Wiki History!

Welcome back to robinlofton.com. Actually, I should welcome to the new rememberinghistory.com podcast. This month, April 2015, I launched the new and improved website and podcast called rememberinghistory.com where we are still remembering history and we’re still making history, too! Yes, it’s a new and improved website and community where you can still find the Wiki History podcasts, my bodacious blog and a great community of fun and friendly people who love history! You will also find some new things at rememberinghistory.com. I have opened a store called Books & Stuff where you can find, well, books. But you can also find DVDs, videos, and lots of other “stuff” to enhance your history experience.

While I’m glad that you are listening to my podcasts, I think that it’s also important to read, read and read some more. I remember that John Adams (2nd president of the United States) said when after finishing his studies at Harvard and before writing the Massachusetts constitution was asking himself, “How can I judge? How can any man judge unless his mind has been opened and enlarged by reading?!” That’s why I have opened a books and stuff store. And I’ve made it easy because I have also added my personal reading recommendations for the month and for just general knowledge and interest. Everything that I recommend in the store, I have personally read and highly recommend. So, what if you’re not the reading type? That’s okay too. Some people are more visual. Some people are more audio-oriented. Everyone is learns differently. (John Adams and his contemporaries didn’t have that option!) But we do so I also recommend DVDs and audiobooks. Again, each one has been personally vetted by me—I have read, watched or listened to all of them. I would also like your opinions about these supplementary items and I definitely want your recommendations too. So, that is one of the new things that you will find at rememberinghistory.com.

There will be another new addition to the website too, which will launch on June 1st. I will give you more information and ways to win prizes and other freebies as the date gets closer but for now…just know that something big is coming soon. Stay tuned. Finally, before getting to our first Wiki History Podcast about Less Famous Heroes, I just want to remind you that you can still go to robinlofton.com but you will be redirected automatically to rememberinghistory.com.

Please remember to sign up so that you can receive the podcasts, blogs, news and updates directly to you by email. (Don’t worry, you won’t get an avalanche of email messages but you will stay informed and updated about the goings on at rememberinghistory.com.

Enough said about that.

In the Spring, I like to take a moment to remember the people who have fought and died in the struggle for civil rights, the fight for human rights. Yes, I know that Spring is upon us, the days are longer, the birds are singing again and the flower buds are just returning. It is a time for renewal. But for me it is also a time for remembrance. Why? Two reasons. In the midst of all the wonderful feelings of happiness, joy and freedom, it just feels right to me to remember those people who fought for us to have the right to enjoy those freedoms. The second reason is that April 4th is the day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. April 4, 1968 to be exact. He was certainly a fallen—and definitely not forgotten—hero.

Dr. King needs no introduction. But he definitely deserves our remembrance this month. He was a (or the) leader in the civil rights movement. Many people do not realize, though, that he was also a philosopher and prolific writer. His speeches are legendary but his books take the issues to a new level of deep. One of his best, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? should be on everyone’s short list to read. Written in 1967, Dr. King discusses, in this book, the advances made in civil rights in the 1950s and 60s. But then he continues on to question what African Americans can and should do with these hard-won freedoms. He concludes that Blacks and whites—or actually, everyone—should unite to fight poverty and demand equality of opportunity. This is a powerful book, and very ahead of its time.

For a shorter and very moving summary of his philosophy, read Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham jail (written on April 16, 1963). It is a condensed version of his philosophy and thoughts about discrimination, equality and how people will have to unite for the common good. I saw another side to Dr. King as well in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail. He sounded angry and frustrated about the difficulties that he was facing in the cause of equality, especially from his clergy brethren. You will see a very human side to Dr. King, which is compelling and provides a fuller picture of this brilliant man.

