Wiki History!

Hello history friends and welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history too.

So, today is the last part of this great and groundbreaking series on fun and easy ways to be inspired by history. Wow, we have covered a lot of ground during this series.

We started with the decision to read, read, and read some more. I think that I almost lost some of you with that first step. Yes, I love to read but I think that you imagined that I stayed up in the wee hours of the night to read a 1,000-page history textbook (written in a tiny font). Wrong! While I appreciate the role of textbooks in education, I don’t take the view that they are teaching history. Instead, they are presenting names, dates and events instead of telling a story. That’s what history is to me: a collection of stories—about people. The names, dates, and events are incidental. The people are the main characters; they make the story. And the story makes history. Remember, David McCullough (my favorite historian) noted that history has to be literature or it will turn to dust. He also noted that piano teachers often complain to their students, “I hear all the notes but I hear no music.” There has to be music. Bring it all together and make music. Just imagine, we’re talking about history as literature, history as music. This is radical stuff here—but it is real and truthful and, dare I say, inspirational too. Remember, too, that biographies and narratives (like the slave narratives that I mentioned and read an excerpt from) can be uncommonly gripping and moving—and yes, they will inspire you right out of your chair!

In Part II, we focused on movies and documentaries. The movies are basically books (non-fiction novels if you will) on the big screen. For people who don’t like to read or don’t have time to read, movies are a great way to be inspired by history.

Many movies tell the story about an actual event or person from the past. I mentioned lots of movies but that was just the tip of the iceberg. You can easily find great historical movies and be inspired by the people and their stories. Many other movies are based on books about real events in history and these can be equally inspirational. And I never want to forget or overlook the documentaries (like the ones that I mentioned about Thurgood Marshall—And Justice for All and With All Deliberate Speed) that showed the life, struggles and victories of this great great man. Trust me on this one—documentaries are amazing works, well-researched and well presented, and they can inspire you in ways that fictionalized works can not.

In the third part, we moved away from books and movies to consider getting history right from the people who were there. (I failed to add that actually books and movies can supplement this method.) Talk to your elders. Many people who participated in Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, the Invasion of Normandy, and other great historical events are still alive. They are still able to tell their stories. Let’s listen to them. Let’s hear their experiences. Let’s ask them questions. And, most importantly, let’s remember their stories and remember them. They were part of history. They made history. They actually are history. There is nothing so moving as listening to the stories of people who were at historical events that I have only read about. But don’t wait—no one came to stay—so talk to and listen to the elders and get the “real” story. The real history.

Part IV was a lot of fun because we talked about actually visiting great historic sites. Books and movies are great. Talking to people who were at these historic events is incredible. But actually visiting the sites, seeing the place, really brings it all to life.

Nothing beats actually standing in an historic place and immersing yourself in it. It opens up the senses in ways that might be impossible to describe. Personally, I will never forget my experience visiting a slave home at George Washington’s plantation or the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland or temple of King Kamehameha in Hawaii. Nothing can describe them fully. You gotta be there.

That led us to Part V because sometimes you simply cannot be there. So, what do you do? Go to museums. No it is not the same thing but many museums are designed to give you that “being there” experience. They are also designed to help you to understand the situation, the person, the problem and the culture. Going to museums, libraries and exhibits are an amazingly inspirational way to experience history. Remember my “go to” museum was the British Museum in London. What is your “go to” museum?

All of these ways to be inspired by history can work so well together. I hope that you don’t choose just one but try to combine them so that you get a more full experience and a more inspirational experience.

This brings us to Part VI of this great and groundbreaking series on 6 fun and easy ways to be inspired by history. I saved this particular way for last because it is probably the most dramatic. I gave a hint in the previous podcast that this way is the most fun but also the hardest to do. So, what is it?

Attend an historical Reenactments!

What is an historical reenactment?

Great question. I love great questions!

A historical reenactment is when people reenact history. It could be an historical event (like a battle), a time period (like the Middle Ages), a person or group of people from history (like the Buffalo soldiers) or engage in a certain behavior, sport or activity from the past (like jousting or sword fighting). It is a huge amount of fun!

This is when things get really exciting—and sometimes just a bit weird! History re-enactments bring history to life in an amazing way. The historical setting is recreated. People dress up in clothes from the period. They basically turn into actors and immerse themselves in the reenactment. In general, the event is replayed.

What kinds of things are reenacted? It could be anything. I recently attended a medieval festival in Gdansk, Poland at Castle Malbork (which is a teutonic castle from the 1400s) where there was jousting, sword fights, archery and other types of combat. But they also had the medieval food and beer (much stronger than beer today!) Everyone was dressed up in period clothes and talked the “medieval” talk! It was amazing. And lots of fun.

I also attended a re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo, which was fought in 1815. It was equally incredible. Yes, Napoleon was there as well as Wellington—I saw them or the actors that played them—and there must have been hundreds of people dressed as soldiers to re-enact the famous battle.

Perhaps you have heard of or attended the Renaissance Pleasure Faire—well, that’s a mild (but great) example of an historical re-enactment.

If you want to see, feel and experience an historical event, time period or see a person or group of people from history, then I strongly urge you to attend a re-enactment. Or even go to the event as a re-enactor. Many people do this in their free time. I met one medieval sword fighter who worked as an account during they day.

Lots of fun. And, yes, it is so inspirational to see how events unfolded and to be a part of it. I recently learned that the Buffalo Soldiers Museum is planning re-enactments. Sure to be an exciting and educational event. Just go and have fun! Remember that it does not have to be a reenactment of your history, it can be a reenactment of any time period, person or battle.

So, that’s all I’m gonna say about historical re-enactments. They are so much fun and so inspirational and the people involved are so open and really just love history. Everyone is welcome.

Of course, I have to return to David McCullough’s quote that “No harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to read.” The same applies for history re-enactments: No harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to experience. Or live. Or act.” History is pretty tough. If your intention is right and you like and respect history, then the risk is small that you are going to harm it.

Sadly, this wraps up the final part of the great and groundbreaking series on fun and easy ways to be inspired by history. But I do want to respond to a few questions. Remember that I mentioned a Q & A period.

1. These are great ways to be inspired by history. I am new to learning history. What is the best way to start?

Thanks for your question. I always think of taking baby steps into something new. I’m glad that you have found an interest in history but I don’t want to go too hardcore at the beginning or to make you wait and lose interest. What way to start? Movies and documentaries. Everyone has experience with movies perhaps less with documentaries. But watching great movies about history is an easy, affordable and fun way to be introduced to and inspired by history. But if you do want to go hardcore, then an historical re-enactment is a lot of fun and is truly a life-changing event.

2. How do I get my kids interested in history?

Another great question! Too often, kids are first introduced to history in school where they are forced to memorize names of presidents and dates of battles. Boring! If your kids like to read, then find an age-appropriate book (there are lots of them) for your child. If your child is very young, read it to them. You can even act it out to really bring it to life for them. Another idea is to ask your parents or grandparents if they would tell stories to your children about historical events or people from history. The elders can be great story tellers and tend to have more credibility and interest from their grandchildren. Once you get that history ball rolling, the momentum will continue to grow so I’m glad that you are taking this important step.

3. I have found a lot of false statements in some history books. I don’t know if they are just mistaken or whether they are just lying but it put me off history for a long time. How do I deal with this feeling?

I completely understand your disillusionment with reading history books. Yes, there are myths, mistruths and downright lies in some history textbooks. Other times there are just “holes” or omissions. That can be frustrating and definitely lead to feelings of disillusionment. And, as I said, I completely understand. And I’ve been there. So, what do you do? I firmly believe that we should not run away from this type of mis-education. In fact, we should face it head on and demand changes. Write to the editor, point out the problem and demand that it be fixed. Write articles or letters to newspapers and other publications about the wrong information. Most importantly, keep educating yourself. Keep learning history; the “right” history. Attacking it from the inside, I believe, has more power than being on the outside. Announce those mistakes and dis-information. Start teaching the true facts. Tell your children about history. While history is tough (as I said earlier), it does need our protection to make sure that it stays true and that it continues to inspire. Real inspiration is never found in falsehood.

I’m so sorry that I cannot address more questions! They were so good and so important And there are many more that need and deserve my attention. But this wiki podcast is getting long. Wiki is Hawaiian for quick and I’m afraid that we’re are no longer so wiki right now.

I hope that you have enjoyed this great and groundbreaking series on fun and easy ways to be inspired by history. I hope that you have found ways that will help you. And most of all, I hope that you will be—and are—inspired by history. It has been my pleasure to host this important series and I do hope that you will return for more remembering history podcasts.

I would love to hear your comments so please go to the Remembering History Facebook page or to the remememberinghistory.com website where you can also ask questions. I promise to answer. You will find a great group of fun and friendly historians at rememberinghistory.com and on the Remembering History Facebook page. And remember that you can find these podcasts at Stitcher.com which is radio on demand. You can also download the app from the app store. Just sit back and enjoy.

So, I hope to see you soon at remembeinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history.

Bye for now!

Hello history friends and welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history!

Today we are continuing with our 6-part wiki history series called “6 Fun & Easy ways to be inspired by history.” This series has proven to be amazingly inspirational; I hope that you’re having a great time. I know I am. Inspiration is all around us but sometimes it is difficult to see. The same applies to history—it is everywhere yet we often don’t realize that history is being made every single day. We don’t want to miss these inspirational moments. And that is what this series is all about and how to be inspired by history.

Let’s briefly review:

In Part I, we discussed how books can be amazingly inspirational. Remember that history is a collection of stories about people. I keep saying that the history textbooks that many of us have read in high school or college only relate history as names, dates and death counts. They don’t tell stories. Don’t let them put you off learning history or being inspired by history. Just find other books—remember the non-fiction novel—that teach history in a relatable way, in a way that many people can relate to. Many people can also relate to biographies and autobiographies—again stories of peoples’ lives.

In Part II, we made the small jump from books to movies. Movies bring stories to the big screen and can also be amazingly inspirational. Movies and documentaries (please don’t forget documentaries) show the triumph of the human spirit and many people prefer watching movies to reading books. That’s just fine. I’m not here to judge. Everyone learns differently and can be inspired by different things.

We discussed another way to be inspired by history in Part III which focused on getting history directly from the source: from people who were there, who actually witnessed history. This is a great way for anyone because it allows you to ask questions and to get the small details and feelings that are often overlooked in books or left out of movies. And it is a great way to connect with the elders and show how much they are cherished and respected.

On to Part IV. One great and often overlooked way to be inspired by history is to actually visit historic places. Go to the battlegrounds, visit the homes of famous people from the past, visit churches, monuments and statues. Remember I visited restored slave quarters, which was an educational and very emotional experience to see where slaves lived, slept, ate, worked and generally spent their lives. It was a life-changing moment for me. And inspired me to learn more and to have the confidence to fight against modern day slavery. Remember to take an hour or day to acknowledge and visit great historic sites. It will definitely be worth the effort.

So, this brings us to Part V of the great and groundbreaking series called “6 Fun & Easy ways to be inspired by history. What is Number 5?

Go to museums!

As much as I love visiting historical sites, I do understand that all the great historic sites cannot be visited. Common problems: Too expensive, too far away, too dangerous, too risky. Or it could be that the site no longer exists, perhaps it was not restored or it has been destroyed.

So now what? Enter the museum—literally. Museums contain so much of the world’s knowledge and experiences. Experts make the explanations, exhibits and programs. They present the information in interesting and informative ways. Some museums are large and broadly based. Others are small and specialized. Both offer great information and knowledge.

I remember when I was a child, my mother really wanted me to see an exhibit by James Van Der Zee in Oakland I couldn’t say no—this was in the days when kids couldn’t say no—so I went and hoped to get through it quickly or even better that it would be closed. Neither of those things happened. Thank goodness! .Mr. Van Der Zee was an African American photographer who specialized in portraits of African Americans in New York during the Harlem Renaissance. I found myself transfixed in the art museum, surrounded by elegant and stylish portraits of Black people. Some names were familiar like Langston Hughes and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (yes, even as a child I had heard these names from my parents, my elders). Others were completely foreign to me. But I was inspired that day. I witnessed how someone could make such beautiful art and such beautiful expression with a camera. One name that I never forgot was James Van Der Zee. And I never forgot going to that photo exhibit at the museum. It inspired me beyond words. My mother didn’t need to drag me to museums or exhibits after that time. We travel together a lot and always find ourselves at a museum.

