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Frederick Douglas Reese, Civil Rights Icon

Throughout Selma, Ala., there are streets named Frederick D. Reese Parkway and F.D. Reese. In March of each year, the city hosts F.D. Reese Day. Yet the name Frederick Douglas Reese (1929 – 2018) is not widely known and doesn’t have its own chapter in history books.

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Reese was born in Selma and rose to national prominence as a civil rights leader after the city’s Bloody Sunday, the 1965 march during which 600 people were attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by club-wielding state troopers wearing gas masks.
Reese was born in Selma and rose to national prominence as a civil rights leader after the city’s Bloody Sunday, the 1965 march during which 600 people were attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by club-wielding state troopers wearing gas masks

By Tamara Shiloh

Throughout Selma, Ala., there are streets named Frederick D. Reese Parkway and F.D. Reese. In March of each year, the city hosts F.D. Reese Day. Yet the name Frederick Douglas Reese (1929 – 2018) is not widely known and doesn’t have its own chapter in history books.

Reese was born in Selma and rose to national prominence as a civil rights leader after the city’s Bloody Sunday, the 1965 march during which 600 people were attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by club-wielding state troopers wearing gas masks.

Later that day, marchers gathered at Brown Chapel AME Church. Reese recalled: “I had prayer. I had scripture. While in the sanctuary, the telephone rang … it was Dr. King … he said that he would invite ministers to Selma who would come to lend their assistance to the people of Selma.”

While in the sanctuary, Reese continued, “a group had chartered a plane from New Jersey, had flown to Montgomery and got a bus, came to Selma, walked in that church that night, and said ‘we have seen on the television screen what happened across that bridge today, and we have come to lend our bodies and our assistance to the people of Selma.”

“That was one of the most exhilarating and inspiring moments of that day,” he said. And those moments would change Reese’s life.

On March 21 of that same year, Reese would embark on a 50-mile march, from Selma to Montgomery, hand in hand with King. His front-row presence made him a symbol of the civil rights movement, and his impact reached beyond Selma.

Reese was determined to see that all people would have the right to vote. This led him to inspiring teachers from Selma’s Clark Elementary School to stand on the steps of the Dallas County Courthouse. No teachers were allowed to register to vote that day, but the involvement of more than 100 Black teachers “ignited a spark” in the movement.

“The teachers’ march really excited other people who had taken somewhat of a backseat so to speak,” Reese, in 2015, told The Selma Times-Journal.

Reese’s work throughout the movement was not without accomplishment. It led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and later catapulted his leadership role in Selma, where he served on the city council for a dozen years. He also ran for mayor.

Alabama State University President Quinton T. Ross Jr. described Reese as “a giant of a man” and a “man of great courage who dared to take a stand against institutionalized racism and segregation in Selma, and by so doing, helped win the right to vote for all of the nation’s African American citizens.”

Learn more about Reese’s front-row presence and how he became a symbol of and leader in the civil rights movement in Kathy M. Walters and Frederick D. Reese’s “Selma’s Self-Sacrifice.” This reading reaches beyond Selma, offering a true testimony of how the movement was affected by history, culture, and society

Activism

OPINION: Your Voice and Vote Impact the Quality of Your Health Care

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare. 

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Rhonda M. Smith.
Rhonda M. Smith.

By Rhonda M. Smith, Special to California Black Media Partners

Shortly after last year’s election, I hopped into a Lyft and struck up a conversation with the driver. As we talked, the topic inevitably turned to politics. He confidently told me that he didn’t vote — not because he supported Donald Trump, but because he didn’t like Kamala Harris’ résumé. When I asked what exactly he didn’t like, he couldn’t specifically articulate his dislike or point to anything specific. In his words, he “just didn’t like her résumé.”

That moment really hit hard for me. As a Black woman, I’ve lived through enough election cycles to recognize how often uncertainty, misinformation, or political apathy keep people from voting, especially Black voters whose voices are historically left out of the conversation and whose health, economic security, and opportunities are directly impacted by the individual elected to office, and the legislative branches and political parties that push forth their agenda.

That conversation with the Lyft driver reflects a troubling surge in fear-driven politics across our country. We’ve seen White House executive orders gut federal programs meant to help our most vulnerable populations and policies that systematically exclude or harm Black and underserved communities.

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, doesn’t just cover care. It protects individuals and families from medical debt, keeps rural hospitals open, creates jobs, and helps our communities thrive. Simply put; Medicaid is a lifeline for 1 in 5 Black Americans. For many, it’s the only thing standing between them and a medical emergency they can’t afford, especially with the skyrocketing costs of health care. The proposed cuts mean up to 7.2 million Black Americans could lose their healthcare coverage, making it harder for them to receive timely, life-saving care. Cuts to Medicaid would also result in fewer prenatal visits, delayed cancer screenings, unfilled prescriptions, and closures of community clinics. When healthcare is inaccessible or unaffordable, it doesn’t just harm individuals, it weakens entire communities and widens inequities.

