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| Sir Raglan Presents | H E L L O |
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| The Pride Beneath The Blackness |
| The history of the Black Race is littered with unforgetable episodes of subjugation, enslavement and massacre. Today, as we, modern, emancipated Blacks, look back on these atrocities, we cringe with excusable revulsion which stir rumblings of hatred for those perpetrators. Yet, in spite of their degradation, in spite of their relegation to a state of penury, our black ancestors have left us much to be proud of. So, on this page, let us applaud their past, be thankful for our present and build a future where we, as a people, can become truly free indeed! You are invited to submit contributions to the Editor so we leave no stone unturned in our effort to achieve this lofty goal. |
What do people really know about New Orleans?
Do they take away with them an awareness that it has always been not only a
great white metropolis but also a great black city, a city where
African-Americans have come together again and again to form the strongest
African-American culture in the land?
The first literary magazine ever published in Louisiana was the work of
black men, French-speaking poets and writers who brought together their work
in three issues of a little book called L'Album Littéraire. That was in the
1840's, and by that time the city had a prosperous class of free black
artisans, sculptors, businessmen, property owners, skilled laborers in all
fields. Thousands of slaves lived on their own in the city, too, making a
living at various jobs, and sending home a few dollars to their owners in
the country at the end of the month.
This is not to diminish the horror of the slave market in the middle of the
famous St. Louis Hotel, or the injustice of the slave labor on plantations
from one end of the state to the other. It is merely to say that it was
never all "have or have not" in this strange and beautiful city. Later in
the 19th century, as the Irish immigrants poured in by the thousands,
filling the holds of ships that had emptied their cargoes of cotton in
Liverpool, and as the German and Italian immigrants soon followed, a vital
and complex culture emerged.
Huge churches went up to serve the great faith of the city's European-born
Catholics; convents and schools and orphanages were built for the newly
arrived and the struggling; the city expanded in all directions with new
neighborhoods of large, graceful houses, or areas of more humble cottages,
even the smallest of which, with their floor-length shutters and
deep-pitched roofs, possessed an undeniable Caribbean charm.
Through this all, black culture never declined in Louisiana. In fact, New
Orleans became home to blacks in a way, perhaps, that few other American
cities have ever been. Dillard University and Xavier University became two
of the most outstanding black colleges in America; and once the battles of
desegregation had been won, black New Orleanians entered all levels of life,
building a visible middle class that is absent in far too many Western and
Northern American cities to this day.
The influence of blacks on the music of the city and the nation is too
immense and too well known to be described. It was black musicians coming
down to New Orleans for work who nicknamed the city "the Big Easy" because
it was a place where they could always find a job. But it's not fair to the
nature of New Orleans to think of jazz and the blues as the poor man's
music, or the music of the oppressed.
Something else was going on in New Orleans. The living was good there. The
clock ticked more slowly; people laughed more easily; people kissed; people
loved; there was joy. Which is why so many New Orleanians, black and white,
never went north. They didn't want to leave a place where they felt at home
in neighborhoods that dated back centuries; they didn't want to leave
families whose rounds of weddings, births and funerals had become the fabric
of their lives. They didn't want to leave a city where tolerance had always
been able to outweigh prejudice, where patience had always been able to
outweigh rage. They didn't want to leave a place that was theirs.
And so New Orleans prospered, slowly, unevenly, but surely - home to
Protestants and Catholics, including the Irish parading through the old
neighborhood on St. Patrick's Day as they hand out cabbages and potatoes and
onions to the eager crowds; including the Italians, with their lavish St.
Joseph's altars spread out with cakes and cookies in homes and restaurants
and churches every March; including the uptown traditionalists who seek to
preserve the peace and beauty of the Garden District; including the Germans
with their clubs and traditions; including the black population playing an
ever increasing role in the city's civic affairs.
Now nature has done what the Civil War couldn't do. Nature has done what the
labor riots of the 1920's couldn't do. Nature had done what "modern life"
with its relentless pursuit of efficiency couldn't do. It has done what
racism couldn't do, and what segregation couldn't do either. Nature has laid
the city waste - with a scope that brings to mind the end of Pompeii.
I share this history for a reason - and to answer questions that have arisen
these last few days. Almost as soon as the cameras began panning over the
rooftops, and the helicopters began chopping free those trapped in their
attics, a chorus of voices rose. "Why didn't they leave?" people asked both
on and off camera. "Why did they stay there when they knew a storm was
coming?" One reporter even asked me, "Why do people live in such a place?"
Then as conditions became unbearable, the looters took to the streets.
Windows were smashed, jewelry snatched, stores broken open, water and food
and televisions carried out by fierce and uninhibited crowds. Now the
voices grew even louder. How could these thieves loot and pillage in
a time of such crisis? How could people shoot one another? Because the faces
of those drowning and the faces of those looting were largely black faces,
race came into the picture. What kind of people are these,
the people of New Orleans, who stay in a city about to be flooded, and then
turn on one another?
Well, here's an answer. Thousands didn't leave New Orleans because they
couldn't leave. They didn't have the money. They didn't have the vehicles.
They didn't have any place to go. They are the poor, black and white, who
dwell in any city in great numbers; and they did what they felt they could
do - they huddled together in the strongest houses they could find. There
was no way to up and leave and check into the nearest Ramada Inn.
What's more, thousands more who could have left stayed behind to help
others. They went out in the helicopters and pulled the survivors off
rooftops; they went through the flooded streets in their boats trying to
gather those they could find. Meanwhile, city officials tried desperately to
alleviate the worsening conditions in the Superdome, while makeshift
shelters and hotels and hospitals struggled.
And where was everyone else during all this? Oh, help is coming, New Orleans
was told. We are a rich country. Congress is acting. Someone will come to
stop the looting and care for the refugees. And it's true: eventually, help
did come. But how many times did Gov. Kathleen Blanco have to say that the
situation was desperate? How many times did Mayor Ray Nagin have to call for
aid? Why did America ask a city cherished by millions and excoriated by
some, but ignored by no one, to fight for its own life for so long? That's
my question.
I know that New Orleans will win its fight in the end. I was born in the
city and lived there for many years. It shaped who and what I am. Never have
I experienced a place where people knew more about love, about family, about
loyalty and about getting along than the people of New Orleans. It is
perhaps their very gentleness that gives them their endurance.
They will rebuild as they have after storms of the past; and they will stay
in New Orleans because it is where they have always lived, where their
mothers and their fathers lived, where their churches were built by their
ancestors, where their family graves carry names that go back 200 years.
They will stay in New Orleans where they can enjoy a sweetness of family
life that other communities lost long ago.
But to my country I want to say this: During this crisis you failed us. You
looked down on us; you dismissed our victims; you dismissed us. You want
our Jazz Fest, you want our Mardi Gras, you want our cooking and our music.
Then when you saw us in real trouble, when you saw a tiny minority preying
on the weak among us, you called us "Sin City," and turned your backs.
Well, we are a lot more than all that. And though we may seem the most
exotic, the most atmospheric and, at times, the most downtrodden part of
this land, we are still part of it. We are Americans. We are you.
__________________________
I came to appreciate the impressive contribution that the Tuskegee Airmen made to Allied victory in World War II early-on in my assignment teaching history at the Air Force Academy. But, I must confess that I really did not have a full appreciation of the true impact of the Tuskegee Airmen on our Air Force.
This convention reflects the extent of that impact. Assisting in running this year's convention are numerous active duty members of today's Air Force -- enlisted, NCOs, and officers -- whose opportunity to serve was made possible by this group. These men and women are the beneficiaries of all the trials and tribulations you went through -- of your courage, your perseverance, your mentoring, and your role modeling.