One of my favorite museums is the British Museum in London that contains artifacts from around the world—literally every continent on the planet. I’ve seen real mummies, jewelry from the Aztecs, masks from the Ibo, tools by the Cherokee and statues from the Tang dynasty. There is much much more. It is huge and would take a month (or longer) to see everything but it is my “go to” museum.

However, Frederick Douglass House is another favorite; I have learned so much about the famous abolitionist and orator that it has given me an additional understanding of slavery and the abolitionist movement. And I learned about life during the 1800s for men and women (very different lives), for Blacks and whites (again, very different experiences) and about the great man himself. So, please don’t groan and pass by your local museum; there is so much to see and learn. And I strongly urge you to visit the African American history museums that are opening around the country. They need your support and you will definitely learn a lot about your history. And you’ll definitely be inspired.

Also remember that many libraries double as museums. The African American Museum and Library of Oakland is an amazing place with a great collection of resource materials, including – and this is my favorite—original documents by leaders of the Black Panthers! It also has letters by other black leaders like Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X. Other African American history museums have a great collection and a special theme. Boston has an African American history museum that focuses on the Underground Railroad. Detroit has the Charles W. Wright Museum, which has special exhibits about the Obamas—America’s first family. As I said previously, Oakland’s African American museum has a special collection of documents by the Black Panthers. And the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta (of course) should not be missed—it has so much to see and learn about the civil rights movement.

Now, I do know this audience and some of you are probably rolling your eyes about the thought of going to a museum—after all, how many Venus de Milos can a person see in one lifetime?! Okay, I have also seen to my share of classical museums, but today I focus on specialty museums like the Picasso Museum in Malaga and in Paris (Malaga’s is better though) the Buffalo Soldiers Museum in Houston, San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum and the Bishop Museum about ancient Hawaii in Honolulu. By the way, that’s an amazing museum! Find your interest (historical or otherwise) and there is definitely a museum, library or exhibit where you can pursue and indulge it.

Well, I hope that I have convinced you that museums can be amazingly inspirational. This includes libraries and exhibits—all so inspirational. Don’t miss them! But choose them wisely and you will reap the benefits.

So, we now have 5 fun and easy ways to be inspired by history! There is just one more—actually, I’m sure that there are many more—but this podcast series is only going to discuss one more. One more. And, no, I’m still not giving any sneak peeks!

In the last session—coming tomorrow—we’re gonna examine that final fun and easy way to be amazingly inspired by history. It is a bit of a surprise but I think that it’s the most fun way of them all though perhaps not the easiest way. (That’s the hint that I’m giving since I’m feeling so generous!)

We will also wrap up the 6-part series with a short Q and A session. These are questions that have been sent to the website and I would like to take a moment to answer them. Perhaps I will answer one of your questions!

I hope that you are enjoying this series as much as I am. And I will be sad to see it end. But let’s face it; history never ends—it is a truly never-ending story. Remember that you can listen to the podcasts on Stitcher.com—just download the free app, sit back and enjoy.

I look forward to seeing you for the final part of fun and easy ways to be inspired by history. See you next time at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history!

Bye for now!

Note: This is a transcript from the podcast series called "6 Fun & Easy ways to be inspired by history!"

Hello history friends and welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history!

This is Robin and I’m really glad that you have come back to hear Part IV in this great and groundbreaking wiki history podcast series called “6 Fun & Easy ways to be inspired by history”! Today, we will explore the fourth way to be inspired, but before I reveal this amazingly inspirational way to be inspired by history, I just want to briefly review the past three ways.

In Part I, we found ways to be amazingly inspired by books about history. Okay, textbooks can be kinda boring so we focused on “nonfiction novels” that are true stories, written as a novel (as piece of fiction). I have read many nonfiction novels that bring history to life and are without a doubt, amazingly inspirational. We also examined autobiographies (like Frederick Douglass’s narrative) and slave narratives—we actually read excerpts from each of these sources—and discovered that, while they can be heartbreaking works, they also show how people have triumphed over terrible odds, in short, they can be amazingly inspirational.

In Part II, we examined movies about history. We discovered that many movies (following the format of the nonfiction novel) can be amazingly inspirational by showing how good people can triumph over evil. Remember we mentioned Men of Honor (with Cuba Gooding, Jr.), Amistad and Glory. And we mentioned other movies not based on true events but still based in history like The Color Purple. Very interesting in that these movies are based on books. And I absolutely don’t want to forget—or want you to forget—that documentaries can also be inspirational. Amazingly inspirational, in fact, because they tell stories and bring history to life.

In the previous section, Part III, we showed that we don’t need to read books about history or watch movies about history though these are great ways to be inspired. But we can talk to people—or listen to people—who actually lived through historic events. Imagine talking to someone who actually worked as a freedom rider in the 1960s, helping to register people to vote in the American south or talking to a person who actually attended a segregated school. Remember we can—and should—talk to the elders and hear their stories. We can learn so much from them. But remember that they will not be around forever—no one is---so take the time today to hear their stories and experiences. Talk to your elders—you’ll be glad that you did.

Today’s podcast takes us to the 4th way to be inspired by history.

Visit historical sites

If pictures speak 1,000 words, then actually visiting the place amounts to 10,000 words! There are so many great places to visit. Visiting an historic site is amazingly inspirational and moving. Battlefields, cemeteries, museums, historic homes like the Frederick Douglass (I discussed it in a previous podcast), historic churches, monuments, old towns to name just a few historic sites can bring history to life. In another previous podcast (okay, I know it’s a shameless plug), I discussed Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia where John Brown and his provisional army launched one of the largest slave revolts in U.S. history. It is an incredible place—fully restored—where this historic raid actually occurred, walk through a real and restored 19th century Antebellum southern town, bake bread in real beehive ovens and visit the Storer’s College where newly-freed slaves received an education. Last year, I visited the slave quarters at Mount Vernon (George Washington’s plantation home).

I will never forget this experience because I was actually able to see how the enslaved people lived and learn about their life on the plantation of the first president. As much I had read about slavery and slave life, I could not have guessed how slaves actually lived, the room, the floor, the feeling in the room. I have also witnessed the haunting and heartbreaking concentration camps in Poland and Germany, the stormy beaches and high cliffs at Normandy, the small village of Pompeii that still sits in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, which decimated the city almost 2,000 years ago. Yes, the bodies are still there, frozen in time, some in sleeping positions like people have slept every night since that fateful eruption. Closer to home, I remember visiting the restored old town of Sacramento which brought the old west to life. Visiting these historical sites changed me and educated me about the reality of these places, events and situations to life. I know that this is a very short list; there are so many places to visit, so much to learn, so much inspiration just waiting for us to visit.

I return to David McCullough who presented the question: Is life not infinitely more enjoyable when you can stand in an historic place and walk on historic ground and know something of what happened there and in whose footsteps you walk? My answer: Not only is life infinitely more enjoyable, it is also more amazingly inspirational!

Okay, I know that many people are rolling their eyes (I get that a lot!) and saying that they don’t want to go somewhere educational. They don’t want to visit some place to learn about history. Many people—both young and old—would say, “That’s boring!” I know, you just want to go to a nice beach and relax in the sun or go hiking in the mountains or sip manhattans in Manhattan. Nothing wrong with that.

These can also be inspirational, even amazingly inspirational. But I do want to urge you to take a morning, afternoon or even just an hour and step into history. The experience will stay with you for the rest of your life. You will be a different person. Your children will see the world in a different way. Your world will be different. Dare I say better?

Now for my David McCullough quote: We began in Part I of this podcast series by quoting Dr. McCullough who said, “No harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to read.” Very wise words.

In Part II, we changed his quote to say that no harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to watch.

We continued in Part III by continuing to change his quote to say that no harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to discuss.

Today, we’re going even further to say that no harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to visit or revisit.

Where do you want to visit? So much to see. So much to learn. And so much to inspire!

Well, that’s all for Part IV of this podcast series on “Fun & Easy ways to be inspired by history.” Visiting historical sites is an amazingly inspirational way to be inspired by history. And I hope that you do visit them and see for yourself how amazing history can be. And, as David McCullough, described how infinitely more enjoyable life can be.

Remember you can see more places that I have visited or have on my short lift to visit at the Remembering History Podcast page on Facebook. And you can hear great stories about them and read descriptions of great historical sites. By the way, remember that you can listen to this podcast on Stitcher, which is radio on demand. Just download the app or go to Stitcher.com to see all of your options for listening. By the way, I would be so grateful if you could tell people about the Remembering History Podcast and blog for the wiki history lectures and current events. We are a fun and friendly group of people who love history and are inspired by it. Everyone is welcome—even if you’re just curious about history. Curiosity is great.

So, we now have four different ways to be inspired by history. But we’re not finished yet. We are going to discuss two more fun and easy ways to be inspired. Amazingly inspired by history.

Still no sneak peeks! I look forward to seeing you next time at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history.

Bye for now!

Hello History Friends and welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history!

This is Robin and I’m so glad to see you here again to continue with our great and groundbreaking and amazingly inspirational series called “6 Fun and Easy Ways to be inspired by History”. Yes, this is a great and groundbreaking series because many people will discuss history and why history is so important but they often forget one thing: They forget that history can be amazingly inspirational. Many people forget (or they just don’t realize) that history is about people—their stories, their experiences, their successes, their failures, their lives. Our lives. Yes, that’s why I repeat that we are remembering history but we’re also making history—every day.

In the past two parts of this series, we have discussed different ways to learn and find history. In Part I, we discussed how books about history can be amazingly inspirational. Books that tell stories about people like biographies and autobiographies, narratives like the slave narratives that I read from and, of course, the non-fiction novels that bring history to life. I remember reading the book, The Summer of 1787 by David O. Stewart. That brought the constitutional convention (when the U.S. Constitution was being drafted) to life. I really felt like I was sitting in that sweltering and sticky room in Philadelphia listening to Alexander Hamilton lobby for greater federal power over the states, watching James Madison scribbling in the corner, writing down everything that was said in the room, and seeing George Washington sitting in front of the room, presiding over the convention.

This book was so vivid that I felt, at times, that I was actually sitting in the pub with the delegates during the evening as they discussed issues from poetry to slavery. That inspired me. Yes, I actually learned to love history and was inspired by history by way of books. But it’s not the same for everyone. I get that!

In Part II, we discussed great movies about historical events and people that can also be amazingly inspirational. Some movies are based on actual events in history like Lincoln, Men of Honor and Amistad. Others were fictionalized works with an historical basis like The Color Purple, Saving Private Ryan and Beloved. All of these movies were incredible and, as I said, amazingly inspirational. Movies are a great way to access history and to be inspired by the stories, events and the people. I briefly mentioned documentaries are purely non-fiction and can also inspire the viewer. Please don’t overlook them; they are often well made and well researched and tell the stories beautifully.

Well, that’s brings us to Part III of “6 Fun and Easy ways to be inspired by history.”!

Talk to the elders

What do I mean? Great question. I mean that you should talk to your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, or anyone whom you trust that is older than you; they are your elders. They could be teachers, neighbors, or even the elderly lady at the coffee shop. Ask them about historical events, people from history or anything from the past. Some of them might have been alive during a certain period or event like the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, or during the growth dotcom bubble. I have a story that I want to share with you about this method of being inspired by history, about talking to your elders.

I try not to have many regrets but one of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t spend more time talking with (or rather listening to) my great-grandmother whom we affectionately called Big Mama. She was born after slavery but had a depth of knowledge about slavery. She also knew about the Reconstruction Era, sharecropping and about life for African Americans in the early part of the 20th century—when slavery was over but Blacks were working to establish themselves as Americans with all the rights and liberties afforded in the Constitution. How did she know about these things? She was there; she was a witness to the triumphs and tribulations experienced during that time. I was 12 years old when she died in the 1970s. I never took the opportunity to talk with her about these historical events. I am not making the same mistake. Today, I ask questions to my parents who were part of the civil rights movement. I ask questions of all the elders that I meet about their life experiences and their thoughts about the history that I’m searching for in books.

Learning from our elders is a tradition that is deeply rooted in African culture. They give us the lessons and give us the background. From them, we get the “big picture.” From them, we get the nuances that are not found in the textbooks or are edited out of the movies. From our elders, we get our history as a people and the history of our family. We get the history of us. And they love to tell these stories—they feel cherished and knowledgeable. We get to listen to true stories from people who witnessed the great and small events of history. And, remember, that our time to sit in the “elder’s chair” is coming, too!