Dr. King was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. Yes, he was a leader of the African American community but his vision and work led him to become a world leader. Dr. King was killed on April 4, 1968. He will always be remembered and honored for his dedication and service. And now is a great time to remember other people who though not so prominent or famous as Dr. King made important and courageous contributions in the field of human rights too. Some made big contributions. Others made strong individual stands. All were important and deserve to be remembered. That’s what I’m doing today.

By the way, you can find Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community? and Letter from a Birmingham Jail as well as DVDs and audiobooks in the bookstore at rememberinghistory.com. You don’t have to remember the names—you will find them in the Special Section called Less Famous Heroes in the bookstore at rememberinghistory.com.

Have you heard of Corporal Roman Ducksworth, Jr.?

Corporal Ducksworth was a military officer with leave to go home to see his wife and five children. On April 9, 1962, he was taking a bus through Mississippi when a police officer, William Kelly, awoke Corporal Ducksworth by punching him in the face. The officer then ordered Corporal Ducksworth off the bus. He refused. The officer dragged then dragged him off the bus at gunpoint and shot him through the heart. Let’s back up a moment. Why did this happen, why was Corporal Ducksworth killed? Different accounts but probably because he refused to move when the bus entered Mississippi, where segregation was still enforced. The Supreme Court had already declared segregation on buses to be illegal. And Corporal Ducksworth stood up for his right to sit in any available seat on the bus. For that stand, he was punished, killed. In standing up for his right, he also stood up for our rights. This was a courageous move for anyone to make in Mississippi in 1962. Unfortunately, Corporal Ducksworth was killed and Officer Kelly’s actions were ruled as justifiable homicide; no federal charges were filed.

However, Corporal Ducksworth received full military honors and a 16-gun salute. For his bravery in standing up for his rights, we salute Corporal Ducksworth and honor his courage. Thank you, Corporal Ducksworth!

Rev. George Washington Lee

We move on now to another brave man in the fight for civil rights. Rev. George Washington Lee. What a great name. In fact, many African Americans were named (or named themselves) after the founders of the United States. People like George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington are other examples. Some were so named during slavery but many others received their names after slavery ended. Back to George Washington Lee.

Reverend Lee was the first black person to register to vote in Humphreys County, Mississippi since Reconstruction. Rev. Lee often used his pulpit and his printing press to urge other Blacks to vote. White officials offered him protection on the condition he end his voter registration efforts. And Rev. Lee received many death threats for his efforts to register himself and other Blacks to vote. But he would not be deterred.

Reverend Lee was a member of the NAACP and had worked for years to pay poll taxes so that he could vote and was finally allowed to sign the register after the county sheriff feared federal prosecution.

On the night of May 7, 1955, Reverend Lee drove his car along Belzoni’s Church Street, returning from an NAACP meeting when people said “two gun blasts shattered the night stillness, and his Buick sedan swerved over the curb and rammed into a frame house. Several witnesses saw a car drive by with white men inside but the local sheriff ruled that Rev. Lee had argued with a woman and lost control of his car. He died on his way to the Humphreys County Memorial Hospital.”

As it turned out, the FBI did investigate Rev Lee’s murder and records show the agency built a circumstantial murder case against two men, but a local prosecutor refused to take the case to a grand jury. Peck Ray and Joe David Watson Sr., the suspects, were members of the Citizens Council. Both died in the 1970s and never served any time for the killing.

Some of Lee’s friends believe the murder was part of a larger conspiracy involving influential members of the community who wanted to silence Rev. Lee for encouraging blacks to register to vote.

For his courage and determination to vote and encouraging other Blacks to vote, we honor the memory of Rev. George Washington Lee. And we thank him for his service. (Applause)

I will end this first podcast about Less famous heroes with a discussion of Harry and Harriet Moore. They were both black educators in Florida and formed the first office of the N AACP in the southern state. The Moores focused on the sharp disparity or difference between the salaries and benefits received by white teachers and black teachers in the public schools. In fact, they filed the first lawsuit teacher salary disparities. They also fought against segregation particularly in education. Later, Mr. Moore began to focus on the problem of police brutality and lynching—both very controversial and dangerous subjects. Harry Moore documented and personally investigated more than a hundred cases of lynching in the state of Florida. Because of their work against violence and discrimination, they received numerous death threats and were later fired from their jobs.