The reality is Black Americans already face disproportionately higher rates of poorer health outcomes. Our life expectancy is nearly five years shorter in comparison to White Americans. Black pregnant people are 3.6 times more likely to die during pregnancy or postpartum than their white counterparts.

These policies don’t happen in a vacuum. They are determined by who holds power and who shows up to vote. Showing up amplifies our voices. Taking action and exercising our right to vote is how we express our power.

I urge you to start today. Call your representatives, on both sides of the aisle, and demand they protect Medicaid (Medi-Cal), the Affordable Care Act (Covered CA), and access to food assistance programs, maternal health resources, mental health services, and protect our basic freedoms and human rights. Stay informed, talk to your neighbors and register to vote.

About the Author

Rhonda M. Smith is the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity for all Black Californians.

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Activism

IN MEMORIAM: Nate Holden, State Senator and Longtime Los Angeles Councilmember, Dies at 95

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.” Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

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Former Los Angeles Councilmember and California State Sen. Nate Holden. File photo.
Former Los Angeles Councilmember and California State Sen. Nate Holden. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Nathaniel “Nate” Holden, a prominent figure in the city’s politics, passed away at the age of 95, his family confirmed on May 7.

Holden, who represented South Los Angeles for 16 years on the City Council and served one term in the California State Senate, was widely regarded as a forceful advocate for his community.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.”

Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

Holden’s journey to political prominence began in the segregated South, where he was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1929. He often recalled the childhood moment when he first heard the governor of Georgia vowing to continue suppressing Black people.

“Doing the best you can for the people. Law and order. Make sure that people’s communities are safe. I did it all,” said Holden, reflecting on his legacy.

Holden is survived by his sons, including former California Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represented a district in Southern California that includes Pasadena and Altadena in Los Angeles County and cities in San Bernardino County.

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Black History

Henry Blair, the Second African American to Obtain a Patent

Being a successful farmer required consistent production. Blair figured out a way to increase his harvest. He did this with two inventions. His first invention was a corn planter. The planter had the same structure as a wheelbarrow, with a box to hold the seed and rakes dragging behind to cover them. This machine allowed farmers to plant their crops more economically.

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A sketch of one of Henry Blair’s inventions, the seed planter. Image courtesy United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A sketch of one of Henry Blair’s inventions, the seed planter. Image courtesy United States Patent and Trademark Office.

By Tamara Shiloh

The debate over whether enslaved African Americans could receive U.S. Government-issued patents was still unfolding when the second African American to hold a patent, Henry Blair, received his first patent in 1834.

The first African American to receive a patent was Thomas Jennings in 1821 for his discovery of a process called dry scouring, also known as dry cleaning.

Blair was born in Glen Ross, Maryland, in 1807. He was an African American farmer who received two patents. Each patent was designed to help increase agricultural productivity.

There is very little information about his life prior to the inventions. It is known that he was a farmer who invented machines to help with planting and harvesting crops. There is no written evidence that he was a slave.

However, it is apparent that he was a businessman.

Being a successful farmer required consistent production. Blair figured out a way to increase his harvest. He did this with two inventions. His first invention was a corn planter. The planter had the same structure as a wheelbarrow, with a box to hold the seed and rakes dragging behind to cover them. This machine allowed farmers to plant their crops more economically.

Blair could not write. As a result of his illiteracy, he signed the patent with an “X”. He received his first patent for the corn planter on Oct. 14, 1834.

Two years later, taking advantage of the boost in the cotton industry, he received his second patent. This time for a cotton planter. This machine worked by splitting the ground with two shovel-like blades that were pulled along by a horse. A wheel-driven cylinder behind the blades placed seeds into the freshly plowed ground. Not only was this another economical and efficient machine. It also helped with controlling weeds and put the seeds in the ground quickly Henry Blair received his second patent on Aug. 31, 1836

During this time, the United States government passed a law that allowed patents to be granted to both free and enslaved men. However, in 1857, this law was contested by a slaveowner. He argued that slaveowners had a right to claim credit for a slave’s inventions. His argument was that since an owner’s slaves were his property, anything that a slave owned was the property of the owner also.

In 1858 the law changed, and patents were no longer given to slaves. However, the law changed again in 1871 after the Civil War. The patent law was revised to permit all American men, regardless of race, the right to patent their inventions.

Blair died in 1860.

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