Now, when I say that we should “talk to” our elders, I really mean that we should listen to them. Just think, this is a real opportunity to talk with a person who might have “sat in” at lunch counters, who walked across that bridge on “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama, who went to segregated schools, who marched on Washington, worked with or was actually a member of the Black Panthers, who witnessed the horribly beaten and disfigured body of young Emmett Till, who remembers when Kennedy was assassinated, who remembers the jubilation over the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or the Civil Rights Act of 1964, who remembers when the Berlin Wall was brought down or the protests on Tiananmen Square. There have been a lot of changes in the past in the past 50 years and many people who witnessed these historic events are still here, they are still alive and willing to tell their personal experiences, observations and thoughts about these events. We should not miss this opportunity.

Yes, reading about history is great and inspirational. Yes, watching movies about history is also great and inspirational. But nothing, I mean nothing, beats actually talking to a person who personally witnessed and lived through history. Just like we are now.

So, talk to your elders. Listen to their stories. Hear their words. Feel their emotions. Ask your questions. Remember their answers. Really remember. Remember everything. And be prepared to tell others, to tell your children. Keep history alive. I will conclude with the quote by David McCullough who said, “No harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to read.” In the previous podcast, we took this further to say that no harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to watch.

Today, we are going to take it even further to say that no harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to discuss. So, seize that moment and listen to a real story from a real person from history.

So, that is all for Part III of this exciting series on Fun & Easy ways to be inspired by history. It is getting even more amazingly inspirational with each part of the series! So, you gotta come back for Part IV—again, no sneak peeks but you can believe that there are gonna be even more groundbreaking, radical and amazingly inspirational ways to be inspired by history.

Just want to remind you that you can get more information on this podcast at the Remembering History Podcast page. And the rememberinghistory.com website is always waiting for you to visit and give your comments. And don’t forget to check out the bookstore.

Finally—and this is new—you can now hear this show on Stitcher, which is radio on demand. Download the free app from Stitcher.com or the app store. Then you can listen anytime and anywhere. And, of course, please review and rate this show. I love to hear your comments; it helps to make the show even better and even more amazingly inspirational.

So, I look forward to seeing you next time at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history.

Bye for now!

Hello History Friends and welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history. I’m glad that you have returned for this fantastic, trailblazing and incredibly amazing series called “6 Fun and Easy Ways to be inspired by history”! And I believe this series really is all those things. Why? Because anything that can help to inspire us in so many different ways (and to such great heights) must be fantastic, trailblazing and incredibly amazing-or at least just incredibly amazing!

What have we learned so far? In Part I, we discovered that you can be inspired by books about history. I’m not talking about the 800 or 1,000-page history textbooks from high school and college though some people could be inspired by them. But I am talking about history as great literature. I mentioned the “non-fiction novel” that was first used by Truman Capote when he wrote In Cold Blood. Then I also mentioned the Pulitzer prize-winning book, The Devil in the Grove, written by Gilbert King that brought the setting and players of the early civil rights movement to life. Definitely get that book!

I discussed and read excerpts from slave narratives and from Frederick Douglass’s autobiography, which presented history directly from the people involved. In short, we discovered that books about history can be amazingly inspirational when they are works of real literature that tell stories rather than feed us names, dates and death counts. As David McCullough said, “No harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to read.” I have many inspirational books about history in the bookstore at rememberinghistory.com. So, I hope that you’ll look there and find something for you. Remember that I have personally read and vetted these sources so you can trust them. Or you can hold me accountable if you don’t like them.

Today (in Part II), we will examine another way to be inspired by history.

Watch Great Movies

I understand that there are lots of people who just prefer not to read. Or they have to read all day so they don’t want to spend their evenings and weekends reading too. I get that! And I don’t make any judgments.

There are fantastic movies that bring history to life and are amazingly inspirational too. Just like books, movies walk the line between fiction and nonfiction. Here are some examples: Amistad (about the transatlantic slave trade and a group of captured Africans who demand to be returned home). Twelve Years a Slave (about the experience of Solomon Northrup who was a free black man, captured and sold into slavery for 12 years), Glory (about a black army troop during the Civil War), Schlinder’s List (about the Jewish holocaust and the rescue of Jews during WWII), Saving Private Ryan (follows a marine troop during World War II), Lincoln (about the passage of the 13th Amendment), Selma (about the civil rights movement, including the marches and protests to demand voting rights) and many other movies immersed audiences in great historical events or the lives and experiences of people from the past. (By the way, I just want to mention that most of these movies are based on books, nonfiction novels—they are great reads!) These movies could be called big screen equivalents of Capote’s nonfiction novel. Still, these types of movies are firmly based in fact but they present as stories. In movies, this means that there is some creative license to “fill in details” or make slight changes to the truth, the true story, in order to make the story flow well and connect on the screen.

Other movies are purely works of fiction but are so well researched and presented that they also cross the line into inspirational works of true history. Remember The Color Purple showed life in the 1920s American south for Celie who endured racism, sexism and abuse before she discovered her own power and self-worth. Beloved by Toni Morrison which shows the horrors of slavery and the aftermath—emotional, physical and psychological effects—of that terrible practice. Other movies brought painful stories to life but also inspired us to overcome our own challenges and hardships. Personally, I will never forget the film, Men of Honor, with Cuba Gooding, Jr. Who could fail to be inspired by that movie? I could go on and on (you know that I can) about the different movies and how they can be so inspirational but I promised to keep it wiki (remember that’s Hawaiian for quick) so I won’t mention any more of them but I will encourage to follow the link (if you’re reading the blog) or go to the Remembering History Podcast page on Facebook for a great list and discussion of these movies. And remember that you can purchase them in the Books & Stuff store on the website.

On a slightly different note, leaving the nonfiction novel-type of movie, I want to mention documentaries. No sighs or rolling eyes please! Documentaries usually delve deeply into a particular person’s life, an historical event or a situation. They are similar to history textbooks except (obviously) they are visual and they tend to give a more full, more realistic and more lively picture. They will not use creative license to fill in facts. They present the facts so it is a different genre than a movie like Saving Private Ryan, for example. But documentaries are usually wonderfully well written, well researched and well presented. They are worth your time and attention because they will—they do—inspire.

Let me give some examples about documentaries made about former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. (Yes, he is one of my heroes!) There was the documentary called With All Deliberate Speed (2004) which actually contains interviews with some of the people involved in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. Vernon Jordan, Julian Bond are interviewed. And Thurgood Marshall’s son gives an inspiring and emotional interview about the case and his father. Another documentary called And Justice for All (2005) discusses the Brown case and gives the background about segregation and the fight to desegregate the public school system. Not boring listening with facts and numbers flashing on the screen. Instead there is real footage, interviews, discussions and explanations about the civil rights movement. People are telling their stories. And we hear Thurgood Marshall’s story. Literature on the small screen! And inspiration can be felt throughout the film.

Biography and History Channel have many excellent documentaries and you can find them on the rememberinghistory.com website in the bookstore.

So, movies based on history can be incredibly, amazingly inspirational. Documentaries can be equally inspirational. Don’t be put off by documentaries—they are more than visual textbooks, they are collections of living history. Both movies and documentaries are also educational and informative. And entertaining too. Remember as David McCullough said that “No harm is done to history by making it something that someone would want to read”, I will take it a step further to say that no harm is done to history by making something that someone would want to watch!

So, Part II of this 6-part series on “Fun and Easy Ways to be inspired by history” is to Watch movies and documentaries. Watch. Learn. Be inspired.

That is all for today, history friends! I hope that you have enjoyed this part of the series and have found a useful way to connect with history. But we’re not done yet. We still have part three and, no, I won’t give any sneak peeks into the third way to be inspired by history. You will just have to listen to the podcast or read the bodacious blog tomorrow.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history. Bye for now.

How to be inspired by history, Part I

Last April, I posted a blog that discussed why I love history. (It was called “What Inspires Me” if you want to read it again.) Unequivocally, I answered that history inspires me. I love the stories, the people, the intrigue, struggles and the triumph. They all inspire me. History shows me that nothing happens in a vacuum and reminds me that nothing ever had to happen as it did. While I have some belief in fate, I am inspired by the thought that we have some control over our destiny. And history reminds me of that.

I had a lot of responses and discussion about my history “obsession” that came from my blog post. Apparently, I touched a few people “out there” which is always a pleasure. But it is also humbling because many people wanted to know how I actually “find” history. They thought that I sit down with a 1,000-page textbook written in a size 10-font and read into the wee hours of the night. (I admit that this is my ritual sometimes!) But I realized (this is the humbling part) that I did not discuss any interesting or inspiring ways to access history. I didn’t provide any guidance about steps that I take that brings history to life for me. That was my fault. And I plan to correct this problem over the next six days.

Six days?! That’s right. I am announcing a groundbreaking new 6-part blog and podcast series called:

“6 Fun and Easy Ways to be inspired by History”

I will post six ways that people can access history in a way that is educational, interesting and inspirational. I will post one potential way every day for the following five days.

Part I will post today (Friday) and will finish on the following Wednesday. By next Wednesday, I want everyone to know where and how they find history—and how they can be inspired by it.

Each way will not be for everyone. That’s the way it should be. But I am confident that every one will find at least one way that works for them. And, really, all anyone needs is one way to be inspired by history. (I really think that most people will find 2 or 3 ways.)

I will also release these posts in 6 wiki (that’s Hawaiian for “quick”) podcasts. You will find them on my Remembering History Podcast page and the rememberinghistory.com website. I ‘m really changing the paradigm here: Reading is great but I want to present these ways to you in my own voice and expression. The wiki podcasts are only 3 or 4 minutes—remember, they are quick—but they contain lots of information in an easy and relaxed way. Just sit back and enjoy them. Or enjoy them on your morning walk or evening jog. Anyway, I hope that you’ll read posts or listen to the podcasts of this important series. It could change your life. It could open up a new world or even an underworld to you. And, mostly, I hope that you will let history inspire you—it’s all there for the taking.

Looking forward to seeing you in Part I of this innovative, radical, trailblazing new series:

“6 Fun and Easy ways to be inspired by history”

No time like the present. Let’s get started. What is the first fun and easy way to be inspired by history?

That is a great question but I want to back up for a moment just to reflect upon the challenge that this series is addressing.

I have always enjoyed a good story—whether happy, sad or both. A story well-told or well-presented has always caught and captured my attention. So, history was--and still is--a natural attraction for me. After all, what is history? Stories. And the saying that “fact is stranger than fiction” rings so true but with one minor change. In my experience, fact is more powerful than fiction. Factual stories intrigue and move me. And many times I find that the drama of the human experience can be so inspirational. But history is not often presented in an inspirational or even interesting way.

History can be taught and learned in so many ways. Unfortunately, many schools teach history only as a rote repetition and recital of names, dates, wars, and death tolls. We memorize the names of presidents, the dates of wars and how many people were killed in that war. Does that sound like a story? Is it interesting? Are you feeling inspired?

My favorite historian, David McCullough, noted that, “History has to be literature or it will turn to dust.” That rings so true to me. To keep history alive and in our hearts, it has to become a part of us--become a part of “our story”.

So, now I present the first way to be touched and inspired by history.

1. Read! Read! Read!

Okay, this is one of the usual ways to learn about history. And I admit that it is one my favorite ways to learn and be inspired by history. (I’m a writer so I naturally love to read.) But books are different. Beyond just the broad categories of fiction and nonfiction, books are a work of art. They can give “the facts” like an encyclopedia—and those are important. But they can also bring history to life. Truman Capote coined the “nonfiction novel” when, in 1965, he wrote the book “In Cold Blood.”

It was a true story about the murders of the Clutter family, the police investigation, the killers and the trial. It was a gripping story that brought Kansas in the 1950s to life. (You might be surprised how interesting that part of the book portraying life in small town Kansas was to me!) And it took us into the simultaneously tortured and privileged lives of the murderers. This was an amazing way to bring history to life. Yes, this was history! And it is a far cry from the textbook that is limited to the names and dates of events.