On Christmas Day in 1951, a firebomb was placed directly under their bedroom in the house where they with their two daughters. The bomb exploded while they slept. Its explosion was called the “blast heard around the world” and sent the bed flying through the ceiling. Harry Moore was killed instantly. Nine days later, Harriett Moore died. Their daughters survived. Rallies were held. Letters were sent to the Governor and President Eisenhower but to no avail. No one was ever arrested or charged. They are the only known couple to be killed in the fight for civil rights.

A recent investigation into the bombing—and by recent, I mean 2005 (more than 50 years ago their murders)—by the Florida State Attorney General discovered that the bombing had been done by four Klansmen who were known to be especially violent and used explosives in other killings. One of the klansmen actually had a diagram of the Moore’s home. Two of the klansmen died in 1956 (the year after the bombing), one klansman committed suicide and the remaining killer died in 1978. Before his death from cancer, he admitted to being at the scene of the bombing of the Moore’s home in 1951.

The Moore’s have received many posthumous awards and honors, including have a post office and state high way named after them. They were also inducted into the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Langston Hughes wrote and read a poem at their funeral. It is short so I want to take a moment to read it.

Florida means land of flowers

It was on a Christmas night.

In the state named for the flowers

Men came bearing dynamite...

It could not be in Jesus’ name

Beneath the bedroom floor

On Christmas night the killers

Hid the bomb for Harry Moore

A book was written about Harry Moore called Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America’s First Civil Rights Martyr. It was written in 1999 by investigative journalist Ben Green. You can find this book (which is also about Harriett too) in the bookstore at rememberinghistory.com. I hope that you read it but be prepared for an emotional ride—anger, sadness, frustration or all of the above. You decide. And let me know your thoughts and feelings about the book; I look forward to your comments.

For their work in education and courage to fight segregation and violence against African Americans, we remember and honor Harry and Harriett Moore. And we thank them for their service. (Applause!)

So, this brings the first podcast about Less Famous heroes to an end. Corporal Ducksworth. Reverend George Washington Lee. Harry and Harriett Moore. While it is important to note the violence that ended their lives, it is more important (I believe) to remember how they lived, what they fought for and their courage under fire. And they can give us the courage to stand up for what is right and fair for all people.

In the next podcast, I will make a special focus still on Less Famous heroes. But the next podcast will focus on heroes who were white and were killed during the civil rights movement, fighting for civil rights. I think that many times we forget that many whites participated in the rallies and marches and were also opposed to segregation and the other evils of discrimination. (Their work and activities also caused them to lose friends, be rejected by family members and face violence.) So, I’m going to remember them in the next podcast. Their stories are also interesting and inspirational and remind us to stand up not only for our own rights, but also for the rights of others.

I am reminded of one of my favorite philosophers, Edmund Burke, who said “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (repeat) Well these people refused to “do nothing” even though things might have been easier and safer for them if they did. So they are an inspiration to us all and I am happy to remember and honor them in the next podcast.

I hope that you will join me for the next podcast and that you enjoyed this session. Yes, the stories can be sad. They can be frustrating, perhaps even make you angry. But they are a part of history—all these people made history and we are here to remember history and to make history, too!

If you want more information—and I hope that you do—please visit rememberinghistory.com and look at the blog and the bookstore where you will find the books that I mentioned at the beginning called Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community and the Letter from a Birmingham Jail. And the book about Harry Moore. You will also find other books, DVDs and resources that I personally recommend. Also, please leave your questions, comments, stories or just whatever is on your mind. We are a welcoming community of historians and we want you to be a part of it. So, see you next time at rememberinghistory.com (formerly robinlofton.com) where we are remembering history and we’re making history!

