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It’s also one of the most important glimpses into the heart and mind of Dr. King. The strength to dream, to envision a better world. The depth to let his spiritual side lead and encourage him to new heights. The audacity to challenge everyone to dream and work towards a world where equality, justice and peace are the norm. And this speech is so inspirational that people want to wake up from their dreams to stand up and cheer. I certainly wanted to while I was listening to this recording. We gonna hear more quotes from Dr. King throughout this podcast—he was one of the most quotable people on the planet—and his speeches inspired a generation. And continues to inspire people. There is so much that we can still learn from Martin Luther King and that is the focus of today’s podcast. We are gonna focus on the lessons learned from and inspirations acquired from Dr. King. His legacy will never die. By the way, this is one of the joys of history. We can be inspired by people who are no longer here. We can continue to learn from their lives, the mistakes and their victories. Their stories never die. They become part of the never-ending human drama. So, what lessons can we get from Dr. Martin Luther King? How can he inspire us? So many ways but we will focus on just three. Lesson #1: Be Maladjusted. Lesson #2: Work together. Lesson #3: Take action. He spoke about these lessons. But, more importantly, he lived these lessons. And they inspired the world! Let’s talk first about lesson #1. Be maladjusted. That doesn’t sound right, does it? Why should we be maladjusted? Maladjusted means “failing to cope with one’s social environment or norms.” Did Dr. King really encourage us to be maladjusted? In a word, “yes!” In a speech to the YMCA on June 4, 1957, Dr. King spoke to a group of students. He said,--and I gotta apologize that I’m not have a lot of audio recordings of Dr. King’s speeches. Instead, I will read an excerpt. Hope that’s okay. He said, “There are some things within our societal order to which I am proud to be maladjusted and to which I call upon you to be maladjusted. I never intend to adjust myself to segregation and discrimination. I never intend to adjust myself to mob rule. I never intend to adjust myself to the tragic effects of the methods of physical violence and to tragic militarism. I call upon you to be maladjusted to such things.” Later, speaking a Western Michigan University in 1963, he further said, “I never intend to become adjusted to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. I am proud to be maladjusted.” Wow! Here is Dr. King encouraging you to question societal norms that are inconsistent with your values and rights. Of course, things that Dr. King was fighting like segregation and discrimination are no longer legal but there are certainly other things happening and accepted today that you might not want to accept as normal, even if society does such as continued racial discrimination, LGTBQ discrimination, police violence, religious intolerance, economic inequality to name just a few. Being maladjusted takes courage and conviction. It means going against an impassioned and fearful majority and deciding right and wrong on your own terms. This can be difficult but, as Dr. King said, “Our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about things that matter.” Being maladjusted means not being silent. It means speaking out. It means taking a stand. It means doing something. It can even be dangerous if others who disagree with you feel threatened and become violent. But it is definitely the “high road.” Creative maladjustment does not ask “is it safe?” “is it expedient?” “is it popular?” or “is it efficient?” Creative maladjustment simply asks “is it right?” Only your conscience can answer that question. And, as Dr. King said, “The time is always right to do the right thing.” Being maladjusted can be expressed in so many ways that can improve your life. It can encourage you to go to college or start a business when others are telling to get a low-paying, dead-end job. It can encourage you to travel and meet new people when others are telling you that it’s better just to stay home. It can encourage you to follow your dreams to be a writer, musician or any other career ambition when others are telling to remain in your comfort zone or take something safe and steady. Being maladjusted can help you to live YOUR life rather than limiting yourself to what other’s say is possible for you. What an inspirational and courageous concept! With all the difficulties that we face today—things can be quite confusing!