I recently finished reading a book called The Devil in the Grove, which brought life to Florida in early 1930s for African Americans. Many (not all, but many) of the Blacks living in Florida during that time were working in the orange groves. This true “story” had it all: midnight Klan chases, white woman alleging rape by 4 black men, ignorant and racist judges, a corrupt and brutal sheriff, lynches and attempted lynches, a defendant murdered under suspicious circumstances, FBI investigations, the Supreme Court and talented NAACP lawyers led by Thurgood Marshall. Who could ask for anything more?! It is a true “story” that brought the early civil rights movement to life in a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. My point in mentioning these books is that history does not have been told only from a textbook, an encyclopedia or some other fact-filled book. It could, and I believe should, be told as a story about people. History should be literature.

Other types of non-fiction books bring history to life. I have read a lot of slave narratives. These are “stories” by the people who lived or were living as enslaved people. These are stories in their own words. Men and women tell about their life on the plantation, their sufferings, their triumphs, their families, their determination. These are amazing stories. Yes, they can be quite sad, actually heartbreaking, but they also show the triumph of the human spirit.

They show manifest courage in the face of overwhelming odds. These are truly inspirational stories and I strongly encourage everyone to read them. I have some favorites like Remembering Slavery, which was written as part of the WPA program to preserve the stories of the former slaves. Another favorite is Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. He is one of the most quotable people on the planet and his book is filled with amazing writing and an amazing story of a boy born into slavery who endured both kind and brutal masters but ultimately escaped and became a powerful abolitionist. But that is not the end of the story…just the beginning in fact. And his narrative (that was of course the perfect description for this book) reads and flows so well that the words practically melt off the page. No textbook here but there is lots of history. And even more inspiration.

Just listen to this quote from the book. It is not a happy quote but it is moving. And we know that he triumphs over these circumstances.

I suffered much from hunger, but much more from cold. In hottest summer and coldest winter, I was kept almost naked—no shoes, no stockings, no jacket, no trousers, nothing on but a coarse tow linen shirt, reaching only to my knees. I had no bed. I must have perished with cold, but that, the coldest nights, I used to steal a bag, which was used for carrying corn to the mill. I would crawl into this bag, and there sleep on the cold, damp, clay floor, with my head in and feet out.

Wow! And these are just a few words from this great historical narrative. By the way, let me just read a short passage from another slave narrative just in case you are unfamiliar with this genre.

When he told me that I was made for his use, made to obey his command in every thing; that I was nothing but a slave, whose will must and should surrender to his, never before had my puny arm felt half so strong.

That was from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Harriett Jacobs—written by herself. You see, this is history! And it is a great way to be inspired by history.

David McCullough wisely said that “no harm is done to history by making it something someone would want to read.” Wise words. Reading is so important. So find your author, style and interest. And you will also find inspiration.

That’s all for today. Yes, I started out with books and reading but I hope that I have shown you that they can bring history to life—we just have to go beyond the traditional dry textbook that cares only about names and dates—not people. Not real history. We should never lose sight of the individual—they make history.

Remember to read, read and read a bit more. Inspiration can be found on every page. At Remembering History, we are remembering history and we’re making history.

Welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history, too.

We’re gonna make a slight change in this part of this podcast by discussing a place that was briefly mentioned in the previous podcast. It was a place that I visited as a child and I recommend it to everyone, not just African Americans. But all Americans, all people who visit the United States, all history enthusiasts, military historians, civil rights activists, legal historians and…Well, I’ll stop here and just say that everyone should visit this place. So, what is it?

It is Harper’s Ferry!

An amazing place—and I’m going to tell you why right after this brief introduction.

First, I just want to remind you that this is the new and improved blog called rememberinghistory.com where were and are remembering history and we’re making history, too. We are a large and growing community of fun and friendly historians and we welcome everyone who loves history or even if you’re just curious about history. Curiosity is great. We welcome everyone to join. Leave your comments. Read the bodacious blog. If you want more information about the people or issues, go to the remembering history bookstore called Books & Stuff. You’ll find, of course, books but also DVDs, audiobooks, games and other fun learning tools. Everything has been personally vetted by me so you can trust these resources—or you can blame me if you don’t like them. That’s accountability. Not easy to find on the Internet but you’ll find it here. Visit the Facebook page (which is also new). On the Facebook page, you will find pictures of the places that I mention in the podcasts and you’ll meet the people too. A picture really does speak a thousand words. And you’ll find additional information and discussions about the historic sites mentioned here.

Finally—really this time!—I just want to announce that rememberinghistory.com in cooperation with NspiredShirts is now making and selling shirts to inspire. The shirts have dazzling designs, stunning images and inspirational quotations from famous—and not so famous—people from our history. Did you know the first American to earn the international pilot’s license was Bessie Coleman—an African American woman born in 1892? She was the daughter of sharecroppers and wanted to become a pilot. However, she was denied entrance into pilot school in America because she was black AND become she was a woman. Did that stop her? No, she learned French (taught herself French, really) then moved to France where she did go to flight school and did earn her pilot’s license. She had a distinguished and unique career as an aviator, parachuter and stunt pilot throughout the United States. How did she do it? In her own words: “She Refused to take No for an answer!” You might never have heard of her but she had an impact and her quote is the flagship shirt for Rememberinghistory.com and Nspiredshirts. For the month of June, this shirt has a special price and you will also receive a free gift. These shirts are all inspirational—either through quotations or images—and they are all 100% organic cotton or linen. And they are Fairtrade and Fairwear, meaning that they are manufactured according to certain standards—no child labor and no sweatshops—they are purchased at a living wage for the local population who guaranteed health care benefits and safe working conditions. That’s why these are the Ultimate Feel Good Shirts. Everyone wins and everyone feels good! You can find information about these shirts (and their great price) at the Remembering History Facebook page and the website. Remember, Bessie Coleman didn’t take no for an answer—neither do I. Neither should you.

Now, let’s get started remembering history and making history.

Harper’s Ferry.

It is a unique place that has something for everyone. It is an unbelievably beautiful and historic place that has left a powerful mark on the United States. But it is much more than beautiful, peaceful and serene. Much more!

Let’s back up a bit and discuss Harper’s Ferry and its historical significance and I’m sure that you’ll see why it was—and is—so important. On October 16,1859, John Brown and his Provisional Army took possession of the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. Mr. Brown and the small provisional army intended to break into the federal facility and steal the guns and other weapons. They intended to give the weapons to the slaves for a revolt in order to get their freedom. Perhaps we need to back up a bit more. Who was John Brown and what was this famous Revolt at Harper’s Ferry about?

Born in Connecticut in 1800, John Brown was a white abolitionist who could trace his ancestry back to English Puritans. There are many reasons (like religious beliefs and others) that I won’t discuss right now, but John Brown believed that slavery should be abolished AND that the only way to do it was by armed force or insurrection. He disagreed with other abolitionists who were lobbying to change the laws though he did have respect for their position. But his position was that force would be the only way that the Southern states would give up their slaves. When the Fugitive Slave Act—which mandated that authorities in free states return escaped slaves--was passed in 1850, John Brown founded a group to prevent the capture of any escaped slaves.

For the following years, Mr. Brown continued to work against slavery, protected and harbored escaped slaves, and actually captured slaves and recruited them as well as free Blacks to conduct small raids against the homes of slave owners. But the Raid at Harper’s Ferry was Brown’s biggest and most organized attack. He recruited people from around the country. He tried to recruit famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass. But Douglass was strongly opposed to the raid and believed that it was doomed to fail. Douglass also discouraged whites and both free blacks and slaves from joining John Brown’s army.

On October 16, 1859, John Brown led 21 men in an attack on the armory at Harper’s Ferry. The raid lasted for 3 days. In the end, four federal soldiers were killed and ten of Brown’s army were killed (including two of his sons.) Brown’s army was overwhelmed by the larger and better armed federal army. The raid ended on October 18th. Brown had lost.

After a weeklong trial and 45-minutes of jury deliberations, John Brown was sentenced to death by hanging. At his execution, Brown gave one of the most powerful and compelling speeches about the evils of slavery and calling for its abolition. After stating that his only goal was to help the slaves escape to freedom, John Brown continued by saying,

“I have another objection; and that is, it is unjust that I should suffer such a penalty. Had I interfered in the manner which I admit, and which I admit has been fairly proved, had I so interfered in behalf of the rich, the powerful, the intelligent, the so-called great, or in behalf of any of their friends, either father, mother, brother, sister, wife, or children, or any of that class, and suffered and sacrificed what I have in this interference, it would have been all right; and every man in this court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment.”

He later slipped a note to a guard immediately before his hanging which said, "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land can never be purged away but with blood." John Brown was executed on December 8, 1859.

After the raid and execution of John Brown, abolitionist groups became more organized and more demanding. Slave revolts increased. Slavery was being attacked on many different fronts. The raid on Harper’s Ferry was, indeed, an important event—one could call it a catalyst--in abolishing slavery and in the course of U.S. history.

So, let’s get back to Harper’s Ferry. I hope that you are interested in seeing this historic, this iconic place. You will learn so much more about the strong and still-controversial John Brown. Was he a dedicated abolitionist? Or was a domestic terrorist? You decide. And going to Harper’s Ferry can help you to make up your own mind about John Brown.

So, Harper’s Ferry should definitely be on the summer shortlist of historic sites to visit this summer or any time of the year. There are also great events, tours and activities. One special event that is happening for the remainder of the year, 2015, is an exhibit on the Freedman’s Bureau and Foundation of Storer College. This was a school dedicated to educating newly-freed slaves that operated from 1865 until its closure in 1955. It’s an excellent exhibit that discusses how slaves were prohibited from learning to read—and the consequences if they did. But it also shows the classes that the freed people took and discusses why certain classes were particularly important and useful in the post-slavery period.

For people who want to learn more about John Brown—and I hope that everyone does—there are walking tours in which his life, mission, work and the raid are presented. Harper’s Ferry also offers horse and wagon tours on weekends that just take you back in time to West Virginia in the Antebellum and Reconstruction periods. And, of course, you can hire a certified park guide for a private tour. More expensive, but always a special experience.

There are workshops, which are amazing! There are workshops on making bread in beehive ovens just like they did in the old days. There are workshops on making apple pies. And you don’t want to miss the Strawberry and ice cream festival on July 4th or the candy-making workshop during Christmastime! Lots to make and lots to eat. I love history!

Finally, I just want to add that Harper’s Ferry National Park is considered one of the best walking parks in the United States. There are sublime views, compelling history and restored towns that are nothing less than works of art. Walking trails go through the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Potomac & Shenandoah River valleys. In fact, visitors can walk along a 185-mile path that crosses the Potomac River and continues all the way to Pittsburgh. But don’t go that far away. There is so much to see at Harper’s Ferry and other parts of West Virginia. Harper’s Ferry boast 4,000 acres of land in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia.

Take the easy 4-mile walk across Civil War battlefields or the 8-mile adventure hike to the top of the mountains. They are both incredible, life-affirming walks that the family will enjoy and that you will never forget.

Harper’s Ferry National Park is a great place to learn about history, to experience history and to relive history. They have made a wonderful effort to honor history in this way and it should not be missed. Great for the young and old. Great for Americans and non-Americans. Great for everybody!

For more information about Harper’s Ferry, please visit the remembering history Facebook page. You will find stunning pictures and great facts and stories. We’re making history here! I hope that you enjoy your visit to Harper’s Ferry; I would love to hear about it on the website or Facebook page.

Well, this wraps up this introduction to Harper’s Ferry. Yes, I say that this was just an introduction because there is so much more to learn, see, do and experience at this iconic place. I hope that you will visit Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia. It is such an inspirational place to be. Yes, people did die there—federal soldiers and abolitionists, alike. But let’s also remember that it was a turning point, a major step in the journey that ultimately led to the end of slavery in America. John Brown is still considered a controversial figure in American history. Yes, some people describe him as the first domestic terrorist for planning an armed revolt against a federal armory. Others describe him as a brave and committed man who fought to end the terrible institution of slavery and to free the enslaved population. And at his speech standing before the gallows where he was set to be hanged, he made a powerful and pointed statement about racism and economic disparities that separated people and denied rights to them. That statement made more than 150 years ago is still relevant and meaningful today about how economic disparities in America are dividing and diminishing people—and how they must be stopped if we are really to be unified as Americans. You can find the entire speech on the Remembering History Facebook page—I strongly urge you to read it—and I’m sure that you will understand how it is described as one of the greatest speeches in American history.