Bye for now!

In this month (March, that is), we have been examining famous marches in history like the Bloody Sunday march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Of course, we know that the marches did not make it all the way to Montgomery on that fateful day. But they did make the march to Montgomery a few days later—and that was also an historic moment in the civil rights movement.

Another famous march was the iconic March on Washington—also known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In the second wiki history podcast on marches, we examined less famous marches and we focused on marches in only one city: Oakland, California. Remember we chose Oakland, California because it has been called—and rightly so—a hotbed of radical activism. We discussed marches in that city like the 12-man march (remember, it was about racial profiling) and the marches in support of Oscar Grant, Alan Blueford and other young Black men killed by law enforcement. And we briefly mentioned Oakland’s African American mayors: Lionel Wilson and Elihu Harris as well as Oakland congressional representatives namely, Ron Dellums and Barbara Lee. I didn’t have time in that podcast to mention some of the even more radical activists in Oakland at that time like the Black Panthers (who had a strong grassroots presence in the community by providing school lunches, teaching self-defense courses and monitoring police activity in Oakland’s black neighborhoods). And I really wish that we had time to discuss the incredible and brave Angela Davis who was involved in grassroots activism but also studied and worked on at the international level. But she was based in Oakland and has maintained strong ties there. Angela Davis is a powerful and incredible activist and scholar who was and continues to have a strong presence in the legal, educational and activist communities.

These marches were important and remembered for many different reasons. But today’s wiki history podcast will move away from discussing individual marches and instead look at the larger picture of why we marched and whether marching is still a useful tool in the struggle for civil rights—yes, the struggle for equality and justice, the struggle for civil rights continues today. So we will consider whether marches are effective and useful today.

Before we begin, let me just mention again two books and DVDs about famous marches. This is the Day: The March on Washington and March from Selma to Montgomery—both are great books that will give you a great introduction to these marches. Two great DVDs are Selma, Lord Selma and March on Washington. I just mention these sources if you want more information about marching but you can find and purchase these and other books and DVDs on the website at robinlofton.com or rememberinghistory.com. You can also find more information and commentary on Black history and current events and leave your own comments there. I love to hear from the listeners and get your opinions on whatever moves you that day. Hope to see you there.

Okay, let’s discuss why we march and what marches are about.

Marching is one tool of non-violent civil disobedience or non-cooperation created by Mahatma Gandhi during the movement to free India from British rule, which was secured in August of 1947. In fact, one of the biggest acts of non-cooperation was the Salt March which attacked Britain’s monopoly on salt. In response, the British government actually invited Gandhi to London for a roundtable conference at which the British conceded large amounts of power to the Indian people. And, yes, this eventually led to their independence. Dr. Martin Luther King, who studied the philosophy of Gandhi during his doctoral program, was a great admirer of the spiritual and political leader. And he also strongly believed in his philosophy of non-violence and non-cooperation. As we know, Dr. King brought this philosophy to his work in the civil rights movement.

The march is one form of non-violent disobedience that Dr. King learned from Mahatma Gandhi and that was used during the civil rights movement. It continues to be used today. In many ways, it is used even more than in the past. Social media, like Facebook and Twitter, have made it possible to organize marches within minutes.

Mass media starting with television and, more recently, the Internet have made it possible for people to watch and participate in marches, hear the messages of the marchers, and to experience remotely the emotion of the march and the marchers.

But what does marching really accomplish? Great question. Let’s look at some answers.

1. Attention. Marching brings attention to an issue. As I just said, a march does draw publicity. The media appear. People post pictures to Instagram, Twitter or other social media on their phones. Marching can easily go viral. People around the world can quickly hear about a march and hear the message of the protesters. This can encourage people to sympathize with the marchers’ message and even join the marchers. The larger numbers draw even more attention and support.