In my speech, I will talk about individual victories, about valor, about the legacy and the heritage of the Tuskegee Airmen. But in the end, the men and the women of the Tuskegee experience broke forever the myths that allowed segregation, inequity and injustice to exist with a thin veil of legitimacy.
Not only did you come to the defense of your country, you elected to serve in the most sophisticated and technically advanced service of America's military establishment. You took to wings. You engaged one of the most formidable military establishments in the world -- the Luftwaffe -- the dreaded Luftwaffe that paved the way for the German war machine in 1938, 1939 and 1940.
When you engaged this force in combat and came away victorious, you carried not only your own pride and your personal accomplishments, but also the idea that never again would anybody deny a man or woman the opportunity to serve our country in any capacity because of the color of his or her skin.
It is a great thrill for me to be here in the presence of so many American heroes -- stout-hearted individuals who made history at Tuskegee Field, and in the war-torn skies over Europe.
Over the past few months, I've taken part in a variety of events commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Allied victory in World War II, but none more meaningful than this banquet tonight. As those from the East Coast chapter will tell you, I'm a red jacket-holding, dues-paying member of the Tuskegee Airmen. I'm extremely proud to count myself among your number. Your tremendous record in the face of adversity stands as a shining example for our airmen and officers of today.
We look back with pride on your outstanding accomplishments -- your skill in combat, your strength of character in the face of prejudice and racism. Despite the bigotry, you would not be denied the opportunity to serve your country in desperate times. Service before self is a key concept of our modern-day Air Force. Service before self was more than just a phrase to the Tuskegee Airmen. It was a way of life. We thank you for this very rich heritage that you provided our United States Air Force.
I want to express a very special thanks to Mr. Robert Williams, a member of the Red Tails in World War II who documented the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen in a wonderful film that will air on Home Box Office (cable television) on 26 August. I apologize for not being here for the premier, but I think it will become one of those films that helps complete the history and heritage of our Air Force.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of victory in World War II, it's quite appropriate that your legacy is a key element of your convention's theme -- "We have already made history, now let's build a better world."
In my comments tonight, I'd like to address both aspects of that theme. I'll describe some highlights of your combat record, and then I would like to be so bold as to perhaps identify some areas where you can help us build a better Air Force.
When I reflect on the Tuskegee Airmen, I'm truly impressed by what you were able to accomplish under less than ideal conditions. Initially flying the somewhat less capable P-40s and P-39s, and always striving to overcome the ill-conceived prejudices against your fighting ability, you persevered and you made history in the process.
In June of 1943, you first engaged the Luftwaffe over the island of Pantelleria. You gave a good accounting of yourself, with individuals like Lt. Col. Chuck Dryden leading the way, much as he led the efforts to organize this convention as its chairman.
In early 1944, the 99th Fighter Squadron came into its own, with Maj. "Spanky" Roberts in command, and gallant aviators such as Spann Watson eagerly engaging the enemy over the Mediterranean. As you know, Spann was in the original Tuskegee Airmen class, and he's in the audience tonight.
While providing close air support to the allied forces at Anzio on January 27, 15 Tuskegee Airmen engaged a larger number of the far superior German FW-190s, and they shot down six while damaging four others. That same afternoon, the Tuskegee Airmen destroyed three more enemy aircraft. On the 28th of January, pilots from the 99th shot down four aircraft, and then they added four more by February 10th. These victories quickly began to prove to people with unbiased eyes that the Tuskegee Airmen could fly and fight with the best of them.
During this period, then Col. Benny Davis (Lt. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, USAF ret.) established the 332nd Fighter Group in southern Italy. I was honored and had the pleasure of having lunch with General Davis on Thursday of this past week. We had a group of retired general officers together in Washington where we were able to talk about our Air Force. I was honored to have him join us.
In the summer of 1944, the 99th joined the 332nd while it was transitioning into the P-47 Jug (Thunderbolt), and then the top-of-the-line P-51 Mustang. Yesterday, Miss Jane (Mrs. Fogleman) and I stood on the flight deck of the carrier Intrepid in New York City. I saw the American Freedom Flight and two P-51s come down the Hudson River, painted with D-Day invasion stripes. It was both with a feeling of pride, and yet more than that, a feeling of admiration, that I watched their flight because the P-51 was a top-of-the line fighter. It looks so frail, yet it was so lethal in the hands of well trained, motivated and dedicated people such as yourselves.
When you were equipped with that P-51, you then began to focus on this bomber escort mission. In June of 1944, the Tuskegee Airmen scored kills while flying the first of a series of 200 bomber escort missions over which you became known as the Red Tail Devils. On the initial mission, Colonel Davis led 39 airmen in escorting B-24s to Munich, Germany. You were attacked en route by more than 100 German fighters, and despite fighting outnumbered, the Red Tails destroyed five Me-109s and damaged a sixth.
On the 25th of June in 1944, Capt. Joe Elsbury led the Tuskegee Airmen in sinking a German destroyer in the Gulf of Venice, sinking it with machine gun fire -- a rare feat. You're looking at a guy standing up here who got shot down in Vietnam trying to destroy a gun-site with machine gun fire. So I know that a well-armed ship can give far better than it can take. It took a great amount of courage for you to press the attack in the face of all that. Later, Joe Elsbury would shoot down three German fighters on a single mission.
On the 18th of July, Capt. Lee Rayford led 66 P-51s on a bomber escort mission to southern Germany. He loitered at the rendezvous point waiting for the late bombers, knowing full well that if the Tuskegee Airmen departed and returned to base, they could expect that the bombers would suffer high losses if they attacked without their fighter escort. Though outnumbered, the Red Tails downed 11 German fighters that day with no losses. Lt. Clarence "Lucky" Lester shot down three on his own.
On the 24th of July, Colonel Davis again led 53 P-51s in escorting bombers into southern Germany. Again, you flew outnumbered, but you destroyed four enemy aircraft without losing a plane. While returning to base, Davis led the 332nd in strafing ground targets.
Three days later, Lee Rayford led 52 P-51s from across the group to fly cover for B-24s. Despite being outnumbered by attacking German fighters, the Tuskegee Airmen shot down eight enemy aircraft. For the rest of the war, the 332nd flew bomber escort and ground attack missions, scoring kills and mounting an effective defense of American bombers.
On March 24, 1945, Colonel Davis led 54 aviators in escorting a bomber mission all the way to Berlin. The 332nd was the first Italian-based fighter outfit tasked to fly this demanding mission which covered a total of 1600 miles. When not relieved as planned by another fighter outfit at the end of their leg of the escort, the Tuskegee Airmen pressed on to the target with the B-17s, despite the fact that the airmen were low on fuel and low on ammo. You fought off waves of German fighters, and by the end of the day had made history because you shot down three German jet fighters while losing only one friendly fighter. No bombers were lost!
In the end, the 332nd Fighter Group was awarded the Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation for this Berlin mission because, to quote from the citation, "of your conspicuous gallantry, professional skill, and devotion to duty."
On March 31, 1945, the Red Tails shot down 13 German fighters in your best day ever. On April 26, 1945, the Tuskegee Airmen downed the last four enemy aircraft destroyed in combat in the Mediterranean theater. It was a great record. You are true American heroes.
I will tell you that while I have dwelled on the exploits of the aviators tonight, if you were to talk to those very same aviators, they would be the first to tell you they could not have succeeded but for the tremendous support provided by the ground crews. In that war as in all wars in which aviation has played a key role, it was the maintainers, the munition handlers, the security troops -- all of those people who came together to make a fighter force -- that allowed those aviators to be the tip of the spear. So, it is as a team that we remember the Tuskegee Airmen.