I want to wrap up this podcast with another slight change of topic. Harper’s Ferry is an experience in U.S. history. But I want to start a brief discussion not about experiences or events in African American history, but about the rise of African American history museums that are opening and growing throughout the country. And why they deserve our support!

I’m gonna start with Oakland’s African American History Museum and Library. Yes, Oakland, California.

The African American Museum and Library of Oakland (AAMLO) was a long-time in the making by several dedicated Oakland residents. Its mission is the collection, preservation, and analysis of African American artifacts and documents in Oakland and the Bay Area. Today, there are 106,000 African Americans living in Oakland. The African American Museum and Library of Oakland was established to document their stories as well as the larger African American experience in the United States.

The African American Museum and Library of Oakland was officially founded in 1994. Today, the library has more than 12,000 volumes and is an excellent resource for community members and professional researchers alike with primary research documents on slavery, and African American military service. It also holds unique documents and letters from Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Ida B. Wells, Benjamin Banneker, and other notable activists and intellectuals in the African American community. Staying true to its Oakland focus, the museum has one of the largest collections of information and memorabilia on the Black Panthers.

• Boston has the Museum of African American History. It is the largest museum in New England dedicated to the history of African Americans. The museum has unique exhibits such as a beautifully restored African Meeting House. Also, there are lectures, artifacts, and tours about the Underground Railroad.

• Houston hosts the Museum of African American Culture, which focuses on the experiences and contributions of African Americans in Texas. It also has many art exhibits, musical events, and independent African American film showings. Admission is free.

• In Detroit sits the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, named for a prominent doctor in the city. The museum presents many exhibits such as the visions of our 44th president, which shows 44 artists’ interpretations of President Obama. Another exhibit presents speakers, pictures, and discussions about the contributions of African Americans in the Union army during the Civil War.

• Taking a slightly different focus, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis is located on the site of the Lorraine Motel. This museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the civil rights movement and teaching how it relates to the current global human rights movement. The small but impressive museum has received numerous national and international commendations. It holds the coveted recognition as a premier heritage and cultural museum and it is an international site of conscience.

•

Then there is the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. Founded in 2000 by Captain Paul Matthews. Buffalo Soldier's National Museum is the "only museum dedicated to primarily preserving the legacy and honor of the African-American soldier in the United States of America." The museum offers a look at African American military history from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War. One thing that I found fascinating is that there will soon be history re-enactments organized by the museum.

I don’t know if you have ever attended an historical re-enactment but it is an event that you will never forget. Remember my goal to bring history to life. The Buffalo Soldier’s National Museum is located in Houston.

Washington, D.C. will host the Museum of African American History and Culture, which is scheduled to open in 2015 as part of the Smithsonian Museum. It will be the country's largest and most comprehensive collection of African American documents and artifacts. Personally, I have been waiting for that museum to open and will put it at the top of my list when visiting Washington, DC.—though it might have to compete with the Frederick Douglass House. Oh, well, of course I will go to both. And I hope that you do too.

We need to support the institutions and organizations that are keeping African American history alive and respected and researched. There are many misconceptions and holes in our history that need to be corrected and need to be filled. Museums and libraries are two great tools to make this happen. In the past 20 years, more museums and libraries focusing on African American history have opened all over the United States.

When I was a young girl, they were few and far between. In fact, there was usually only a small section in a library or museum that focused on African American history, if there was anything. (And don’t even get me started on how the history textbooks had African Americans and our many achievements and contributions virtually written out of history.) This cannot be allowed to happen! So that is why we must support these museums and libraries. And there are so many ways to support the African American history museums (and libraries): we can visit them. We can make donations to them. We can volunteer at them. We can tell others about them—spread the word. They need our support. They deserve our support. But I strongly encourage you to visit them, take your children to these museums.

Remember that some people learn by reading, others learn visually, other people learn by experiencing it. We all learn differently. And museums can give the full range of learning models that are good for you and for your family. So, that’s my shameless plug for today. Visit your local African American history museum today. And have a great time!

So, that really is all for this podcast. I hope that you enjoy visiting Harper’s Ferry and the many African American history museums throughout the country. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments about them. And remember that the inspirational Bessie Coleman shirt is specially priced this month (June) and you will get a special present with it. All of this information is available on the Remembering History Facebook page. Remember: Don’t take no for an answer.

I look forward to seeing you next time to discuss unique and lesser-known historic sites. More surprises are on the horizon. Hope to see you soon at Rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it.

Bye for now!

Hello history friends and welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it. In this month’s podcast series, we are going to remember history in a slightly different way. Rather than talking about it (which, of course, is a great thing to do and a great way to learn), we are going to visit history, see history, experience history, and get immersed in history. (And, yes, we will talk about it a bit too!) What do I mean? I mean that this month we are going to discuss important historical sites around the United States. You might not realize that there are lots and lots of different sites where great and important historical events have occurred. Some were small and brief events. Others were large and long lasting. But all were memorable and all were game changers. I think that it is so important to visit historical sites and see where and how things happened, where people lived and how they lived. Remember, one of my goals is to bring history to life—that is one of the very best ways to keep history alive. And it’s also lots of fun.

I remember, when I was 8 years old, my parents took my brother and me on a road trip from Pennsylvania to California. That was one of the most fun trips ever! Besides just spending time together as a family, we also went to historical sites that I had read about in school. It was amazing to actually see the Liberty Bell and the original document of the Constitution. And I was just amazed by visiting Harper’s Ferry! (What? You haven’t heard of Harper’s Ferry?!) No worries. It is one of the places that we’re going to discuss during our exploration of the great historic sites!

You might be asking yourself: why is she discussing this issue right now? Great question! Sure it is a change from the topics that I have covered in the past, particularly in April. In that month, I discussed people who had been killed in the fight for civil rights.

There were so many people who sadly gave their lives during the civil rights movement but I was only able to discuss a few of them like Harry and Harriette Moore who were was killed for documenting cases of lynching and who fought for equality in education, Rev. James Reeb who was killed while attending the Selma March and Birdia Keglar and Adlena Hamlett who were tortured and killed on their way home from testifying before the Commission on Civil Rights and who had worked tirelessly for voting rights. Yes, these stories were hard to hear but it was important to remember them and what they lived and fought for. So, sure, this month’s podcast series is very different. But why now?

Because school is nearly finished for the year. People are making vacation plans. They want to travel and visit family. Those are great things to do. That is my plan as well. But I would love for people to consider visiting some of these places or having some of these experiences. None of them are expensive. And they give so much more than they cost. And they are experiences that can be remembered for life. We must not let history die. We must support those places that keep African American history alive and remembered. We should take our children to these places so they can see what came before them. History is a larger way of looking at and experiencing life so let’s live life to the fullest. Remember Dr. Carter G. Woodson (the father of Black History) said that “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.

We must never become a “negligible factor” to anyone, particularly ourselves.

Finally, I just want to remind you that this is the new and improved website called rememberinghistory.com where were are remembering history and we’re making history, too. We are a large and growing community of fun and friendly historians and we welcome everyone who loves history or even if you’re just curious about history, we welcome everyone to join. Leave your comments. Read the bodacious blog. If you want more information about the people or issues, go to the remembering history book store called Books & Stuff. You’ll find, of course, books but also DVDs, audiobooks, games and other fun learning tools. Everything has been personally vetted by me so you can trust these resources—or you can blame me if you don’t like them. That’s accountability. Not easy to find on the Internet but you’ll find it here. Visit the Facebook page (which is also new). On the Facebook page, you will find pictures of the places that I mention in the podcasts and you’ll see pictures of the people too. A picture really does speak a thousand words. And you’ll find additional information about the historic sites mentioned here. Finally—really this time!—I just want to remind you that rememberinghistory.com has a surprise coming that will be released on June 1st. Next week, I’ll give you more information about this surprise and how you can be eligible to win one of these surprises.

Now, let’s get started remembering history and making history.

Yes, I think that I know what YOU’RE thinking now: how can she possibly talk about all the different historic sites related to African Americans? You’re right. I can’t possibly discuss EVERY one of them. Or even most of them. After all, we are talking about more than 400 years of history. It is a lot. So, I’m going to break it down. In this first podcast, I will discuss slavery and abolition.

Although slavery ended in 1865, many of the historic sites still remain or have been restored. They are not often visited—after all, it is not a period or topic that most Americans are proud of, like the Declaration of Independence. But it is a part of American history and, especially, African American history so we should take steps to remember it, learn about it and learn from it.

Mount Vernon

This might seem like a strange place to revisit slavery. But it is one of the most moving places that I have ever visited. As you are probably aware, Mount Vernon was the plantation home of George Washington, first president of the United States. Of course, Washington did not live on the premises during his two terms as president. But he always remained connected to the plantation and immediately returned to it following his tenure.

It is no surprise that George Washington owned slaves. In fact, he owned as many as 316 slaves that lived at Mount Vernon. At the time of his death in 1799, 90 percent of the population at Mount Vernon consisted of enslaved African Americans. And they lived in different quarters on the five farms that comprised Mount Vernon. The largest slave quarter was located at Mansion House Farm where 90 slaves lived. In other quarters, located at nearby farms or in distant fields, the quarters were smaller, housing around 45 or 50 persons. There is some dispute about the quality of the slave quarters. Some records say that the living areas were made of brick, had several fireplaces and glazed windows. Other reports (written by visitors to George and Martha) said that the quarters were basic log houses. Inspectors described them as wretched. Husband and wife slept on a pallet while children slept directly on the floor.

I am mentioning Mount Vernon because the slave quarters (near the main house) have been restored and are open to visitors. This was an amazing experience. Standing in the quarters where the enslaved population lived was an emotional trip and brought the history to life for me. I witnessed others having the same experience—both adults and children. It is a trip back in history that every American should take.

With its large population of enslaved persons, Mount Vernon also had a cemetery for the African slaves. It is near the main house. Today, it is marked with a small monument that recognizes the slaves who lived, worked and died on the plantation.

To bring it all together, Mount Vernon has an excellent museum that discusses various aspects of life at the plantation, including the living conditions, experiences and lives of the enslaved population. It has excellent and interesting descriptions, exhibits and explanations. It even discussed the clothing, food and working conditions of the slaves.

Mount Vernon has made a great effort to restore and present life at the first president’s plantation. The restored slave quarters, the slave cemetery and the museum presents the enslaved population (both skilled and unskilled) in a realistic and dignified way.

Mount Vernon is open 365 days each year. It is a short drive from Washington, D.C. and has an amazing restaurant. You gotta try the hoe cakes (pancakes made from cornmeal—it’s an original recipe by Washington’s niece)! Take the whole family—you will never forget the experience.

I just briefly want to mention another plantation from the same period. Montpellier is the plantation owned and operation by James Madison, 4th president of the United States. Montpellier was a larger and grander plantation than Mount Vernon (I didn’t think that this was possible) and had large, multi-generational population of enslaved persons.

Montpellier has undergone many restorations but there much less is known about the slaves who lived on the plantation. (The Madisons kept long and copious notes about their lives and the work of James Madison, but they did not maintain the detailed records like those kept at Mount Vernon.) Nevertheless, it is known that between 1723 and 1844, there were more than 200 slaves that lived on Montpellier and that 7 generations of families were born, lived and died there.

So, why do I mention Montpellier? There is an amazing archeological dig and excavation being conducted on the plantation. And they take volunteers from the public. You simply have to sign up for one of their week-long sessions where you will live and work with the archeologists on Montpellier. Some of the excavations focus on the mansion and property owned by the Madisons. However, they are also excavating the slave quarters and even restoring them for historical purposes. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of history and to protect history for future generations. This type of opportunity does not often occur and it will not last forever so it is important to contact Montpellier as soon as possible if you wish to participate in this important excavation and restoration. You can get the information on the remembering history Facebook page. But it is also available at Montpellier.org. I encourage visiting the Remembering History Facebook page because you will find more specific details and you can ask any questions that you might have.

Again, Montpellier is an important place, not just because it was the home of James and Dolley Madison but also because of its large slave population who lived for 7 generations on the plantation. The current excavation gives you a chance to be a part of history. And that’s what this podcast is about: making history! For more information and pictures, go to the Remembering History website or the Facebook page.

Okay, so let’s leave the plantations now and visit the home of one of the most famous and greatest abolitionists: Frederick Douglass.