2. Solidarity. Marching can bring solidarity to an issue. As people hear the message, more people who are affected by the issue will be drawn to the march. The increased solidarity gives additional power to the message. Politicians are often forced to listen to the demands of the marchers. (Remember the March on Washington helped Dr. King and the SCLC to get a meeting with President Kennedy. The Selma march helped the SCLC to get a meeting with President Johnson. Strong marches open doors to the right people, the decision makers.

3. Platform. A march creates a forum where people can publicly state their demands. Often there are speeches that discuss the issue and state the demands. Sometimes, there will be written material like pamphlets or brochures or bumper stickers that will be distributed so people can state their position on a particular issue. I recently watched a march by students at UC Santa Cruz who were upset about tuition increases. Students carried signs and banners, wore shirts that stated their position, and gave speeches. I watched the march on the news from another part of the state and was moved by the passion of the students. Very effective march.

4. Not violent. Okay, sometimes marches can turn violent. Whenever there is a large group of people who are angered or saddened or feeling any other strong emotion, there is the possibility that violence can erupt. Sometimes, it is violence by the protesters but we have also seen cases when violence was started by law enforcement that overreact with deadly force. Other times, people or groups who oppose the marchers cause violence to erupt. . Violence is how marches can go wrong.

But let’s slow down here. Most marches are not violent. Most marches are peaceful and organized. Most marches are almost like picnics where people (adults and children alike) carry signs, listen to speeches, walk slowly down the street or even chant. Remember the march where people actually laid down and chanted “I can’t breathe” to oppose the killing of Eric Garner. Or remember the Oakland march in which African American men walked together, dressed in suits to oppose racial profiling. There was no violence but the marches made a strong visual impact.

5. Positive outcome. A march that has gone well can have a very positive impact by bringing people together, voicing the message, spreading the message and getting lots of attention from the right people. As Dr. King stated, the “aftermath of nonviolence is reconciliation and the creation of a beloved community.” I remember watching the movie, Selma, and noticed people’s faces changing as they watched the marchers on television. People who were opposed or indifferent to the march, felt compelled to travel to Alabama to join the marchers crossing the bridge. Five months after the bloody Sunday march in Selma, President Johnson introduced the Voting Rights Act.

I must admit, though, that there has not been such dramatic action or change following the marches about the killing of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown or Eric Garner. The tuition fee hike remains in effect at UC Santa Clara. Racial profiling is still being used against African Americans. However, the issues have been brought communities together, defined the issues, brought attention and created some positive feelings of reconciliation. No, marches have not solved all of society’s problems. But I do believe that they have brought communities together and helped people to feel empowered to make change.

I just want to end with a look at Dr. King’s views on marching as a form of non-violent resistance. He admits that it has challenges and it also requires a larger outlook than many people have—and a longer term view than many people want.

In a speech at UC Berkeley in 1957, Dr. King noted stated that nonviolence “is not a method for cowards.” But he further noted that it does resist. It does resist. He said, “this method is passive physically but strongly active spiritually; it is nonaggressive physically but dynamically aggressive spiritually.” Wow, he’s saying that marching is not easy and it requires a person to look deep within themselves.

In the same speech, he made another very interesting point that I think that we MUST remember. Nonviolent resistance does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent but to win his friendship and understanding. I know that sounds hard and contradictory to what we’re feeling. Who wants to be friends with law enforcement when they fail to protect but instead shoot 12-year kids? I don’t think that going-to-a-ballgame-together friendship is what he’s visioning but instead that the wrongdoer would develop a connection with the protester. Empathy and compassion would be the outcome on both sides. Change would be inevitable.

Another point that Dr. King stated was that the attack is directed against the forces of evil rather than against the persons who are caught up in those forces. See the separation? The person is not evil but caught up in an unjust and unfair situation. He states, “The tension is at bottom between justice and injustice.” It is not between us or them. It is between right and wrong. It’s important to remember that distinction. And in his usual deep way, he stated in a sermon in Montgomery about the oppressor, to “let him know that you are merely seeking justice for him as well as yourself.” Again, wow! I don’t know how many people remember that while marching but it is so important to remember this position—to keep the focus clear and steady.