—we can all follow the enduring legacy of Dr. King and remain true to our values and let our conscience to our guide. "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right." Let’s move on to the next lesson. Lesson #2 is to work together. At the commencement speech at Oberlin College in 1965, Dr. King while discussing the importance of unity said, “We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” When many people talk about the civil rights movement, they focus on the work of Martin Luther King. There’s no doubt that he was at the center of the movement. But he was not alone. There were many organizations and people of all races, ethnicities, genders and backgrounds involved in the civil rights movement. And each person and organization played an important role. Dr. King was not just a single person leading the movement. He was a founding member and the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, formed in 1957* following the successful 381-day Montgomery bus boycott. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (or SCLC) was a group of Baptist ministers who recruited members from churches to participate in civil rights demonstrations. There was the NAACP—working nationally and locally to ensure economic, social and political equality, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (or SNCC)—you will hear more about them in a podcast on students in the civil rights movement later this month, there was the Nation of Islam whose most famous member was Malcolm X who focused on Black nationalism, CORE—the Congress of Racial Equality who were instrumental in the freedom rights to register Blacks to vote in the southern states, NAACP Legal Defense Fund led by William Hastie and Thurgood Marshall working hard to document disparate education between schools for Blacks and whites and to abolish the federal and state segregation laws. There were many other organizations involved and thousands of people working at the national and grassroots levels during the civil rights movement. I’m reluctant to mention any names because I can’t say them all and I don’t want to imply that any one was more important than another. But I can’t resist mentioning the “mother of the civil rights movement” Rosa Parks had worked to document and report incidents of white men engaging in systematic and unprosecuted sexual assaults against Black women. She had been involved in this risky work even before she refused to give up her seat on the Montgomery bus on December 1, 1955. There was Harry T. Moore* working in Florida to desegregate schools and demand equal pay for Black teachers. He and his wife were unfortunately killed in a bomb attack by the KKK. His story is amazing but often neglected. There was Viola Davis, a white housewife killed for transporting people during the March on Washington. (Remembering history has made an interesting but sad podcast about people killed fighting for civil rights. You can find it on the Facebook page.) And, of course, there were thousands of people who participated in the marches, sit-ins, freedom rides, boycotts and demonstrations. So many people. All working together. Of course, there were conflicts and disagreements. Organizations had different approaches to achieving civil rights. Individuals had different motives and visions. But everyone ultimately wanted the same thing: freedom, justice and equality. I think that Dr. King: “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” They had to learn to work together. No, Dr. King did not act alone. The lesson here is that we must work together towards our common goal. Whether that goal is the cause of justice and equality, fighting for the environment, helping the poor or displaced persons, passing a law, stopping violence or raising a family, nobody walks alone. We must work together. It takes a village! The lesson is clear: Look for ways to live and work together. Or else everyone loses. Everyone will be defeated. There really is strength in numbers. Now, let’s turn to the third lesson (and arguably the most important and inspirational lesson of all). Lesson #3 is that you MUST take action. Martin Luther King was a philosophical man, an educated man, a thinking man and a deeply spiritual man. But he was also a man of action. He was at the forefront of the modern civil rights movement from the beginning. Sometimes, we like to think of him as a man with dreams—and he certainly had dreams and visions of a better world. But he was absolutely committed to working—and I mean working hard—for change in the United States and around the world. And he always encouraged others to take action. He once said, “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.” Is there any doubt that Dr. King was a man of action? He organized and participated in numerous marches, sometimes in the front of the line. He also organized and participated in demonstrations and boycotts, gave speeches, wrote letters and sometimes just made an appearance to give people hope. Dr. King was acutely aware that the work also had to occur in the political arena. He met with U.S. presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and