Yes, you can actually visit his home! Frederick Douglass House is part of the U.S. National Park Service. In fact, it has been since 1962. Frederick Douglass house is one of the most interesting and often forgotten treasures in the Washington, D.C. area. It is based in Anacostia, Maryland, just minutes from the national capitol.

As you probably know, Frederick Douglass was born into slavery and was purchased by several different kinds of people. Some were cruel. Others were more compassionate. He actually learned how to read (which was illegal for slaves) from a compassionate and brave woman who was married to a man who had purchased him. He eventually escaped and became a very influential abolitionist, orator and writer. He published a newspaper that opposed slavery and published his autobiography called Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, which described his life and thoughts as a slave and the degradations that he suffered under the terrible institution. His autobiography gave momentum to the abolition movement. Frederick Douglass travelled throughout the United States and Europe speaking against slavery. As a runaway slave, though, he was constantly threatened with capture but influential friends later purchased his freedom.

Frederick Douglass purchased the house called Cedar Hills (we know it as Frederick Douglass House) in September of 1877. He paid $6,700 for the house and the 10 acres around it. The following year, he bought another 5 acres around the house. He moved into the house in the Fall of 1878 and remained there until his death in 1895.

The house was first restored in 1922 by the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association and the National Association of Colored Women. It was further restored in 1972 and a third restoration was completed in 2007. The house and the surrounding land are beautiful and scenic and reportedly have the best views of the national capitol.

As part of the National Park Service, there are today many tours of Frederick Douglass House. In fact, the only way to get inside the house is as part of a tour, which take place throughout the day. One point to highlight is the library. Frederick Douglass was a true man of letters and had an extensive library with books on virtually every imaginable subject. It has been called the most impressive room in this most impressive house.

A “not to be missed” room in this house is the “growlery”. This was a special room and I urge you to ask the knowledgeable volunteers about how Mr. Douglass used this room. You will be surprised!

If, unfortunately, you are not able to visit Frederick Douglass House or you just can’t wait to see the interior, then you can also take a virtual tour of the house on the website. More on this great feature on the Remembering History website and Facebook page—and you will also find helpful information about the opening times, tours, directions and the history of the house. Go visit the website or Facebook page and I hope that you will “like” us there too.

Continuing on with the history of the abolition movement, we have the Black Heritage Trail. Do you know where the Black Heritage Trail is? Can you guess? Okay, I’ll just tell you: Boston. (Yes, there is also a Black Heritage Trail in Columbus, Ohio, too.) But we will focus on Boston.

The Black Heritage Trail links more than 15 pre-Civil War structures and historic sites, including the 1806 African Meeting House, which is the oldest surviving black church in the United States. (You will hear about another church in the last podcast in this series so stay tuned.)

The Black Heritage Trail is a path in Boston, Massachusetts, winding through the Beacon Hill neighborhood and other sites that are important in African American history.

Massachussetts was the first state to abolish slavery and, therefore, a large abolitionist community was formed there. And many enslaved persons escaped and sought refuge in the state.

The trail begins at the Museum for African American History in Boston (which is actually located in Abiel Smith School).

The trail includes 10 sites that were known to be part of the Underground Railroad. Stories about the owners and escaped slaves are provided at the houses. At the beginning of the trail, visitors can collect maps and written histories of how the Underground Railroad assisted slaves in getting to freedom. However, it notes the difficulties didn’t end in Boston, particularly after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act and other laws that threatened escaped slaves. The Black Heritage Trail is an interesting and active historical site that is a strong part of American history.

Take the family. Take the car. Or be prepared to walk, which is always a good idea. You will find interesting and inspirational stories of real heroism and courage. Never depressing. Always interesting. Shows how individuals can make a real difference. For additional information including a map of the Black Heritage Trail, go to the Remembering History Facebook page. I think that you will definitely like us. But you be the judge.

Finally, there is one last place that I want to mention in this podcast on famous historic sites about slavery and abolition. This site is slightly different than the others but I hope you will agree that it is very relevant and extremely important—historically and today. It is called the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Based in Cincinnati, the mission of the Freedom Center is to collect and reveal the stories of freedom heroes from the Underground Railroad to the present time. Its goal is to inspire modern abolitionist heroes.

There are stories about true American heroes like Harriett Tubman and her work to help enslaved people escape to freedom as well as her work as a nurse and spy during the American Civil War. The center devotes a lot of resources to fighting modern day slavery as well as recognizing the history of African slavery.

The Center offers a variety of programs for visitors and educators including films, lectures, exhibits, gallery talks and family programs. In a special section of the center, individuals and groups can learn how to become modern day abolitionists in a three-step program. Spoiler alert: The three steps are: Learn, teach and act. But there is much more to it and the center is devoted to abolishing modern day slavery.

Less you think that the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a heavy, boring or slightly depressing place, get ready for a big surprise. Yes, there are parts that are difficult such as the Auschwitz exhibit, there is also interactive and age-relevant stories that are so inspirational and empowering that visitors are left feeling ready, willing and able to change the world!

For additional information about the Freedom Center, take a look at the Remembering History Facebook page—there will be lots of practical information but also interesting commentary and stories. Again, visit the page and hopefully like us there.

So, that is all for today. Great sites: The slave quarters and the slave cemetery at Mount Vernon. At Montpellier, you can actually excavate and restore the slave quarters. Then Frederick Douglass House—the world’s most famous abolitionist. The Black Heritage Trail will take you along the Underground Railroad. And finally the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center shows us how to fight modern day slavery and helps to work as modern day abolitionists. You see, there are so many great African American historical sites throughout the country. I hope that you have enjoyed this podcast and gotten great ideas about places to go and to take the family this summer. So much to see. So much to learn.

And, no, we’re not finished. In the next podcast, we are going to visit some unusual historical sites. They might be surprises but I will give a small hint: think of a very famous, “game-changing” athlete and where he became famous.

And the final podcast in this series is going to take us to the west coast of the United States. Yes, there are a lot of interesting historical sites there—don’t let the people on the East Coast or in the South make you believe that African Americans did not have a strong presence in the west. We did—and you will hear about it in the third podcast.

So, please visit the rememberinghistory.com website or the Facebook page. You will find great resources and information and a great community of history lovers in both places. Oh, did I mention the books and DVDs that you might also find interesting? Well, I mentioning them now so take a look or listen on the website. I hope that you find them interesting and helpful.

See you next time at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it.

Bye for now!

Robin

Welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history. We continue in this third wiki history podcast about Less Famous People involved in Civil Rights. In this podcast, we will focus exclusively on women who participated and died in the struggle for civil rights. Why should we spend an entire podcast focusing on women heroes of the civil rights movement? Great question. I think that I can give you a great answer. I noticed, in my research on civil rights heroes, that there were lists devoted to this subject by organizations that I respect. When I read the lists, I found very few women. Perhaps only one or two on a list of twenty or thirty people.

It seems like the stories about women heroes are not being told, they are being forgotten and that’s completely contrary to what rememberinghistory.com stands for. There are other reasons but I will discuss those reasons in the context of a larger issue that will be presented towards the end of this podcast. Stay tuned.

I hope that you have heard the previous podcasts about civil rights heroes like Harry and Harriett Moore who fought for equality in education and investigated lynching and police brutality in Florida. There was also George Washington Lee who fought for voting rights and Corporal Roman Ducksworth who refused to be put into the colored section of a bus in Mississippi.

In the last podcast, we focused on the white people (or rather heroes) like William Lewis Moore who held single man marches to promote equality and integration and Rev. James Reeb who lived in Black neighborhoods, sent his kids to integrated schools and answered Dr. King’s call to march in Selma, Alabama where Rev. Reeb was killed by white segregationists. Finally, there was Rev. Bruce Klunder who was killed when he tried to stop the construction of a segregated school in Cleveland. There were a lot more people that I was not able to discuss but I (and I ‘m truly sorry about that) because they deserve to be remembered and honored for the service in the fight for civil rights. They were courageous and committed and should not be forgotten.

Please also remember that there is a lot more information and plenty of resources such as books, DVDs and audiobooks in the Books & Stuff store at rememberinghistory.com. Well, let’s get started. We have a lot to cover and I want to keep it wiki.

I do want to caution that some of these stories are rather violent. I won’t go into too much detail about the violence, but I do want to tell what really happened. The truth in history is my objective—always. And I just want to give you some notice that this is a slightly longer podcast because we have so much to discuss: In the beginning, we’ll discuss two strong and courageous women who worked for voting rights and were killed by the Klan.

Then we’ll discuss a white woman (who was a wife and mother of five) who met with a tragic end. We’ll conclude with a discussion of the special position of women (all women) who fought for civil rights and how they were specific targets for sexualized violence and intimidation.

Let’s begin with two brave and determined African American women who fought for voting rights in Mississippi.

Birdia Beatrice Clark Keglar was born on June 1, 1908 in Charleston, Mississippi (not South Carolina, but Mississippi). Charleston is located in north central Mississippi and is the county seat of Tallahatchie County. Birdia Keglar was known from an early age to be independent and very self-reliant, perhaps because she was youngest child in a very large family. She attended high school in Charleston but quit in the 11 grade to work and help support her family. She worked on the family farm until she got married on Christmas Day in 1924 at the age of 16. She had two sons but the marriage didn’t last. After the end of her marriage, she ventured out to Memphis, Tennessee to get a more experience and see another part of the country. Her first job was at a local segregated swimming pool, which was frustrating to her because she could not use or get close to any of the pool facilities, except to clean. She returned to Charleston and started working at the city’s first Black dry cleaners, which was owned by her uncle.

However, the owners of the local funeral home were impressed with her and enticed her away from her uncle’s business to the Fox Funeral Home of Granada. This would prove to be a very significant job for her because it was also where many civil rights activities and meetings were held. She remained at the funeral home until her death.

Because of her exposure to civil rights at the funeral home, Birdia Keglar quickly got involved in the local civil rights activities. She began to travel to other cities too like Granada, Greenwood, Clarksdale and Jackson to coordinate civil rights activities. At the same time, she was caring for her aging mother and young nieces and nephews. And she remained active in the community and her church. She established a local girl scout troop (that was a first for black girls!), collected and distributed food and clothing to the poor, accompanied friends and family members to medical and law appointments and, at her church, became President of the local Usher Board.

In 1965, Birdia Keglar became more involved in civil rights activities, particularly voting rights. She was the first Black person to vote in Tallahatchie County and she encouraged other Blacks to register and vote. She began organizing the first Tallahatchie County Branch of the NAACP and solicited memberships in the local population. Unfortunately, she was killed before the branch was fully operational.

As you can probably expect, Birdia Keglar was subjected to constant death threats and was forced to take different routes to get home or sometimes she could not go home at all because it was too dangerous. She often had to be escorted down the street by local Black men to protect her from assaults by white segregationists. This was dangerous for everyone. And, yes, Birdia Keglar did go to Selma to march with Dr. Martin Luther King.

The following year, 1966, Birdia Keglar attended, in Jackson, Mississippi, a civil rights rally that was attended by Senator Robert Kennedy. On her return trip home, Birdia Keglar and four others (one of whom I will discuss in just a moment) were pursued by Klansman in Sidon, Mississippi, driven off the rode and killed. It is reported that Birdia Keglar’s body was found with her face slashed and arms cut off. The local sheriff ruled her death as an accident. No further investigation was made. Her son, Robert, did try to get information from the FBI about his mother’s killing but he was killed three months later while making inquiries.

Birdia Keglar was one of those people who uplift everyone that they meet. She was a courageous woman who was determined to make a difference—and she did. In her honor, June 1st is remembered as Birdia Keglar Day in Tallahatchie County and a portion of Highway 35 has been called Birdia Keglar Highway.

Her story was included in a book called Where Rebels Roost: Mississippi Civil Rights Revisited by Susan Klopfer. It is an excellent book and gives much more information about his courageous lady and others who also fought for civil rights in that dangerous state. The book is available in the bookstore at rememberinghistory.com. I hope that you will read it and let me know what you think.

For her work in civil rights and voting rights and her courage in getting other African Americans to vote, we recognize and honor Mrs. Birdia Beatrice Clark Keglar and thank her for her service. (applause)

The next woman that I will discuss in this podcast was also fighting for civil rights and, sadly, was killed with Birdia Keglar and three others on the return home from a civil rights meeting in Jackson, Mississippi. But I’m jumping ahead. Let me introduce Mrs. Adlena McKinley Hamlett.

