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Harriet Tubman’s Fight for Women’s Suffrage Honored at Church of Scientology National Affairs Office Celebration

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Although Harriet Tubman lived to be 91, she did not see the 19th Amendment pass. However, Ms. Tina Wyatt, great-great-great grandniece of Harriet Tubman explained, Tubman’s influence on the suffrage movement was such that it was recognized this year in no less than the Rose Bowl Parade on New Year’s Day.Joining other descendants of famous suffragists, Ms. Wyatt rode on the Women’s Suffrage float, which won the Best Theme award this year.

Published

4 years ago

March 19, 2020

Oakland Post

Opening the event was an appearance by an “elderly Harriet Tubman” portrayed by Ms. P.S. Perkins.

During the Women’s Suffrage Centennial, Harriet Tubman and other African Americans acknowledged for their contribution to the struggle for all women’s right to vote.

WASHINGTON, DC – Highlighting Black History as well as Women’s History, the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office held its eighth annual Black History Month event honoring the lesser-told, but important, influence of Harriet Tubman and other African Americans on the Women’s Suffrage movement and the eventual passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920 granting women the right to vote.

Opening the event was an appearance by an “elderly Harriet Tubman” portrayed by Ms. P.S. Perkins. The Tubman actor explained how she fought for women’s suffrage after the Civil War and how she sometimes had conflicts with other advocates who worried that the African American female vote might hurt the suffrage movement.

Ms. Tubman emphatically argued that ALL women should have the right to vote! At the end of the event, she passed out replicas of the proposed Harriet Tubman $20 bill to the guests including distinguished members of Washington’s diplomatic corps from the Caribbean and Africa, Ghana Tourism USA, Miss Africa USA, leaders in the arts, human rights activists and authors.

Ms. Tina Wyatt, great-great-great grandniece of Harriet Tubman, spoke about the important history of Tubman’s involvement, as well as what is being done this year to commemorate her role during this 100th Anniversary of women’s suffrage.

Although Harriet Tubman lived to be 91, she did not see the 19th Amendment pass. However, Ms. Wyatt explained, Tubman’s influence on the suffrage movement was such that it was recognized this year in no less than the Rose Bowl Parade on New Year’s Day.

Joining other descendants of famous suffragists, Ms. Wyatt rode on the Women’s Suffrage float, which won the Best Theme award this year.

Walking behind the float were 100 women dressed in white commemorating the brave women who marched in the suffrage movement.

Joining Wyatt on the float were descendants of other fighters for suffrage including descendants of Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells who fought for women’s suffrage to ensure that all women would gain the right to vote.

Historian and scholar Dr. C.R. Gibbs detailed not only the influence of famous African Americans like Frederick Douglass in achieving the important milestone of women’s suffrage, but also the civil rights fight that then ensued for decades to obtain it for real.

Full voting rights were not fully realized until the victory of the Voting Act of 1965 which legally removed barriers to voting that effectively barred African Americans and women from voting despite the Constitutional Amendments intended to guarantee that right.

Julia Washburn, Acting Executive Director of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, spoke about the work the Centennial Commission is doing and will do to honor the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage.

The Commission’s role is to commemorate and coordinate the nationwide celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and to educate the American people about the efforts and undertakings of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States in a nonpartisan fashion.

The 19th Amendment was fully ratified and announced on August 26, 1920.Today, over 68 million women vote in the U.S.

Moderator of the panel, Ms. Beth Akiyama, Executive Director of the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office remarked, “In this election year, some still argue that there is still a long way to go to remove barriers to voting rights for all and so the fight continues.”

“And what about voting rights in the rest of the world?

There are still countries that do not have fair and free elections and voting rights for all,” said Ms. Akiyama, reminding attendees of a tool that can be used to achieve this worldwide: The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).To make the 30 rights in this key UN document a reality, Youth for Human Rights International created videos which include all 30 rights, including Human Right #1, We are All Born Free and Equal, as well as Human Right #24, The Right to Democracy.

These were given out at the event and are also available to anyone for free worldwide at: www.youthforhumanrights.org.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.