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COMMENTARY: Black History Month and the Importance of Telling Our History

NNPA NEWSWIRE — As a former history teacher and student of history, I’m deeply concerned by the dark efforts at work to silence these stories. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund estimates that more than 1,600 books have been banned across the country, with 566 books having been banned in Florida alone. Teachers and librarians are living in fear of triggering the next battle of the ongoing culture war as they simply try to do their job.
The post COMMENTARY: Black History Month and the Importance of Telling Our History first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 months ago

February 29, 2024

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Special to the NNPA

By U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the giants that came before us and reflect on the shoulders upon which we stand. I am reminded of Lewis Latimer, the son of former slaves, whose invention of the filament allowed Thomas Edison’s lightbulb to function properly. I am reminded of Septima Poinsette Clark, a South Carolinian who Martin Luther King called the mother of the civil rights movement, whose workshops inspired icons like Rosa Parks. And I’m reminded of Robert Smalls, who I sincerely believe is the most consequential South Carolinian who ever lived. While enslaved, he absconded a Confederate boat, freed his family and friends, campaigned for Blacks to be allowed to fight for the Union army, and later became a member of the South Carolina legislature and Congress.

As a former history teacher and student of history, I’m deeply concerned by the dark efforts at work to silence these stories. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund estimates that more than 1,600 books have been banned across the country, with 566 books having been banned in Florida alone. Teachers and librarians are living in fear of triggering the next battle of the ongoing culture war as they simply try to do their job.

These efforts are directly connected with widespread attempts to take control of local school boards. In 2022, several new board members — who had the support of right-wing activist group “Moms for Liberty” — were sworn into the Berkeley County School District in South Carolina. Within two hours, the board had fired the district’s first Black superintendent, removed the district’s lawyer, banned “critical race theory,” whatever that is, and put the framework in place to ban various books from schools.

Other school districts in South Carolina followed suit — Clarendon, Charleston, Colleton, and Sumter — and have come under fire within the last year. They are all led by Black superintendents. These are coordinated actions not intended to support the education of our children, but to further a political agenda sponsored by “Moms of Liberty” and various other ultra-right wing MAGA groups.

The dangers of continuing down this path are too great to ignore. I often quote philosopher George Santayana who once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Based on the recent events unfolding across my home state which gave birth to Brown v. Board of Education, it’s clear we are already headed in that terrifying direction.

It is a common myth that the origins of the Christian right can be traced back to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. As the story goes, religious conservatives were so deeply disturbed by the possibility of the legalization of a woman’s right to choose that they mobilized, eventually garnering the attention of President Richard Nixon. President Nixon then used the issue as a cornerstone of his 1972 presidential campaign.

However, it was the issue of school desegregation in the 1950s and ‘60s that unified the bloc. The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision sent shockwaves throughout the country, particularly in the South where Jim Crow flourished, and segregation was the dominating way of life. In response to Brown, white residents established racially segregated private schools to avoid complying with the ruling. Notably, most of these schools were religiously affiliated.

Black families joined together in the successful 1971 Green v. Connally class action suit to prevent the institutions from being granted tax-exempt status and to ensure no one could receive tax deductions for contributing to such schools. Tensions were further inflamed in 1975 when the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status of Bob Jones University, a racially segregated evangelical Christian institution.

Today, this same Christian right has rebranded and united with MAGA Republicans to remove Black history books from our schools, strip women of their right to choose, and end the miracle of IVF.

Each of these efforts are intertwined with the generations of discrimination that the African American community has experienced. Yes, the civil rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s was a complex struggle for justice and equality for the Black community. But I reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s prescient words in his famed “I Have a Dream” speech, that “[Our white brothers] have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.”

As the son of a fundamentalist minister and Chairman of the Democratic Faith Working Group in Congress, I lean heavily on my faith in challenging times. Matthew 25:40 teaches us that “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” It may be easy to turn a blind eye when the injustices do not impact you. But the scripture assures that we will “reap what [we] sow.”

Our stories — Black stories — should and must be told.

The post COMMENTARY: Black History Month and the Importance of Telling Our History 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.

Published

3 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

3 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.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

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