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IN MEMORIAM: Tribute to Freedom Fighter Charlene Mitchell
NNPA NEWSWIRE — How should we say thank you adequately to leaders and freedom fighters who have passed away? We all should keep fighting for freedom and hold dear to the passion and principles that they lived by and represented. Long live the spirit, love, memory and legacy of Charlene Alexander Mitchell. Rest in Power and in Peace (R.I.P).
The post IN MEMORIAM: Tribute to Freedom Fighter Charlene Mitchell first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO
All people throughout the world ultimately benefit from the singular and collective sacrifices of a few monumental and courageous freedom fighters who have dared to speak out, stand up, and act valiantly on behalf of the universal cause of freedom, justice and equality. In the course of human history, I have been privileged personally over the past 75 years to meet and to work with some of those global “freedom fighters.”
Charlene Alexander Mitchell (1930-2022) was an admired courageous international freedom fighter. On behalf of the Wilmington Ten and all political prisoners in America, we humbly and solemnly pause to render a memorial tribute to our beloved Sister Queen Mother Freedom Fighter, Charlene A. Mitchell.
From being born in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 8, 1930, to moving to Chicago where at the young activist age of 16, Charlene joined the CPUSA, and then she went on to reside in the heart of Harlem, New York where for over 60 years she effectively led hundreds of grassroots, national, and international campaigns for freedom and equal justice.
Charlene Mitchell passed away on December 14, 2022, in New York. I know that her legacy and ideals, however, will live on for many future generations to come.
Who was the key organizer and strategist of the successful global campaign to free Angela Davis from political prosecution and imprisonment? It was Charlene Mitchell. Who was the visionary activist organizer of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR)? It was Charlene Mitchell.
In addition to the support and leadership of the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice and the Wilmington Ten Defense Committee, it was in fact the gallant leadership and global mobilization efforts of Charlene Mitchell, Angela Davis and many others in the NAARPR that helped to free the Wilmington Ten, Charlotte Three, Joann Little, and so many other political prisoners throughout the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the early 1980s during a video filmed dialogue between James Baldwin and me at Dooky Chase restaurant in New Orleans that focused on Black American oppression and liberation, I recalled that Baldwin affirmatively asserted that, “There is no question in my mind that Charlene Mitchell remains the Joan of Arc of Harlem because she dares to utter unspeakable truth to power.”
But I also witnessed the personal side that intersected with the extraordinary ideological and organizing genius that Charlene Mitchell embodied 24/7. She was a devoted and caring mother to her son, Steven Mitchell, who also became a labor organizer and representative.
My mother, Mrs. Elisabeth R. Chavis, and the mother of Angela Davis, Mrs. Sallye B. Davis, and Charlene Mitchell would find quality time together, even while traveling from city to city to free other political prisoners, to talk about the importance of family in our long-protracted struggle for freedom in America and throughout the world.
I will always remember the loving smile on Charlene’s face and that unforgettable twinkle of solidarity in her eyes whenever she discussed and planned how to organize and to win victories over peoples’ oppression.
How should we say thank you adequately to leaders and freedom fighters who have passed away? We all should keep fighting for freedom and hold dear to the passion and principles that they lived by and represented. Long live the spirit, love, memory and legacy of Charlene Alexander Mitchell. Rest in Power and in Peace (R.I.P). God bless.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer/Host of The Chavis Chronicles on PBS TV stations throughout the United States. He can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org
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The post IN MEMORIAM: Tribute to Freedom Fighter Charlene Mitchell first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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