By the war's end the Tuskegee Airmen had shot down 111 enemy aircraft and destroyed another 150 on the ground. They disabled more than 600 box cars, locomotives and rolling stock; sunk one German destroyer and 40 other boats and barges. But most importantly, the premier aspect of your legacy in the air was that you flew 200 bomber escort missions against some of the most heavily-defended targets in the Third Reich and never lost a bomber to enemy fighters.
This unique success was a testimony to both the skill and the discipline of the Tuskegee Airmen. But as you well know, your achievements came at a high price. Sixty-six fellow pilots were killed in action, and 32 were captured and became prisoners of war. But your sacrifices were not in vain because you defeated a barbarous regime and you created the conditions that eventually allowed democracy and economic freedom to flourish in that part of the world.
After fighting in World War II, Col. Chuck McGee went on to fly and fight in Korea and in Vietnam. He racked up the highest three-war total of fighter missions of any Air Force aviator -- 409 missions. He is also with us. An American hero and an Air Force legend.
Of course Col. Benny Davis pursued a highly successful Air Force career. He retired as a three star general and served as the Secretary of Transportation in the mid-1970s. He could not be here tonight, but when I spoke to him, and told him that I was going to be here, he asked that I pass on his regards to his old comrades.
Americans stand in awe of the professionalism, the tenacity and the courage of the Tuskegee Airmen that you demonstrated in fighting on two fronts in World War II. You fought against the Axis powers in Europe and against racism at home. Your tremendous accomplishments spoke louder than words and provided compelling evidence that led to the integration of our nation's armed forces. That's why it's important for your story to be told to the American public, and why the HBO film is so important.
Thanks to the generosity of Bill Terry (national president, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.) and the Tuskegee Airmen Board of Directors, we recently unveiled four wonderful paintings in the Pentagon that vividly depict the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. These historically accurate and moving paintings show 332nd fighters engaged in ground attack, bomber escort and air-to-air operations. They capture some of that ground crew action also, because in one painting we see the aircraft on the ground before mission takeoff.
While they're on loan to the Air Force art collection, we have placed these vivid reminders of your accomplishments in the most prominent location along the ninth corridor on the fourth floor of the Pentagon. More than 125,000 visitors a year will pass this area on Pentagon tours. They will view the paintings, and they will learn of your combat exploits from the tour guides.
If you'll allow me to briefly turn to the second part of your convention theme -- that is building a better world -- I'll suggest how you might help us build a better Air Force.
First, as you may be aware, there's a declining interest among our nation's youth in serving the military. While we have drawn down the size of the Air Force and all of our services, it's critical that we continue to attract significant numbers of high-quality people to our service -- both as officers and as enlisted members.
We're particularly concerned about a marked decrease in the propensity of young African-Americans to enlist. This data comes from nationwide surveys that we take in our recruiting programs. What we have seen is that there has been five times the decline among young blacks in this measure than we've seen among our young whites. This concerns us.
We went from 54 percent of our black youth expressing a desire to serve in some branch of the military in 1989 to 32 percent in 1994. This compares to white youths who went from 26 to 22 percent. So, I ask your help to turn this situation around by encouraging all of our youth to consider serving in our military and in our Air Force.
African-Americans have historically volunteered in large numbers to help defend our nation since its inception. Examples abound everywhere. African-Americans fought in the Continental Army to help defeat the British. Black sailors and soldiers fought in the War of 1812. Blacks made up 12 percent of the Union Army by 1865, and they earned 20 Medals of Honor during the Civil War.
Following that war, the Buffalo Soldiers played a key role in pacifying the West with their heroism. And they were there at San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt and the other Rough Riders. All the regiments of the 93rd Division contributed to allied victory in World War I. And you, yourselves, wrote a splendid page in the book of history when the Tuskegee Airmen helped defeat the Nazi menace in World War II.
African-American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines participated in integrated units in Korea and Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War. But, we need your help to inspire black youths to continue to serve in the profession of arms of ours.
I have a concern within this larger issue. That is with the number of African-Americans who are entering Air Force pilot training. I need your help here in encouraging young blacks to become Air Force pilots and capitalizing on all that that means in terms of opportunities.
The number entering our pilot training program has really never exceeded or even reached the five percent level of all total entrants. Our best two years were in 1992 and 1993 when we stood at four percent. Last year that number declined to three percent.
I think you can be part of the solution to this by your mentoring programs. You can help by mentoring black youths through an organization that many of you are familiar with. It's called the Air Force Cadet Officer Mentor Action Program, or AFCOMAP. AFCOMAP's mission is to strengthen future leaders, Air Force leaders, through mentorship. Today there are 37 Tuskegee Airmen chapters spread across every region of this country, but only five AFCOMAP chapters -- one in Washington, D.C.; one at McClellan Air Force Base, Calif.; one at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; one at Maxwell AFB, Ala.; and one in Los Angeles.
Next year, AFCOMAP hopes to expand to Randolph AFB, Texas; Scott AFB, Ill.; and Langley Air Force Base, Va. I would urge you to consider helping the Air Force and our nation by forming AFCOMAP chapters in the remaining areas that do not have them. If you did so, I'm convinced that it would lead to a resurgence in the propensity to enlist, and also increase the number of young black men and women who apply for pilot training.
For those of us who have had the pleasure of flying and know what it means -- the thrill, the excitement, the sense of accomplishment -- this is something that all of our people should have the opportunity to share in.
Last year my friend and colleague, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, the Honorable Rodney Coleman, spoke to you about getting involved in the education and advancement of American youth. He appealed to the Tuskegee Airmen chapters to undertake mentoring programs for our best young men and women in high school, and to encourage them to consider an Air Force career. I believe that you have a vehicle to do this in the AFCOMAP program. It's interracial in character, but it has the greatest potential to impact our minorities.
I encourage you to begin your mentoring efforts below the high school level, to encourage young African-Americans to join the profession of arms. Not because we are looking for cannon fodder; not because we are looking for great numbers; but because we believe this is a noble profession. It's worthy of the young men and women of our country.
I urge you to encourage them to consider applying for admission to our Air Force Academy for their college education because that's one of the best routes to becoming an Air Force officer and an engineer, a space specialist or a pilot. Help us promote Air Force pre-commissioning programs at colleges and universities. Tell students about the exciting careers there are and how your service to your country and our Air Force helped you succeed in business, in government, in finance and in public service. Because not only the Air Force, but the country will benefit if you help us spread the good news about military service.
So in closing, on behalf of the men and women of the United States Air Force, let me personally express our sincere appreciation for your heroic contributions to victory in World War II. and express our appreciation to you for your continued support of the armed forces that defend our great nation. So much of our history is lost to us because we often don't write the
history books, don't film the documentaries, or don't pass the accounts down
from generation to generation. One documentary now touring the film
festival circuit telling us to Always Remember is: Black Survivors of the
Holocaust (1997). Outside the US the film is entitled Hitler's Forgotten
Victims (Afro-Wisdom Productions). It codifies another dimension to the
Never Forget Holocaust story, our dimension. Did you know that in the
1920s there were 24,000 blacks living in Germany?
Neither did I.