So, let’s wrap up this wiki history podcast about whether marching is effective. Of course, there are many different views. Mine is that, yes, marching is effective. Very effective. Sometimes, it has immediate results that get a person released from unjust imprisonment (remember Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam marched to get medical attention and the immediate release of a fellow brother). Or to get laws passed like the Voting Rights Act or the Matthew Sheppard and James Byrd prohibiting hate crimes.

Other times, it gets the attention and solidarity of people around the country or even the world. Marching defines and clarifies issues. Marching gets the issues stated and proclaimed. Marching gives a voice to the community. It gives power to the individual. It gives us an outlet to release emotion and shout our dissension. I believe in marching. I have participated in marches and have felt their energy and seen their effects. I go back to my student days when we marched against apartheid in South Africa. We demanded that the UC Regents divest our money from the country. And, eventually, they did. Marching worked. And we as students were empowered, we were unified, and we were focused by marching. It works.

Well, those are my thoughts and experiences in marching. I would love to hear yours at robinlofton.com or rememberinghistory.com. This is a place for freedom of speech and thought. This is a place for the healthy and active exchange of ideas.

This was the final podcast in the wiki history lecture series on marches. I hope that you enjoyed it. I really did. I hope to see you next month when this wiki history podcast series continue with its April podcasts.

The April podcasts will focus on individual stories of people who made a difference in civil rights or human rights. Some of these people were briefly mentioned or shown in Selma. I was so happy to see or hear their names—it made me want to discuss them further. Their courage and contributions should not just be mentioned but proclaimed and remembered for the entire world to recognize. One important thing about history is that it is full of individual stories. We should never lose sight of the individual. Ever.

I hope to see you next month. Actually, I hope to see you every day at rememberinghistory.com to voice your opinions, read the bodacious blog or so that you can examine the resources that I have mentioned in these podcasts.

Hope to see you soon at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history.

Bye for now!

Hello and welcome back to robinlofton.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history. Today, we are continuing with our wiki history podcast series about marches and protests. March seems like the perfect month for this interesting topic.

America is legendary for its famous marches and protests. From the furtive Boston Tea Party to the legendary March on Washington and beyond, the United States is a country of marching and protesting. With its diverse citizenry and constitutionally protected speech, people feel free to take to the streets, wave a sign, hold hands, and shout, march, sit or even lay down.

In the first podcast, we discussed two famous marches: the March from Selma to Montgomery (or the bloody Sunday march), about which a recent biopic film was recently released. I just saw it and think that it was a fantastic film that portrayed the problem (voting rights for African Americans), the marches and the players in a fair and realistic light. Then, of course, we discussed the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Dr. Martin Luther King made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. These mega-marches are remembered for several reasons and they are now a part of U.S. (and perhaps world) history. I hope that you have already heard that podcast but, if not, then feel free to go back and listen to it. I also mentioned several books and DVDs that are worth reading or watching and that are available at robinlofton.com.

The marches in today’s podcast have a slightly different flavor than the Selma March and the March on Washington. And that is where we are beginning today.

Remember I mentioned that today’s podcast would focus on marches in a particular city. I did not tell you the name of the city but I gave you a hint: this city has been called a “hotbed of radical activism.” Did you guess which city that I was talking about?

Oakland, California!

The city of Oakland has hosted and continues to host many marches—some organized, some not. Sometimes these demonstrations turned violent but most marches only involved people who are peacefully expressing their dissatisfaction with a particular issue or event.