Bobby Kennedy (who was attorney general under President Kennedy) constantly pressuring them for legislation on civil rights and voting rights, pressuring them to use federal troops to protect peaceful demonstrators and to enforce the desegregation orders in public schools. He faced attack dogs, fire hoses and billy clubs in demonstrations. No, he wasn’t present at the Bloody Sunday march from Selma to Montgomery in which the police and local citizens brutalized the nonviolent demonstrators. Afterwards, Dr. King stated, “If I had any idea that the state troopers would use the kind of brutality they did, I would have felt compelled to give up my church duties altogether to lead the line.” He was arrested numerous times, risking getting beaten or killed in jail. Even when he was imprisoned, he wrote his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail in which he stated firmly that Blacks can’t be patient and wait for change. Change had to happen NOW. This podcast is just too short to list all of Martin Luther King’s work for civil rights. I just mention a few activities to reinforce the lesson that you must act to make things happen. Whether it is working for a cause, building a business, attending school, looking for a job or anything that is important to you, you must take action to make it happen. Sure, dream about it, envision it, plan it out. But also get to work to make it happen! And remember the words of Dr. King, “If you can’t fly then run. If you can’t run then walk. If you can walk then crawl. But whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” So, you have the 3 lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King. To recap: Be maladjusted—don’t accept the norm if it conflicts with your values. Dare to be different. Work together—the more, the merrier and the more powerful. You don’t need to do it alone, Take action—work, work and keep working to achieve your goals. That wraps up this Wiki history podcast. I hope that you enjoyed it, learned a little something and felt inspired. If you did like it, I would be grateful if you would tell others about this podcast and about the Wiki history show. I realize that I mentioned a lot of quotations, names of people and organizations who were instrumental in the civil rights movement. You can get more information, see iconic pictures, find the quotations and even good a book list at the remembering history podcast page on Facebook. You will also find a link to a short animated video about “Lessons from a King”. It’s only 2 minutes and I think that you’ll find interesting and fun. And it’s great for kids of all ages. The next show is about the Voting Rights Act. Dr. King was absolutely committed to the passage of this important law. You’ll learn about it and how effective it remains today. (Spoiler alert: The Supreme Court has not reigned supreme in protecting voting rights!)... /episode/index/show/robinlofton/id/4991676

Quick & Easy Guide to Celebrating Kwanzaa 12/02/2016

Quick & Easy Guide to Celebrating Kwanzaa Quick and Easy Guide to Celebrating Kwanzaa! Habari gani! That’s a traditional greeting in Swahili. Welcome to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it. Today we are talking about Kwanzaa! Tis the season! Kwanzaa is a wonderful week-long celebration of African culture and heritage. It was designed to help African Americans remember the history, richness and rituals of African culture, particularly the African mindset of showing gratitude for the harvest, honoring the ancestors and remembering the family unit. Kwanzaa celebrates all of this. Kwanzaa was founded in 1966 by Dr. Ron Karenga who was an active part of the Black nationalist movements of the 1960s and 1970s. He designed it as one of the first specifically African American holidays. During the 1960s and 70s, there was a movement by African Americans to reconnect with African culture and history.—things that were stripped away during slavery and then diminished and disregarded for years. So, Kwanzaa is a cultural celebration. It is not political. It is not religious. It is not related to Christmas. It is strictly cultural. Today, Kwanzaa is celebrated by about 30 million people worldwide in Canada, several countries in Europe and the Caribbean as well as the United States. Kwanzaa (which means “first fruits”) begins on December 26th and ends on January 1st (New Years Day). So, let’s take a day-by-day look at celebrating the 7 days of Kwanzaa. And, at the end, I will give you information about where you can find more places to learn about Kwanzaa and more ways to celebrate it. Spoiler alert: we’re gonna get a bit of help from Maya Angelou! It’s important to remember that Kwanzaa is a celebration of African heritage. So, start with decorating your home, making your home beautiful with pictures, posters, art, statues or anything else that uplifts your spirit