Adlena Hamlett was a bold and courageous civil rights activist, focusing primarily on voting rights for African Americans. Born in Scobey, Mississippi in 1889, Mrs. Hamlett was also a respected elementary school teacher. She was a strong believer in the power of education to empower African Americans and she spent extra time teaching Black children to read and write proficiently.

Adlena Hamlett was committed to the passage of a Voting Rights Bill to guarantee the right to vote for all Americans. In fact, she testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about voting rights violence and harassment of civil rights workers. She also participated in numerous civil rights protests, marches and organizations to help African Americans register and vote. For her work, she was constantly threatened, harassed and, a few months before her death, an effigy of her was hanged. She was told unequivocally that, if she continued with her activities, she would be killed. She was not deterred.

On January 11, 1966, she was returning home from a conference on voting rights that was attended by Senator Robert Kennedy. She was in her gold-toned Plymouth Fury with her best friend, Birdie Kegler (whom we just discussed) and three others when the Klan pursued her car and drove it off the road in Sidon, Mississippi. She (and Birdie Keglar) were tortured, mutilated (arms dismembered) and killed. Mrs. Hamlett had been beheaded. She was 78 years old. No one was ever arrested or prosecuted for the crime. In fact, the prosecutor decided that a drunk driver had hit the car causing it to go off the road and kill Adlena Hamlett and Birdie Keglar. The other passengers in the car were injured but survived. To this day, the Department of Justice refuses to open a cold case file or revisit the killings.

Adlena Hamlett’s grand-daughter remembers her grandmother as a strong woman who was committed to exercising her right to vote. She remembers going to a voting booth with her grandmother. The white lady clerk at the polling station tore up her grandmother’s ballot. Her grandmother was unfazed and simply said, “It is my constitutional right to vote. I’ll come back again and again.”

Adlena Hamlett was a courageous and strong woman who fought for civil rights. She refused to be scared away and instead kept moving forward. For her ability to come back again and again, we honor and remember Mrs. Adlena Mckinley Hamlett. And we thank her for her service.

And, by the way, you can find out more about Adlena Hamlett in the book named Where Rebels Roost: Mississippi Civil Rights Revisited, which you can find in the rememberinghistory.com bookstore.

The last person that I want to discuss is someone whom I hinted at in the previous podcast. I did not say her name but I did say that she was mentioned in the Selma Movie. Today, I’m going to say her name: Mrs. Viola Liuzzo.

Is her name familiar to you? I hope so because she was an “unlikely soldier” in the struggle for civil rights. She didn’t look like a person who would be a part of that movement but she was a strong-willed, principled woman who believed in equality. I’m jumping ahead of myself. Let me tell her story.

Viola Fauver Gregg Liuzzo was born in 1925 in Pennsylvania. Viola grew up very poor, a child of the Depression. Her father, who was a coal miner, was injured on the job and couldn’t work any longer to support the family. Her mother took teaching jobs whenever she could find them to support the family. They later moved to Chatanooga, Tennessee where they lived in extreme poverty. This was where Viola first witnessed racial segregation and systematic racism. She witnessed that, even though she was very poor, her family (being Caucasian) still had social privileges and rights that were denied to African Americans in the South.

In 1943, she married and had two children then divorced. Later, she married Anthony Liuzzo and had three more children. The family lived in Detroit. She joined the Unitarian Universalist Church (remember this was the same church of Rev. James Reeb) and she joined the NAACP. Because of the Church and her experience with segregation in Tennessee and, from what I understand was her very strong-willed personality, she became involved in civil rights and social activism. She helped to organize protests against segregation in Detroit (yes, there was segregation in Detroit, Michigan!), attended civil rights conferences and worked closely with the NAACP and the SCLC. By the way, she also protested laws that allowed children to drop out of school at an early age. This was probably in response to her own experience in dropping out of school at age 16.

To protest, she homeschooled for two months for which she was arrested, convicted and placed on probation. This visionary lady started homeschooling before it was popular (like today) but she really believed that children should be encouraged to stay in school. Still, she made a strong stand for her principles.

In March, 1965, horrified by the images of police brutality and violence at the Bloody Sunday March in Selma, Alabama, Viola Liuzzo travelled to Selma saying that the struggle was “everybody’s fight.” Answering Dr. King’s call for people to join the protest in Selma, Mrs. Liuzzo left her five kids with family friends, contacted the SCLC and got to work. She delivered food and water to various locations, welcomed and recruited volunteers and transported volunteers and marchers to and from airports, bus terminals and train stations in her 1963 Oldsmobile. She participated in the later, successful and largely peaceful march from Selma to Montgomery.

After the third march in Selma, ending on March 25, Viola Liuzzo and Leroy Moton, a 19-year Black student were driving protesters to airports, bus terminals and back to universities. They stopped to get gas at a local filling station and were subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation. They left Route 80 but were followed and a car tried to run them off the road. Later on a back road returning to Selma, they were pursued by Klansmen who quickly overtook her Oldsmobile. Three Klansmen fired shots directly into the car at Viola Liuzzo. She was hit and killed instantly.

Although he was covered with blood, Leroy Moton was not shot. He lay motionless as the Klansmen checked the car then left. He flagged down a passing motorist, who happened to be another volunteer working to transport protesters from the march.

Viola Liuzzo’s funeral was held five days later and was attended by hundreds of people and many civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Roy Wilkens. Interestingly, her funeral was also attended by teamster president, Jimmy Hoffa.

The FBI quickly arrested and indicted the four Klansmen. (An interesting fact is that one of the Klansman killers indicted was actually an FBI informant.) The trials were something of fiasco. The first trial resulted in a mistrial after the prosecutor used blatantly racist terminology about Viola Liuzzo including calling her a “white n-word.” The second trial was delayed when the defense attorney was killed when he fell asleep while driving. However, in the end, the all-white jury acquitted the killers of murder. Afterwards, they went to a Klan conference where they were greeted with a standing ovation. The defendants were later convicted on federal charges.

Viola Liuzzo was criticized by many organizations as having brought her death upon herself for engaging in such risky and dangerous activities as civil rights. This was considered extremely radical and controversial for a white woman, especially a mother.

But she has also received many posthumous awards and recognitions. Her name was added to the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. There was also a documentary made about her called, Home of the Brave. You can find this documentary in the bookstore at rememberinghistory.com.

For her boldness and commitment to civil rights, we honor and remember Mrs. Viola Liuzzo and thank her for her service. (applause)

I want to conclude this podcast on women warriors (or heroes or martyrs) by briefly discussing why I chose to devote a podcast to focusing on women. Yes, in the first podcast, I discussed various people (5 men, and 1 woman) who were killed in the civil rights movement. In the second podcast, I focused only on white people involved (or rather, killed) in defense of civil rights. In this final podcast, I focused on women, both black women and white women, who were killed during the civil rights movement. Most of the people (perhaps, all) are not widely known. That is the sad story that links them. So, why did I choose to devote this podcast to women?

Because women faced a special kind of violence during the civil rights movement. In general, women are subjected to specific and focused violence and intimidation in most conflicts even today, and this was certainly true during the fight for civil rights in the United States.

Women were specifically targeted and sexually assaulted by racist civilians and law enforcement who battered their genitals, grabbed their breasts, yelled gender/sexual epithets, attacked the abdominal region of pregnant women, threatened the women with sexual violence or actually committed rape. These were routine occurrences for which the perpetrators were seldom punished.

In fact, incidents of ritualistic rape and intimidation were common and remained largely unpunished. Women, who reported these crimes, were often accused of being prostitutes and faced public criticism and humiliation as well as imprisonment and possibly having their children taken away.

Racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan specifically targeted and worked to intimidate women fighting for civil rights. They attacked and isolated women in their homes, or while walking down the street or driving along roads. They used violence, threats and other forms of intimidation (including threatening their children) to try to stop women from participating in civil rights or voting rights activities.

We’ve discussed a few examples. Think of Birdia Keglar and Adlena Hamlett who were killed by the Klan on their way home from giving testimony about voting rights. When the Klan drove their car off the road, the elderly women were taken from the car and marched into the woods where they were tortured, mutilated and killed. The men were left in the car.

Adlena Hamlett been threatened numerous times and had an effigy hanged to intimidate her. The local sheriff had constantly threatened Birdia Keglar. She actually needed body guards (men who volunteered) to walk with her. Many people remember Birdia Keglar as terrified of the hostile sheriff and afraid every day of her life. And they also remember that she got out every day, registered people with the NAACP and helped other Black people to register to vote—despite her fear. Viola Liuzzo faced many problems even though she was a middle class white woman. Because she was working for civil rights, she was targeted for harassment, criticized as being a neglectful and selfish mother to her five children, and considered to be unfeminine and basically deserved her fate. There was also talk that she was killed because she was in the car with a black man. Rumors were spread that she was having sexual relations with black men and that she was a “woman of loose morals.” The FBI worked to tarnish her reputation even after she was killed, possibly as a way to try to justify her murder. Many people simply remember as the unstable, wife-of-a-teamster who was murdered because she was in the car with a black man when she should have been home with her kids. (That’s the kind of criticism that women faced and possibly still face.)

So, women (of all races) who participated in the civil rights movement were targeted for sexual violence and intimidation that men were not subjected to.

And there is a vast amount of information about how white men used sexual violence (including numerous cases of gang rape) against all black women. Often these men were released with a small fine (if any punishment was given) but the victimized black women were brutalized, humiliated and labeled as “amoral jezebels.” (this label is a quote from a Florida judge).

So, that is why I wanted a special podcast to discuss the courage and commitment of women fighting for civil rights, knowing that they could face a particularly brutal form of violence and terror. One interesting fact that is not widely known is that one woman worked tirelessly to meet with women who had faced sexual violence and to investigate and document cases of sexual violence against women. She would appear on the scene usually within hours, spend time with and interview the women, make sure that they were receiving good medical attention and lobby prosecutors to investigate and prosecute the crimes. This brave woman was Rosa Parks—and she was doing this long before her fateful bus ride that sparked the Civil Rights Movement. For her work in support of victims of rape and terror (and for her well-known act of defiance against segregation in busing), we honor and remember Mrs. Rosa Parks and thank her for her undying and courageous service. (applause)

There are interesting books about violence against women fighting for civil rights and against any black woman in the segregationist states.

One is s called: At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance—A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power (Knopf, September 2010) by Danielle L. McGuire. It is a groundbreaking new work of history that reinterprets the Civil Rights Movement in terms of the sexualized violence and rape that marked race relations in America for centuries.

Another book, called Free at Last: A History the Civil Rights Movement and those who died in the Struggle by Sara Bullard and Julian Bond. This book discusses everyone in this podcast series and many more.

Finally, a book that focuses on Viola Liuzzo is called From Selma to Sorrow: The Life and Death of Viola Liuzzo by Mary Stanton. It discusses Liuzzo’s work, her life and her murder. But it also discusses the aftermath of her murder like the trial and J.Edgar Hoover’s campaign to posthumously destroy her reputation and therefore justify her murder.

Again, don’t try to remember the names of these books, they are all available for purchase at the rememberinghistory.com Books & Stuff store and listed on the Facebook page.

So, this concludes the podcast on woman warriors in the civil rights movement—and this three-part podcast series on lesser known heroes (or martyrs) of the civil rights movement. I hope that you have enjoyed and learned a lot in this podcast. I have. It has not been easy to hear about elderly women being tortured and killed by Klan. Or to hear about gang rape, intimidation and perpetrators laughing about it , paying $25 to the court then going home. Again, I state that it is not so important how they died. What is important is their courage, commitment and their vision for a better country with equality and equality rights for all. It is so important to remember and honor them: Mrs. Birdia Keglar, Mrs. Adlena Hamlett, Mrs. Viola Liuzzo and Mrs. Rosa Parks. (applause.)

And it is important to remember that people fought very hard (and were killed) for many of the rights that we enjoy right now (like the right to vote). So, remember to exercise those rights and use those powers. Get out and vote!

What is happening next month? Oh, there’s a lot going on at rememberinghistory.com! Next month’s podcast series will focus on great historic sites and places to visit. Yes, there are a few places that are well-known and well-visited. That’s great. But there are other places and activities that are not widely known. Those are the places and activities that I’m going to discuss in the May podcast series. It’s great information for a family vacation when the kids are out of school. The places are educational, fun and you’ll see that they are quite unique.