Here's how it happened and how many of them were eventually
caught unawares by the events of the Holocaust. Like most West Europea n
nations, Germany established colonies in Africa in the late 1800s in
what later became Togo, Cameroon, Namibia, and Tanzania.German genetic
experiments began there most notably involving prisoners taken from the1904
Heroro Massacre that left 60,000 Africans dead following a 4 year revolt of
German colonization. After the shellacking Germany received in World War I,
it was stripped of its African colonies in 1918. As a spoil of war, the
French were allowed to occupy Germany in the Rhineland, a bitter piece of
real estate that has gone back and forth between the two nations for
centuries. The French willfully deployed their own colonized African
soldiers as the occupying force. Germans viewed this as the final insult of
World War I. Soon thereafter 92% of them voted in the Nazi party. Hundreds
of these African Rhineland-based soldiers intermarried with German women and
raised their children as Black Germans. In " Mein Kampf," Hitler wrote
about his plans for these "Rhineland Bastards". When he came to power, one
of his first directives was aimed at these mixed children.
Underscoring his obsession with racial purity, by 1937, every
identified mixed race child in the Rhineland had been forcibly sterilized to
prevent further " race polluting " as he termed it.
Hans Hauck, a Black Holocaust survivor and a victim of Hitler's
mandatory sterilization program, explained in the film that when he was
forced to undergo sterilization as a teenager, he was given no anesthetic.
Once
he received his sterilization certificate, he was "free to go" so long as
he agreed to have no sexual relations whatsoever with Germans.
Although most Black Germans attempted to escape their fatherland,
heading for France where people like Josephine Baker were steadily aiding
and supporting the French underground, many ran into problems elsewhere.
Nations shut its doors to Germans, including the Black ones. Some Black
Germans were able to eke out a living during Hitler's reign of terror
by performing in vaudeville shows.
But many Blacks, steadfast in their belief that they were German first,
Black second, opted to remain in Germany. Some fought with the Nazis
(a few even became Luftwaffe pilots!). Unfortunately, many Black Germans
were arrested, charged with treason, and shipped in cattle cars to
concentration camps. Often these trains were so charged with people
(equipped with no bathroom facilities or food) that after the four day
journey, box car doors opened to piles of the dead and dying.
Once in the concentration camps Blacks were given the worst jobs
conceivable. Some Black American soldiers who were captured and held
as prisoners of war recounted that while they were starved an forced into
dangerous labor (violating the Geneva Convention), they were still
better off than Black German concentration camp detainees who were forced to
do the unthinkable: man the crematoriums and work in labs where genetic
experiments were carried out. As a final sacrifice, these Blacks were
killed every three months so that they would never be able to reveal the
inner workings of the Final Solution.
In every story of Black oppression, no matter how enslaved, shackled or
beaten, we are, we find a way to survive and rescue others. Case inpoint,
is Johnny Voste, a Belgian Resistance fighter who was arrested in 1942 for
sabotage and shipped to Dachas. One of his jobs was stacking vitamincrates.
Risking his own life, he distributed hundreds of vitamins to camp detainees
which saved the lives of many because they were starving, weak, and ill,
conditions exacerbated by extreme vitamin-deficiencies. His motto was: 'No,
you can't have my life: I will fight for it.' According to Essex
University's Delroy Constantine-Simms, there were Black Germans who
resisted Nazi Germany, such as Lari Gilges, who founded the Northwest
Rann--an organization of entertainers that fought the Nazis in his home town
of Düsseldorf--and who was murdered by the SS in 1933, the year Hitler came
to power.
Little information remains about the numbers of Black Germans held in
the camps or killed under the Nazi regime. Some victims of the Nazi
sterilization project and Black survivors of the Holocaust are still alive
and telling their story in films such as Black Survivors of the Nazi
Holocaust.
But they must also speak out for justice, not just history. Unlike Jews
(inIsrael and in Germany), Black Germans receive no war reparations because
their German citizenship was revoked (though they were German-born).
The only pension they get is from those of us who are willing to tell the
world
their stories and continue their battle for recognition and compensation.
After the war, scores of Blacks who had somehow managed to survive the Nazi
regime were rounded up and tried as war criminals. Talk about the final
insult. There are thousands of Black Holocaust stories from the triangle
trade, to slavery in America, to the gas ovens in Germany.
We often shy away from hearing about our historical past because so
much of it is painful. However, we are in this struggle together for
rights,
dignity, and yes, reparations for wrongs done to us through the centuries.
We need to always remember so that we can take steps to ensure that
theses things never happen again.
Read on: Destined to Witness : Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany,
PLEASE PASS THIS ON AND ALWAYS REMEMBER, Pope John Paul II's frailty and poor health are prompting discussion on his eventual successor as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Many names are being tossed around as the next pope, including Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria.
If Arinze becomes the next pope, it might surprise some Catholics as well as non-Catholics that he would be the fourth black-African pope to lead the Catholic faithful.
The three black popes were:
An article in the April 16, 2001 edition of Newsweek titled "The Changing Face of the Church" wondered if Cardinal Arinze could be the first black pope. These kinds of inaccuracies are unnerving to Rev. Barbara Reynolds.
Reynolds, a minister and former columnist for USA Today, teaches biblical studies at the Calvary Bible Institute in Washington, D.C. She said a lot of the influence of Africans in religious history is shrouded in secrecy. "I teach the black presence in the bible, and it's almost like a secret code that hasn't been broken."
Victor I, the 15th pope, is the reason Easter Day is celebrated universally on Sunday, said Reynolds.
A native of Africa, Victor I served during the reign of Emperor Septimus Severus, also a black African, and one of several African emperors that led the Roman Empire.
"It's important to recognize that while there were three black popes in the early days from Africa, it was during a time when we didn't have racial prejudice - there was no concept of race in the modern sense," said biblical scholar Cain Hope Felder, of Howard University School of Divinity.
Felder, who holds degrees from Columbia University, Oxford University, Union Theological Seminary, and Howard University, said that historic "black popes" and the fact that many people are startled at the prospect of Arinze becoming the next pope are evidence of how modern racial prejudice has marginalized the influence of blacks in world history. "This was at a time when race didn't matter," Felder said emphatically.
"But now the prospect of selecting an African pope is seen as so dramatic and historic and even frightening to some - it just shows how unfortunate and deep the race factor has been in dividing people and distorting the gospel message," said Felder.
Miltiades, the 32nd pope, is remembered as the pope who led the church to final victory over the Roman Empire. Though Miltiades ruled the church for only three years, his reign witnessed one of history's turning points - the coming of Roman Emperor Constantine and his conversion to Christianity in A.D. 313. Miltiades was granted approval from Constantine that all Christians would be free to worship without persecution.
Gelasius I, the 49th pope, was born in Rome of African parents, taking office in A.D. 492. "Intelligent and energetic, Gelasius I knew what steps he should take to establish a secure future for the church," wrote Edward Scobie in the book African Presence in Early Europe.
Scobie, who died in 1996, was professor emeritus at the City University of New York and a leading expert and authority on the presence of Africans in early Western Europe. Gelasius I, Scobie wrote, "saved Rome from famine and was emphatic on the duty of bishops to devote a quarter of their revenue to charity, stressing that 'Nothing is more becoming to the priestly office then the protection of the poor and the weak.' It is little wonder that he died empty-handed as a result of his lavish charity. He used to call his temporal goods: 'The patrimony of the poor.'"
Reynolds said this religious history isn't just for black people. "It's for white people to know the truth also. The Bible says, 'You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.' It's not supposed to be one set of lies for white people and one set of truth for black people."
Felder agreed, but added the church must embrace diversity if it's going to survive and bring the truth to the masses. "We have allowed race to matter too much. And if the church is going to have a future, it's going to have to come up with a mandate for diversity and seeing beyond color," said Felder.
Ann-Marie Smith - (November, 2003) UP
Yes, amazing that so much important Black history (such as this) is
hidden from us (Black and White). What makes this even worse is the fact
that the current twist on history perpetuates and promotes white
supremacy at the expense of Black Pride!