and beautifies your home. Place African crafts, baskets, cloth patterns, sculptures, banners and pictures throughout your home. Focus on the Kwanzaa colors of black (which represents the African people), red (which represents the blood or struggle of the African people) and green (which represents the land and future of the African people). Most important thing: create a space in a prominent area for the Kwanzaa table or altar. You will use that every day throughout Kwanzaa. What will you need? Kwanzaa mat (mkeka)—the mat is symbolic of foundational history and culture around which everything else is built. The mkeka can be a straw mat, a red, green or black table cloth or Kwanzaa flag or the Pan-African flag that is laid flat on a table or altar. Just be sure that it is in a central place for everyone to stand around. Candle holder (kinara)—the kinara has 7 candles that represent the Kwanzaa principles. 1 black candle in the middle, 3 red candles on the left and 3 green candles on the right. The candles will be lit every day. Who lights the candles? Traditionally, this honor is given to the youngest member. But it can instead be given to the eldest member. You decide. Unity cup (kikumba cha umoja)—this cup is symbolic of the foundational principle of unity which makes everything else possible. Fill it with juice and have it ready to pass around every day. Let’s get started with the traditional way to begin each Kwanzaa day. Day 1. Harbari gani! Umoja! On the first day of Kwanzaa, we recognize Umoja or the concept of Unity. Dr. Karenga (remember he founded Kwanzaa) thought of Umoja (Unity)—working for and maintaining harmony and togetherness in the family, the community, the nation and the world. The first day of Kwanzaa is celebrated on December 26. It begins with lighting the Black candle at the center of the Kinara (or the candleholder by the youngest or eldest member present. Lighting the Black candle marks the beginning of the festive Kwanzaa season. Someone will then make a statement, tell a story or even say a poem about the concept of Unity. This part is very flexible. You can sing a song, play an instrument, perform a dance or do anything that illustrates the concept of unity. Afterwards, the unity cup is filled with juice. Then it is passed around the table. Everyone takes a sip from the unity cup. After the sharing of the cup, the Black candle is blown out and the ceremony for the day is ended. (Day 2): Habari gani! Kujichagulia! December 27 is the second day of Kwanzaa. On Day 2, we celebrate Kujichagulia or self-determination. Dr. Karenga thought of self-determination as defining who we are, creating who we are, and acting and speaking for ourselves. On this second day of Kwanzaa, first the black candle is lit then the red candle (farthest to the left) is lit. Then someone will make a statement or tell a story about the principle of self-determination in his or her own life. Again, this part is very flexible. You can be as creative as you like. Afterwards, the unity cup is filled with juice. Then it is passed around the table. Everyone takes a sip from the unity cup. After the sharing of the cup, the Black and Red candles are blown out and the ceremony for the day is ended. (Day 3): Habari gani! Ujima! December 28 marks the third day of Kwanzaa. On Day 3, we celebrate Ujima or collective work and responsibility. Dr. Karenga thought of Ujima as building and maintaining our community together, sharing our joys and problems and solving our problems together. Next we light the candles in the following order: Black candle (in the middle) is lit Red candle to the far left is lit Green candle to the far right is lit Then someone present will then make a statement, tell a story or discuss about the principle of collective work and responsibility. Afterwards, the unity cup is filled. Then it is passed around the table. Everyone takes a sip from the unity cup. After the sharing of the cup, the candles are extinguished and the ceremony for the day is ended. (Day 4): Hari gani! Ujamaa! December 29 marks the fourth day of Kwanzaa. On day 4, we celebrate Ujamaa or cooperative economics. Dr. Karenga thought of the concept of Ujamaa as building and maintaining our own businesses, and supporting the businesses of others and growing and profiting from them together. On the fourth day of Kwanzaa, you will light another red candle. So the order is: Black candle (in the middle) is lit first. Red candle to the far left is lit Green candle to the far right is lit Then another red candle is lit. Then someone will make a statement, tell a story or discuss about the principle of cooperative economics in their life or as it affects others. Afterwards, the unity cup is filled then it is passed around the table. Everyone takes a sip from the unity cup. After the sharing of the cup, the candles are extinguished and the ceremony for the day