And I just want to let you know that rememberinghistory.com has a Facebook page (of the same name). On that Remembering History Facebook page, you will find pictures of the people that were discussed, interesting historical sites and great discussions and commentary. I hope that you will visit there; we know that a picture can speak a thousand words and bring history to life. Would you like to see a picture of Corporal Roman Ducksworth, Viola Liuzzo or Birdia Keglar? You will find them on the Remembering History Facebook page. And you’ll find many more pictures of people and places that are significant in African American history. And, of course, you can feel free to visit the rememberinghistory.com website for the great blog posts and bookstore. Our community can be found in many different places—and they are all connected. Just like us.

Let’s wrap it up now. I look forward to seeing you for the next podcast series on great historic sites in African American history. The first in the three-part series will be released on Tuesday, May 12 and every Tuesday for the rest of the month. Mark your calendars! See you soon at rememberinghistory.com where we ARE remembering history and we’re making history!

Remember to vote!

Bye for now!

Welcome back to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it. In this podcast series, we are remembering the unknown (or lesser known) heroes of the civil rights movement. More specifically, I should say that we are remembering and honoring the lesser-known martyrs in civil rights—those men and women who fought for voting rights, housing rights, and other forms of equal rights and the people who staunchly fought against segregation, lynching, police brutality and other forms of violence. In the last podcast, we remembered Corporal Roman Ducksworth who refused to be removed from the front of a bus travelling through Mississippi. We remembered Rev. George Washington Lee who fought for voting rights. And, lastly, we remembered Harry and Harriett Moore who fought for equal rights in education and investigated police brutality and lynching in Florida.

In today’s podcast, we will remember and honor some of the white people who fought for civil rights for Black Americans. Remember, there were many white people and people of other races and ethnicities who marched, protested, rallied and participated in sit-ins and freedom rides to fight for civil rights and voting rights for Black Americans. Did you know that there were 60,000 whites at the March on Washington? Although white people did not face the same problems as Black Americans, they were often rejected by friends and family members, fired from jobs, threatened and even killed when they participated in civil rights activities. So, I think that it is very important to recognize, remember and honor them too—and that’s what I will do in this podcast.

Unfortunately, as with the last podcast, we only have time to discuss a few of the people who participated and died in the struggle for civil rights.

Before we begin, I just want to remind you that rememberinghistory.com was formerly called the robinlofton.com blog and podcast. It’s the same website and podcast—only better. I have added some new features, mostly notably a bookstore where you can find great books, DVDs, audiobooks and other stuff to enhance your history experience. Everything that you find in the bookstore is something that I have personally read, watched, listened to or used in some way. Everything has my personal stamp of approval so I hope that you will visit the bookstore and continue to expand your history education and experience. Also, I hope that you have a chance to leave a comment or review about the materials, the podcasts, the blog or anything else that is on your mind. Of course, I welcome your recommendations on any resource that you think should be added to the bookstore. We are a great community of fun and friendly historians and everyone is welcome.

Now, let’s start this podcast and learn about a few Caucasians who made history in the civil rights movement.

We begin with Rev. James Reeb.

Reverend Reeb was a Unitarian Universalist minister and civil rights activist. Raised in Kansas and Wyoming, Reverend Reeb decided in high school that he wanted to become a minister. His family moved a lot because of his father’s job so he went to different churches, including Lutheran and Presbyterian churches. However, he was particularly attracted to the Unitarian church because of its emphasis on social action. In the 1950s and 1960s, Rev. Reeb was involved in civil rights and also encouraged his parishioners to get active in civil rights.

In 1963, Rev. Reeb moved with his wife and 4 children to Boston when he became Community Relations Director for the American Friends Service Committee. The committee worked against segregation and for housing rights for the poor. The committee (led by Rev. Reeb) forced Boston to enforce its housing code to ensure housing for indigent families. Rev. Reeb bought a home in a poor, Black neighborhood in Boston, enrolled his kids in local integrated public schools, which were actually primarily African American. Rev. Reeb was also a member of the SCLC (remember, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference).

In March of 1965, following the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King called for the clergy to join the march and support the nonviolent protest movement for voting rights for African Americans. Reverend Reeb immediately caught a plane bound for Selma to join the march. On the evening of March 9, Rev. Reeb and two other ministers ate dinner at Walker’s Café, a local Black (or integrated) restaurant. After dinner, the three men were attacked by white segregationists. Rev. Reeb was severely beaten with a club. His skull was broken. He was taken to the hospital where he died two days later.

Rev. Reeb’s funeral was attended by more than 500 people, including 100 Unitarian ministers. Giving the eulogy, Dr. Martin Luther King described Rev. Reeb as “a witness to the truth that men of different races and classes might live, eat, and work together as brothers.” He further described Rev. Reeb as a “shining example of manhood at its best.” Wow, those are big words from Martin Luther King! And I think that they are very appropriate for Rev. Reeb who had a lifelong commitment to civil rights and lived what he believed. Dr. King asked the clergy for help and Rev. Reeb did not hesitate to answer. For his courage and commitment to civil rights, we honor and remember Rev. James Reeb. (applause)

William Lewis Moore

The next person that I want to mention is a name that will be new to many people. And that’s unfortunate because he was truly a man of conviction and courage. But let me back up here. Who was William Lewis Moore?

Born in upper state New York and raised in Russell, Mississippi, William Moore went to graduate school at Johns Hopkins. During his studies, he suffered a mental breakdown and never returned to the university. He became a postal worker and started advocating for the rights of persons suffering from mental illness. This activism for the rights of the mentally ill led him to get active in the civil rights movement. He was an active member of CORE (remember, the Congress for Racial Equality).

In the early 1960s, Moore organized three civil rights protests in which he marched to three different capitols to hand deliver letters that denounced and called for an immediate end to racial segregation. He first marched to Annapolis, Maryland and delivered a letter to the state governor. On his second march, he marched to the White House to deliver a letter to President Kennedy. He reached Washington, DC at about the same time that Dr. King was released from a jail in Birmingham (remember, his Letter from a Birmingham Jail?). His letter to President Kennedy stated that he next intended to walk to Jackson, Mississippi and deliver a letter to Governor Ross Barnett, who was a known white segregationist. His third march went from Chatanooga, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi, some 340 miles away. He intended to deliver letters to Governor Barnett demanding that he accept integration. Moore wore a sandwich board that proclaimed “Equal Rights for All!”

On April 23, 1963, after walking more than 70 miles, Moore met with a reporter in Alabama who had received anonymous tips about Moore’s location. Moore told the reporter, “I intend to walk right up to the governor's mansion in Mississippi and ring his door bell. Then I'll hand him my letter." The reporter feared for Moore’s safety and offered to take him to a hotel, but Moore refused because he wanted to continue his march. Did I mention that the marches that Moore had organized were single man marches? It was just him, one lone crusader delivering letters that demanded equal rights and urging an end to segregation, walking through cities and along lonely stretches of highway.

An hour after the meeting with the reporter, a motorist found Moore’s body laying upon the side of the road, shot twice in the head at close range. Moore died just before his 36th birthday. The gun was traced to Floyd Simpson (a member of the Ku Klux Klan) who had argued with Moore earlier in the day about segregation, interracial marriage and religion. No one was ever convicted for his murder. Moore’s letter to the Mississippi Governor was retrieved from his bag. It stated that “the white man cannot truly be free himself until all men have their rights.” And to Governor Barnett, it said personally, to “be gracious and do more than is immediately demanded of you.”

Witnesses remember William Moore as a determined man, walking along the road or highway, wearing a sandwich board and pulling a red wagon stacked with letters. He would often stop and hand the letters to people along the road.

In 2009, the FBI reopened the Moore murder case as part of its cold case files on crimes during the civil rights movement. They have not revealed the results of their investigation. On the April 23, 2010 (the 47th anniversary of his murder), a plaque in honor of William Moore was unveiled in the city of Birmingham, New York.

There is also a fantastic book written about William Moore called Freedom Walk: Mississippi or Bust, which gives much more information about his single-man marches and also discusses other lesser known martyrs of the civil rights movement. You can find it in the Bookstore at rememberinghistory.com.

William Lewis Moore was truly a brave man who definitely walked the walk. He believed in equality for all and courageously announced that belief. It was reported that 65 percent of liberal white people felt that he was on a pitiful journey and disagreed with him. But he stood talk and lived his convictions. He demanded that the governor be gracious and give more than is immediately demanded of you. Those are great words for all of us. For his courage and actions in his lone man marches for integration, we remember and honor William Lewis Moore. (applause!)

The last person that we will discuss today is Rev. Bruce Klunder.

Reverend Klunder was born in Greeley, Colorado and raised in Oregon. He graduated from Yale Divinity School in 1961. Then he and his wife and two children moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Rev. Klunder, a Presbyterian minister, was always committed to fighting for civil rights and equality and believed that his religious calling demanded social activism. He founded and headed the local CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) Office in Cleveland and participated in numerous protests, marches and pickets in support of fair housing. He also participated in numerous activities and sit-ins to oppose racial segregation and discrimination in hiring and employment.

In April, 1964, the city of Cleveland started constructing a public school that was designated as a segregated school. Rev. Klunder and about 100 other protesters tried to stop construction of the school by placing themselves around the bulldozers, cement mixers and other equipment. They were successful on that day; construction stopped. On the next day, April 7, 1964, the city tried to continue constructing the school. Rev. Klunder and a 1000 other protesters again tried to stop the construction of the school. Three protesters placed themselves in front of a bulldozer while Rev. Klunder laid down behind the bulldozer effectively to block the bulldozer from moving in any direction. The bulldozer driver was not aware that Rev. Klunder was laying behind the vehicle so he moved backwards to avoid hitting the protesters in front of the vehicle. The bulldozer ran directly over Rev. Klunder who was killed instantly. His death was ruled an accident. It probably was just that, but it is still a sad incident in which a person was killed in defense of civil rights. Rev. Klunder was 27 years old. Construction of the school was halted for a few days but resumed and was completed later that year. In 2013, the school was torn down. Rev. Caviness, a minister at the Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church, was present when Rev. Klunder was killed on that fateful day and witnessed Rev. Klunder’s body laying in the dirt. “Every time I pass that school, Rev. Caviness said, it is sacred ground. It is a sacred location to all of us who were here and saw what the struggle was all about.”

Rev. Klunder’s death polarized the Cleveland community: some saw his death as inevitable while others were saddened and angered by the incident. Rev. Klunder’s funeral was attended by hundreds of people from Cleveland and beyond. He has been listed in the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama.

Rev. Klunder believed that “his life must be his sermon”. (that is a quote from the minister) He was committed to civil rights, fair housing and dismantling segregation in education and all public facilities. His courage and commitment will be remembered and honored. Thank you, Rev. Klunder. (applause)

There are many other white people who participated in the civil rights movement either on a large scale (like the 60,000 whites at the March on Washington) or on a small or individual scale like Rev. Klunder’s protest to stop the construction of a segregated school or William Lewis Moore’s one-man marches demanding integration. All were important. All had an impact. All showed that the civil rights movement was not a movement only by and about rights for African Americans but a human rights movement to ensure equality and fairness for everyone. Again, I return to my quote by Edmund Burke that said, “All that it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Don’t “do nothing”.

So, that brings this podcast to an end. We have one more podcast in this series of less famous (or even forgotten) heroes: Women in the civil rights movement. In the next podcast, we will discuss the contributions of three women who were martyred in the struggle for civil rights. No, all of these women are not black. There is one woman who is white and her contribution will be discussed next time. Spoiler alert: she was mentioned (briefly in the Selma movie). And for additional information, like books, DVDS, audiobooks and other information about these courageous people, please visit the Books & Stuff store at rememberinghistory.com. Look in the special section for April called Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. And please let me know your thoughts and comments about this and the other podcasts in this series.

Again, I know that this is a bit depressing but it is so vitally important to remember these people and their contributions. And remember, yes, we discuss that they were killed, but we focus more about how they lived, what was important to them and their courage under fire. They should not be forgotten because they give us the courage to stand up for our rights and for the rights of others, anyone in need.

I look forward to seeing you next time for the women heroes (besides Harriette Moore who we discussed in the first podcast), the women heroes in the civil rights movement. Hope to see you soon at rememberinghistory.com where were are remembering history and we’re making history.

Bye for now!