During my visit to France I saw the original Statue of Liberty.
However, there was a difference...the statue in France is BLACK!!!!!!
"Ya learn something new everyday!"
The Statue of Liberty was originally a Black woman.
But, as memory serves, it was because the model was Black.
In a book called "The Journey of The Songhai People," as Dr. Jim Haskins
(a member of the National Education Advisory Committee of the
Liberty-Ellis Island Committee, professor of English at the University
of Florida, and prolific Black author) points out that is what
stimulated the original idea for that 151 foot statue in the harbor. He
says that the idea for the creation of the statue initially was to
acknowledge the part that Black soldiers played in the ending of Black
African Bondage in the United States.
It was created in the mind of the
French historian Edourd de Laboulaye, Chairman of the French
Anti-Slavery Society, who, together with sculptor Frederic Auguste
Bartholdi, proposed to the French government that the people of France
present to the people of the United States through the American
Abolitionist Society, the gift of a Statue of Liberty in recognition of
the fact that Black soldiers won the Civil War in the United States. It
was widely known then that it was Black soldiers who played the pivotal
role in winning the war, and this gift would be a tribute to their
prowess.
Suzanne Nakasian, director of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island
Foundations' National Ethnic Campaign said that the Black Americans'
direct connection to Lady Liberty is unknown to the majority of
Americans, BLACK or WHITE.
When the statue was presented to the US. Minister to France in 1884, it
is said that he remonstrated that the dominant view of the broken
shackles would be
offensive to the U.S. South because the statue was a reminder of Blacks
winning their freedom. It was a reminder to a beaten South of the ones
who caused their defeat, their despised former captives.
Documents of Proof:
Empower Yourself, Your Family and Your Community!
Realize that the lies and the cover ups are still ongoing! UP
"None of this is new to Black people," Jordan said recently in a speech at Howard University's Rankin Memorial Chapel. War, hunger, disease, unemployment, deprivation, dehumanization and terrorism define our existence. They are not new to us.
"Slavery was terrorism, segregation was terrorism, the bombing of the four little girls in Sunday School in Birmingham was terrorism. The violent deaths of Medgar, Martin, Malcolm, Vernon Dahmer, Cheney, Schwerner, Goodman were terrorism. And the difference between September 11 and the terror visited upon Black people is that on September 11, the terrorists were foreigners. But when we were terrorized, it was by our neighbors. The terrorists were American citizens."
Though he is better known as a backroom power broker who sits on a dozen corporate boards and is senior managing director of Lazard, Freres & Co.,an international investment bank and financial services firm, Jordan was once head of the National Urban League, executive director of the United Negro College Fund and director of the Voter Education Project for
the Southern Regional Council. But he is best known for being First Friend to Bill Clinton, playing golf with him and entertaining his family during the Christmas holidays. In his speech at Howard, Jordan was critical of President Bush without mentioning him by name.
"Here at home, we have a president elected by one vote in the Supreme Court, a president who did not really and truly
become president until September 11. John Ashcroft, who lost his senate seat to a dead man, is an attorney general who spends more time covering up naked statues than he does covering naked injustice.
"Our national budget has gone from surplus to deficit. The national economy has gone from robust to bust -- unemployment, recession, layoffs, plant closings, restructuring and bankruptcies define the national economy, despite positive predictions and an up-turn in the markets. The Catholic Church is experiencing unprecedented turbulence, and confidence in business leaders and corporations is on a downward spiral."
Jordan was particularly critical of the Enron debacle, which he described as "the worst scandal in the history of corporate America." In more ways than one, it represented White-collar crime. "A measure of Enron is that not one Black executive was high enough to have an equal opportunity to participate in the scandal," Jordan notes. Even though African-Americans have been excluded from many corporate boardrooms and suffered indignities because of their race, they have still served as paragons for Americans, Jordan says.
"Black Americans hold America's values dearly," he explains. "At times, it seemed as if we were the only ones who did. When this nation was in the grip of racism and segregation, it was Black people who reminded America of its basic values of freedom and democracy. It was Black Americans who helped America close the gap between its beliefs and its practices." It is a role that's still being served today. "Now that America is warring on terrorism, it is Black people who remind America that we know terrorism well," Jordan says.
"We know that dangerous rhetoric can lead to acts of lunacy that kill innocents. And we know that the surest defense against
terrorism is affirmation of America's basic values, the values we have learned in our churches, the values we have fought and died for in America's every war, even in segregated armies."
Speaking directly to the students at Howard University, Jordan says: "You are where you are today because you stand on somebody's shoulders. And wherever you are heading, you cannot get there by yourself. "...If you stand on the shoulders of others, you have a reciprocal responsibility to live your life so that others may stand on your shoulders. It's the quid pro quo of life."
"We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give." UP
As I opened the bathroom door, I was aware that some of my peers were in the stalls because I heard chattering before I pushed the door to enter. This was nothing knew, of course, as many people, especially women, often carry on conversation between stalls. What jolted me into reality was what was being said... “You know she only received all of those awards because she’s black,” one girl said. “We all know blacks are good at sports, but I must admit that she is pretty smart...for a black girl,” the other replied. I did not care to listen to anymore, and I ran out of the bathroom because I was so hurt. I knew I had worked hard for all of my awards, but at that moment I felt that they were worth absolutely nothing and were given to me as favors, or to fulfill some sort of “quota.” As I graduated from elementary school, and on to junior high, I noticed that all compliments to my character or intellectual capabilities were followed or prefaced by, “for a black girl.” With age, my contempt for such disclaimers grew into a deeply rooted hatred for those who put concrete intellectual and performance ceilings on my capabilities, based solely on the color of my skin. What really disturbed me was that such ignorance permeated through all realms of my educational experience.
When I started preparing for college, I decided to apply to all of the reputable schools in my state. With an excellent GPA and descent test scores, I figured that I had a good chance at being admitted, maybe even getting a scholarship. As the months passed during my senior year, I noticed that I was being heavily recruited by many schools, especially those that had a low population of black students. During an interview to one of those schools, it was mentioned that I was an “attractive candidate” because my test scores were well above the average...for black students. There it was again. That preface, those conditions, which seemed to keep me in my place. My heart sank, and I almost vomited right on the recruiter’s desk. What scared me the most at that point was the notion that my assumed sub-standard capabilities, as defined by my society, may indeed be true.
Alas, this is the harsh reality and baggage that millions of people of color are carrying as a result of colonization due to economic greed. However, it is not only the existence of racism, resulting from the backlash of slavery that is so astounding, but also the reiteration and justification of such an institution, that is repeated throughout respected disciplines of study and literature. Such propaganda, beginning with the manipulated interpretation in the foundation of many individual’s beliefs ( the Bible), to the infiltration of such accepted untruths by way of required educational school curriculums, is enough for any person of color, regardless of economic background or heritage, to doubt their own intellectual capabilities, accept negative racial stereotyping of themselves, and to espouse the aesthetic criteria as evident in eurocentricity.
In the numerous censored history classes taught throughout this country, students are forced to memorize various extraneous facts about this great nation. Among the variables of history ingrained in those youngsters include the fifty states, geographic hallmarks, and of course, the great presidents of this nation. What is indelibly disturbing is the great paradox many black students face when studying one of the most respected individuals in this country’s history - Thomas Jefferson. In the essay, “White Racism and the Black Experience,” St. Clair Drake addresses the seriousness and power of the written word, especially by people who are powerful, respected, and inexcusably ignorant. In Drake’s essay, Jefferson says, “It is not against experience to suppose, that different species of the same genus, or varieties of the same species, may posses different qualifications...the improvement of blacks in body and mind, in the first instance of their mixture with the whites, has been observed by everyone, and proves that their inferiority is not the effect merely of their condition of life” (Tolbert, 76). In essence, Jefferson is suggesting that the intellectual inferiority as displayed by the blacks of his time, had nothing to do with their prolonged existence in bondage, their lack of education, their lack of intellectual nurturing, nor their lack of economic independence. It was purely biology. Indeed, what is frightening about Jefferson’s claims, is that many scholars of that time were neither learned nor trained in such disciplines to scientifically reach proposed conclusions. Jefferson was not the first to believe that the place of blacks in society was that of laborers, such beliefs were evident in the very religions millions of people live their lives according to today.