is ended (Day 5): Habari gani! Nia! December 30 marks the fifth day of Kwanzaa. On day 5, we celebrate the principle of Nia or purpose. Dr. Karenga thought of nia as focusing on building our communities together, maintaining them, and restoring them to greatness. On the fifth day of Kwanzaa, you will light another green candle. So the order is: Black candle (in the middle) is lit first. Red candle to the far left is lit Green candle to the far right is lit Then another red candle is lit. Then another green candle is lit. Then someone will make a statement, tell a story or discuss about the principle of purpose. Afterwards, the unity cup is filled with juice. Then it is passed around the table. Everyone takes a sip from the unity cup. After the sharing of the cup, the candles are extinguished and the ceremony for the day is ended. (Day 6): Habari gani! Kuumba! December 31st marks the 6th day of Kwanzaa and it is a very special day! On the 6th day, we celebrate the principle of Kuumba or creativity. As it is New Year’s Eve, the day is an especially festive day because it marks the end of the calendar year. Dr. Karenga thought of kuumba as working hard to make our communities more beautiful and functional for today and for future generations. It begins as usual with the lighting of the candles: First, the Black candle (in the middle) is lit. Red candle to the far left is lit Green candle to the far right is lit Then another red candle is lit. Then another green candle is lit. Then final red candle is lit. On this special final day of the year, the home is specially decorated with traditional Kwanzaa colors of black, red and green. Special dishes are made for the family and guests. Plays are performed, family members read out passages and poems which are related to the seven principles of Kwanzaa. A story teller enjoys the center stage in the feast on this day. The focus of the day remains on Faith. But all seven of the principles are remembered and celebrated. Then the unity cup is passed around. All members who are present should remember their ancestors while the Unity cup is shared. (Day 7): Habari gani! Imani! The last and final day of Kwanzaa falls on January 1st, New Year’s Day. The focus on the seventh day of Kwanzaa is on Imani or faith. Dr. Karenga thought of Imani as believing in ourselves, our people, our parents and teachers and our leaders. Believing in the importance of our vision for a better community and for a better world. Next the candles are lit: Always begin with the Black candle in the center then alternate back and forth between the red and green candles until all are lit. Then someone will make a statement, tell a story or discuss about the principle of creativity. Afterwards, the unity cup is filled with juice. Then it is passed around the table. Everyone takes a sip from the unity cup. After the sharing of the cup, the candles are extinguished and the ceremony for the day is ended. Everyone concludes the ceremony saying "Harambee!" (which is a reminder to “let’s pull together!”) seven times—one time for each day of the Kwanzaa ceremony. So, that is the celebration of Kwanzaa. You see that it can help to remember and feel the connection with your African roots, culture and heritage. There’s lots more that you can do as part of this celebration. Do it YOUR way but don’t be shy about expanding yourself and reaching for new experiences. Here are a few final notes: The daily ceremony is very simple but please remember that this is a sacred time for the family and other members present. Turn off cell phones. Focus on the rituals, the words or songs. Get into the mood. Show respect for the ceremony. It does not need to be somber. It is a joyful time but it is also a sacred time. Put all of your thought, energy and focus into these moments with your family. And remember: you can celebrate Kwanzaa and remember your cultural heritage, history and ancestors every day of the year. And, as I promised in the beginning, you can get more information about Kwanzaa from Maya Angelou. She and award-winning filmmaker, MK Asante made a movie about Kwanzaa called The Black Candle. It is the first movie ever made about Kwanzaa and was filmed in the United States, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. The film discusses Kwanzaa’s growth during the Black Power movement through the modern day experience as a global pan-African movement. This is an excellent film for all ages and can help to understand the context, meaning and importance of Kwanzaa to families and communities. By the way, if you have any questions about Kwanzaa or want to share your stories of how you celebrate Kwanzaa, please contact me at . On that high note, A very joyous Kwanzaa from everyone at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it! /episode/index/show/robinlofton/id/4880120

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