One of the most widespread justifications of slavery as interpreted by slaveholders, was the stipulation by the Bible that blacks were cursed. In “The Hamitic Hypothesis: Its Origins and Functions in Time Perspective,” by Edith Sanders, the issue of the gradual emergence of race, to benefit people of the dominating group, appear over time to justify the oppressor’s actions. Sanders writes, “the Bible makes no mention of racial differences among the ancestors of mankind. It is much later that an idea of race appears with reference to the sons of Noah; it concerns the descendants of Ham.” . Sanders goes on to say that in the Talmud, it is stated that “the descendants of Ham are cursed by being black.” Among the effects of such a curse was the change in the physical characteristics of Ham’s progeny, for example, “your grandchildren’s hair shall be twisted into kinks, and their eyes red; again because your lips jested at my misfortune, theirs shall swell; and because you neglected my nakedness, they shall go naked, and their male members shall be shamefully elongated! Men of this race are called Negroes.” The occurrences of such blatant forms of racism seldom appeared wrong or false to slaveholders. Spending little time to question the validity of such claims left plenty of room to espouse extreme racist beliefs, and to justify the inhumane condition many slaveholders subjected their “property” to. What is extremely notable about the “curse” of the Negro is that many of the stereotypes bestowed upon the race by its oppressors are widely accepted today, by people of all races. Such acceptance of negative stereotyping by blacks, however, have resulted in psychological scarring that has lasted for centuries.
During the last few hundred years, great advances were made in global technology, scientific discovery, and the fine arts. Unfortunately, many of the pioneers of such disciplines were not devoid of their prejudices, which permeate throughout their concentrated fields of interest. As Drake’s essay highlights, “Darwinism, in its vulgarized forms, accentuated the idea that Negroes were closest to the ape, and this implied inferiority as well as whatever derogatory esthetic appraisals Europeans might make.” Those criteria, as rigidly set by European society and culture, sharply excluded the world of the black faces. Science shamefully went to great lengths to dig deeper than skin tone to set the standards of race, and imply the beauty of the human species. Craniology, the study of the human head (cranium), emerged as a means of distinguishing the races between ancient peoples in a desperate attempt to prove that the highly intellectual and innovative people of Egypt were Caucasian. The meshing of science with art paved the way for the physical insecurities prevalent today in black societies of the Western world. Members of the black community often look down on people who posses “kinky” hair, wide noses, thick lips, or very dark skin, evidence that “the curse” lives on in the psyche of many members of Black America. Black women have especially fallen victim to such widely accepted beliefs, as evident in their possessed pursuit of straighter hair, lighter skin, and lighter eyes, regardless of the pain or costs of beauty. Black men exhibit their tactics of psychological survival when they boast and brag about the size of their penises, a stereotype that has never been genetically proven. Sadly, it is through the size of their male principles that many black men feel they validate their manhood, as evident in the disproportionate number of fathers numerous children share with different mothers. Isn’t it ironic that the very institution that was supposed to bring about vast economic gain continues to cost a nation some of its most valuable citizens - the children. So where now has slavery, racism, injustice, reparations, social and political change, brought us????
I was once told that history is a vital part of education, for to ignore history is to be doomed to repeat the shameful events of our past. History, however, either written or spoken, is not always entirely true. Accounts of past events are often doctored to benefit people of power, and some true events are never documented, leaving many societies robbed of culture and language, therefore orphans in the untold, retold, and manipulated history of the world. The great challenge for people of color globally is to cut and paste events in “history” and create our own collage of the black experience over time
Jaime is a B.S. Graduate in Biology (Howard University)
The powerful dominant group fights dirty, using tools like racism in order to maintain the status quo. There must be an underclass, disenfranchised and ostracized for capitalism to function, with a small percentage of people controlling the vast majority of the world's property and resources. Once colonialism took root in the colonies, the ideology of 'white' racial superiority became the single most important shackle in the Imperialist coffle.
James Byrd Jr. died to remind us all that nigger is not just a nasty thing to call someone. Nigger is the name of the most powerless, brutally devastated human being we can't even imagine. James Byrd Jr. died on June 7, 1998; the victim of three white males, the first of whom to be convicted is John King. This is a man who proudly bears tattoos depicting "Nazi-type SS lightning bolts...and a large patch of the Confederate Knights of America, a white supremacist group, on the side of his stomach, underlined with 'Aryan Pride', (See Reference), 3/1/1999 page 1of 4).
The murder of James Byrd Jr. is euphemistically referred to by media and popular discourse as 'The Dragging Death'. Black rights advocates have insisted on naming this murder a modern day lynching. I include several news stories from CNN, as well as a copy of the affidavit filed by a Jasper police officer. The details of this murder are listed on those pages and while they are very relevant, they tend to exoticize the issue at hand. Jasper County Sheriff Billy Rowles said "[w]e have an isolated incident. Guys who are not our kind of people did some stupid stuff." (See Reference).
This is hardly a sensitive analysis, but the point is that while that particular form of violence is relatively isolated as an incident, the attitudes that made it possible are not. In a police affidavit, Shawn Berry one of the accused, is characterized as a reluctant participant in the grisly violence. "When Berry asked King what he was doing, King replied, ' Fixin' to scare the shit out of this nigger '". Berry claims that "King told Berry, 'you're just as guilty as we are. Besides, the same thing could happen to a nigger lover...' (See Reference) 3/9/1999 page 5). Herein lies the context of this brutal slaying.
The "Jolly Nigger Toy Savings Bank" Trading Card is depicted in colour at (See Reference). It is described there as "one of the most outrageous examples of nineteenth-century white attitudes toward blacks that you'll see on a trade card". The subject of the site is trading cards; the fact that we are looking at the head of a black man caricatured and objectified as a repository for coins goes without comment. The objectification of black people, especially through the use of dehumanizing, pejorative language is acutely grim at a current website called "Aherne the Nigger Butcher" at (See Reference). The title of the site says it all, but I have attached a copy of the page for those who continue to believe that words such as nigger, live in a sterile vacuum, out of context and without the capacity to incite real harm.
The historical and contemporary usage of pejorative language by the dominant society plays an important part in the perpetuation of racist stereotypes and attitudes. When racism works and exists in business and in our institutions, it is largely silent. When racism arises casually between workers, school children or pedestrians, it is usually first expressed through pejorative language, a form of violence in itself.
The English language is also culpable in Byrd's death because of its culturally based racial bias. If a thing is naturally white, it can be seen to be superficially unsullied. A dark, coloured object can obscure stains. Europeans, specifically the English, have been wont to refer to themselves as white skinned peoples, even outside of and prior to the context of African exploitation. English has developed as a language that associates the 'colour' white with favourable qualities such as innocence, virginity, purity and honesty. Conversely black is conceptualized as symbolic of all that is in opposition to white. When people are conceptualized as being opposite in their innate qualities reason has gone by the wayside; who benefits from this?
The higher up the ladder of racial privilege you travel, the less likely you are to have a 'colour' attributed to your skin's complexion. Light-skinned peoples in conflict are said to have ethnic-differences (i.e. Semites, Croats, and Serbs). The characterizations that go along with the colours that describe race have a significant impact on this dynamic. It is interesting that the English speaking Europeans found Asians to be yellow skinned (cowardly, sickly), Native Americans to be red skinned (hostile, hot-blooded, savage) and Africans to be black skinned (devilish, evil, dishonest /opposite to white i.e. sexual versus virginal, primitive versus Christian).
Two of our Landmarks readings centred on a feminist analysis of the anthropomorphization of animate and inanimate objects (Martin, "The Egg and the Sperm")(Marlatt, "Difference (Em)bracing"). These readings led me to interrogate the words black and white, in light of the visual concepts that they represent and their relationship to the literal definitions of the words black and white. James Byrd Jr.'s murder is only one example of the far-reaching social consequences of pejorative language constructions.
The oldest English language treatises on African - European contacts cite the culturally based negative associations with the 'colour' black, as fundamental to the engendering of discriminatory practices inflicted on African peoples by Europeans (Thomas Jefferson Notes on Virginia; White Man's Burden, Winthrop Jordan). (At this point I acknowledge the various exploitative relationships between Africans all over the continent, clearly there is no comparison to be made between their historical relationships and the actions taken by strangers out of the African context to displace untold millions of people for labour in the colonies). The characterization of African peoples as 'black-skinned' was certainly convenient for the dehumanization of a population needed to labour and mine the resources found in the colonies.
If African people had been characterized as brown skinned, which in reality, we are, this would have been less effective. Brown has earthy, productive, fertile qualities attributed to it and so black was a far more effective choice for the juxtaposition against Europeans who even in pre-African contact times had shown a cultural preference for referring to themselves as white-skinned peoples. White has such virtuous qualities attached to it; clean, pure, innocent and honest, white things seem to beg anthropomorphization.
Genetically, anatomically and socially humans are more similar than we are different. Capitalist forces used language to emphasize and embroider racial differences into this oppositional concept in order to facilitate the rape and exploitation of the colony's resources and people. They tried to structure a society wherein the underclasses have only token mobility and by and large would remain a visibly marked, self-reproducing exploitable labour force.
Here we are, four hundred plus years later, living in a society which takes the ingrained attitude that there is some real sense to be made of the conception of whites and blacks in an oppositional relationship to one another. A relationship in which one group is naturally innocent, neutral and standing on a higher moral ground; unfortunately for our karma as a species, this plan is not only immoral but also unworkable.
English 112
"Touting Jefferson's relationship with "Sally" as a love affair is a blatant
example of America's refusal to face up to its enslavement of Africans, one
of the most horrific crimes against humanity since the world began--even
beyond the Jewish Holocaust. I've always thought the sentiment among many
whites and African-Americans to dismiss the kidnapping, murder, mutilation
and exploitation of millions of African people for profit was insane. To
propose that the continuous rape of a 14-year-old
enslaved girl by Jefferson - a slave owner - as a love affair is ludicrous.
"Anyone who believes this Jefferson-Hemmings thing was a love affair should
be
committed. So, let's get something straight about their involvement,
and about slavery as it manifested itself in America.
"First of all, although "Sally" was the half-sister of Jefferson's wife, she
was Jefferson's property, no different from his plow or his cow or his horse
or his buggy housed at Monticello. And just as the horse did not have a
choice in saying whether Jefferson could ride it, neither did "Sally." Sex
with her owner was not up for discussion, not an option.
Second, "Sally" was a child, so wouldn't that make the adult Jefferson a pedophile?
"Third, even if some morbid form of love was present, on Jefferson's part,
his
"love" did
not move him to set "Sally," or his children by her free. America's "great"
Mr. Jefferson turned a blind eye to the God-given rights he so eloquently
penned in the United States Constitution when it came to "Sally" and his
children. They were his slaves, "Sally" there to please him sexually, and
all of them at Montecello to make his money, period--no "unalienable rights"
to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." (One thing is certain,
Bill
Clinton can rest easy now, the honor of the presidency was tarnished long
before he ever laid hands on a cigar
or Monica, more over, she had a choice and consented.) So, let's stop the
lies
and tell the history, beginning with Thomas Jefferson's relationship with
Sally
Hemmings as a love affair. Let's call it what it was, the rape of a child
by
a sitting President who was a pedophile, so I guess that does make
him a "founding father."
"And now, on to the general issue of slavery in America. It would hoist race
relations in this country to a new level if the entire story were told. It
is crucial that the story be told that these enslaved Africans, and their
descendants were not "dumb, lazy, shiftless," creatures, but human beings
whose intelligence, strength and perseverance were so profound, that they
remarkably survived America's "peculiar institution," and they continue to
survive despite well-calculated attempts to destroy them.
"It's is incumbent on every person who claims to be an American to know that
this
country was built with the blood, sweat, skills, and strength of millions of
Africans.
These people, who until they were stolen from their native land had for
centuries lived in thriving communities with established systems of
government, highly skilled artisans, spiritual practitioners, intellectuals,
academicians while Europeans were still in the Dark Ages.
"The story is that for more than 400 years, enslaved Africans and their
descendants picked the cotton and tobacco and cut sugar cane that
produced the wealth that was the economic engine of this emerging country.
They also raised their owners children and gave them culture; invented
timesaving
machinery like the cotton gin and broad hoe; built homes and furniture;
developed lifesaving medical techniques and medicines; created art
forms and revolutionized animal husbandry. Artisans who worked in glass,
wood,
textiles, iron and stone helped to build the South. And for all of
this, they never received one dime for their labor. Jefferson and his kind,
relegated
them to chattel, not worthy of compensation. In his eyes, they were
chattel,
including "Sally."
"African-Americans have endured all that was heaped upon them for
more than 400 years. Even now, 30 years after Affirmative Action, many
whites - and some black Americans - still make the ridiculous demand that
African-Americans should "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." This
group
says
that African-Americans should not expect to receive preferential
treatment because of their color. Funny thing is--no one ever posed the
same
to those in America who have benefited from the privilege of their white
skin.
"The debt owed to African-Americans for their contributions to the success of
this country is long overdue. In his book, The Debt: What America Owes
to Blacks, Randall Robinson, president of "TransAfrica" offers a clear and
concise path for reparations. It should be required reading for every
American.
If Americans are courageous enough to learn the full and true
history of how this country evolved, it really might have a chance of
becoming the
glorious ideal that Jefferson envisioned. When the whole truth is told,
perhaps someone will tell it in a movie that depicts the horrors "Sally"
endured as
Jefferson's property, not his "love."
Copyright, Erika D. Neal; January 26, 2000 UP
What's On This Page:
Anne Rice is the author of the forthcoming novel "Christ the Lord: Out of
Egypt." Article Online at:
New Orleans UP
By Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, Chief of Staff - Delivered at the Tuskegee Airmen Convention Banquet, Atlanta, Aug 12, 1995
UP
by Hans J.Massaquoi
Written by A. Tolbert, III. UP
All three were saints, having left their stamp on Christianity and the Catholic Church.
It is hard to believe that after my many years of schooling (secondary
and post) the following facts about the Statue of Liberty were never
taught. Hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people including
myself have visited the Statue of Liberty over the years but yet I'm
unable to find one person who knows the true history behind the
Statue...amazing!
Please pass this information along! Be sure to send it to people with
children! Open a dialog and discuss it with your friends! Let this be the
beginning of your quest for the Truth about American History past and
present!
© McMillan/NYT/NYTIMES - 10/02/2002
America is now grappling with the kind of terrorism that Blacks have been forced to endure throughout American history, says Vernon E. Jordan Jr., the high-powered attorney and confidant of former President Bill Clinton.
© Jaime M. Sampson
I will never forget the joy I felt, when at the conclusion of my elementary school education, I was named the school’s best athlete and valedictorian. As I stood on stage to receive those two awards, I can remember looking down into the audience and seeing tears of joy well up in both my parents’ eyes. I will never forget that that was one of my most proud moments. I felt both validated and respected by my peers, educators, parents, and administrators. That moment, however, was extremely short-lived. My world of harmony and the false assumption that racial prejudice and negative stereotyping were non-existent, crumbled before I could enjoy what I thought to be hard-earned accomplishments and well-deserved awards. I was catapulted from a world of false pretenses into a world of intellectual race gradations when I crossed the threshold of my school’s ladies room less than one week after receiving those awards.
Daughter of Dominican parents,
Julius B. Sampson and Claudette Sampson (nee Cools-Lartigue) UP
How is The Murder of James Byrd Jr. Relevant to the Study of English?
© Eva Maximea
When we study English we study words. We ask which words are most effective to communicate our message, and why are they chosen? We choose them to stimulate visual, auditory, emotional and visceral reactions. Before we had racism as we know it today, we had language and we had economics. Language facilitates economics and without language - well, currency is language too, and Africans were reduced to a form of currency in the context of chattel slavery.
Prof. P.A. Klobucar
March 9, 1999
Copyright, Eva Maximea; UP
By Erika D. Neal (Taken from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Feb. 9/2000)
"One of the greatest love stories never told......" I wasn't in front of
the
television when I first heard that promo for the upcoming CBS movie on the
relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, so I was expecting
to hear about a syrupy love affair dripping with poetic lines and flowery
cinematography. Instead, I was smacked in the face, not by "one of the
greatest love stories never told," but by one of the biggest lies ever told.
I can only imagine how this program depicts
slavery, probably as some extended work-release program developed in the
South.
What If There Were No Black Folk? This is a story of a little boy named Theo, who woke up one morning and asked God, "What if there were no Black people in the world?"
Well God thought about that for a moment and then said, "Son, follow me around today and let's just see what it would be like if there were no Black people in the world. Get dressed and we will get started."
Theo ran to his room to put on his clothes and shoes. But there were no shoes, and his clothes were all wrinkled. He looked for the iron, but when he reached for the ironing board, it was no longer there. You see, Sarah Boone, a Black woman, invented the ironing board and Jan E. Matzelinger, a Black man invented the shoe lasting machine.
"Oh well, God said, go and do your hair."
Theo ran in his room to comb his hair, but the comb was not there. You see, Walter Sammons, a Black man, invented the comb. Theo decided to just brush his hair, but the brush was gone. You see, Lydia O. Newman, a Black female invented the brush. Well, he was a sight, no shoes, wrinkled clothes, hair a mess without the hair care inventions of Madam C.J. Walker. Well, you get the picture.
God told Theo, "Let's do the chores around the house and then take a trip to the grocery store."
Theo's job was to sweep the floor. He swept and swept and swept. When he reached for the dustpan, it was not there. You see, Lloyd P. Ray, a Black man, invented the dustpan. So he swept his pile of dirt over in the corner and left it there. He then decided to mop the floor, but the mop was gone. You see, Thomas W. Stewart, a Black man, invented the mop.
Theo thought to himself, "I'm not having any luck."
"Well son," God said. "We should wash the clothes and prepare a list for the grocery store."
When he was finished, Theo went to place the clothes in the dryer, but it was not there. You see, George T. Samon, a Black man, invented the clothes dryer. Theo got a pencil and some paper to prepare the list for the market, but noticed that the pencil lead was broken, well he was out of luck because John Love, a black man, invented the pencil sharpener. He reached for a pen, but it was not there because William Purvis, a Black man, invented the fountain pen. As a matter of fact, Lee Burridge invented the type writing machine, and W.A. Lavette, the printing press. So they decided to head out to the market. Well, when Theo opened the door, he noticed the grass was as high as he was tall. You see the lawn mower was invented by John Burr, a Black man. They made their way over to the car and found that it just wouldn't go, You see, Robert Spikes, a Black man, invented the automatic gear shift and Joseph Gammel invented the supercharge system for internal combustion engines. They noticed that the few cars that were moving were running into each other and having wrecks because there were no traffic signals. You see, Garrett A. Morgan, a Black man invented the traffic light. Well, it was getting late, so they walked to the market, got their groceries and returned home. Just when they were about to put away the milk, eggs and butter, they noticed the refrigerator was gone. You see, John Standard, a Black man, invented the refrigerator. So they put the food on the counter.
By this time, they noticed it was getting mighty cold. Theo went to turn up the heat and what do you know, Olive Parker, a Black female, invented the heating furnace. Even in the summer time they would have been out of luck because Frederick Jones a Black man, invented the air conditioner.
It was almost time for Theo's father to arrive home. He usually took the bus, but there was no bus because it's precursor was the electric invented by another Black man, Elbert T. Robinson.
He usually took the elevator from his office on the 20th floor, but there was no elevator because Alexander Miles, a Black man, invented the elevator.
He usually dropped off the office mail at a nearby mailbox, but it was no longer there. Phillip Downing, a Black man, invented the letter drop mailbox and William Barry invented the postmarking and canceling machine.
Theo sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. When his father arrived he asked, "Why are you sitting in the dark?"
Why?? Because Lewis Howard Latimer, a Black man, invented the filament within the Light bulb.
Theo quickly learned what it would be like if there were no Black people in the world. Not to mention if he were ever sick and needed blood. Charles Drew, a Black scientist, found a way to preserve and store blood which led to his starting the world's first blood bank. And what if a family member had to have surgery. This would not have been possible without Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a Black doctor, who performed the first open heart surgery.
So if you ever wonder, like Theo, where we would be without Blacks? Well, it's pretty plain to see, we could very well still be in the dark!!!
UP
Did You Know That?
(These little known facts about Blacks are shared with you, compliments David Wilson, - from his research of source material for his rare paintings.)
Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) who is considered the father of Russian modern literature was of African decent and was very proud of it.
Alessandro d' Medici, (il moro) so called because of his swathy complexion, believed to be the son of Pope Clement VII (Giulio de' Medici), was a mulatto born to an African mother. His ascent to become Duke of Florence (1523-1537) was aided by the Pope, which raised the suspicion of the Florentines that he was indeed the Pope's son. Most European artistic representations of "Andromeda" are erroneous since she was, according to the story, an Ethiopian princess. Hercules was Andromeda's grandson. Does that explain the strength that intrigued the Greeks? The European artists were wrong again in their depiction of Hercules. Although these were mere mythological stories, the prejudice of the Europeans would not allow them to be truthful about trivia such as this. The wife of Moses, Zephora, was also Ethiopian and if Moses did not go to the Promised Land, he obviously remained in Ethiopia, which may explain the presence of the Jews in Ethiopia. Was there a historical Othello? I say yes! He was St Maurice, one of the patron saints of Germany. Yes, I said "Germany". As bigotted as Hitler was he did not change the Black Eagle banner that has been a standard in Germany since the crusades. I have attached a painting that represents the "Disputation of Saint Maurice and Erasmus". Now, if the Moors were muslim, what business did Othello have fighting for the Christian forces. This is what Saint Maurice did. However, it depends on his geographical origin. If he were Ethiopian, then he would have been justified, because Ethiopia was one of the first countries in the world to have made Christianity the official state religion. Shakespeare made Othello a hero, but to the Moors he would have been a traitor. This is a topic on which I have embarked on in my painting.
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