Yes, Oakland has been coined a “hotbed of radical activism.” Example: Oakland was home to the Black Panthers who were active from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. The Black Panthers organized grassroots activities in the African American community to educate the community, particularly African American children, fight police brutality, promote civil and political rights, and to proclaim frustration with community leaders, courts, or law enforcement. At that time, the Black Panther Party would follow police patrols to witness police activity such as brutality, distribute breakfasts to school children, and offer self-defense courses. In recent years, other groups have taken the helm and continued Oakland’s “radical” activism through speech making, marching, and rallying. The Black Panthers have stepped aside and other groups are taking the helm.

One particular year was particularly interesting: 2013.

The summer of 2013 was a “hot” season of community activism in Oakland and around the country. At the time of the 50 anniversary of the March on Washington (August 28, 1963), Oakland remained at the forefront of the grassroots movement toward equality, justice, and fairness.

Four marches in Oakland are notable in the summer of 2013:

1. Zimmerman Verdict Marches

Reason for March: Justice for Trayvon Martin

In 2012, George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman, killed 17-year old Trayvon Martin. On July 13, 2013, Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges, including the 2nd degree murder and manslaughter. Marches and protests erupted throughout the country expressing outrage over the quick and perceived unjust verdict. In Oakland, people took to the streets to express their anger, frustration, and disillusionment with the criminal justice system.

For nearly one week, people demonstrated in Oakland to demand justice for Trayvon Martin and his family. More than 750 people of all backgrounds protested and marched their way through Oakland. Interstate highway, I-880, was temporarily shut down. Most of the marches and protests were peaceful but noticeable.

However, some protesters vandalized Oakland businesses and scuffled with police. Many people asserted that these “fringe” activists did not represent the majority of Oaklanders or the African American community.

Still, Oakland lived up to its reputation as a strong and powerful player on the marches and protests front. Its broad-based group of political activists made a strong showing of support for justice for Trayvon Martin and opposing racism in the criminal justice system.

2. Twelve-Man March

Reason for March: Bring awareness to the dangers of racial profiling

A small, but equally important, march was organized in Oakland on July 19, 2013. During this march, twelve African American men marched to Oakland’s city hall. All the men wore business attire: suit, tie, dress shoes, etc. All the African American men presented as businessmen. They peacefully marched to city hall holding signs condemning racial profiling and the negative portrayal of African American men in the media.

In speeches at Frank Ogawa Hall, the protesters cited the killing of Trayvon Martin and Alan Blueford. Both were African American, young, and unarmed when they were killed by law enforcement. No one was convicted in either killing. Racial profiling was asserted to be the cause that identified these young men as dangerous though unsupported by the evidence.

3. Oscar Grant Marches

Reason for Demonstration: Justice for Oscar Grant

On January 1, 2009, 22-year old Oscar Grant was killed by BART police officer, Johannes Mehserle, at Oakland’s Fruitvale BART station. He served 11 months for the killing.

There were several marches in the weeks following Oscar Grant’s killing as well as during subsequent court hearings and trial. On January 7, 2009, more than 250 people marched at the Fruitvale station. Other marches were held at San Francisco’s Embarcadero station. Another similar march was organized on January 30. Both marches were organized to memorialize Oscar Grant and the other victims of police brutality. Protesters were also criticizing BART’s investigation of the killing as inadequate and cursory.

The Oscar Grant marches were described as both peaceful and organized as well as rowdy and raucous. Some of the marches involved protesters carrying signs and chanting for change. Other protesters turned violent and destroyed property, primarily in Oakland’s Broadway and 14th street district. Trashcans were thrown, cars were burned, and windows were broken by groups of self-described “anarchists”. Grant’s family held a press conference to call for calm and peace as a tribute to their deceased son. Mayor Ron Dellums joined the Grant family’s plea. Still, most of the protests by Oaklanders were peaceful and focused on remembering and providing justice for Oscar Grant and his family.

Similar marches were held for Alan Blueford, Ezell Ford and others killed by law enforcement in Oakland.

4. Occupy Oakland Marches

Reason for Demonstrations: Bring awareness to social and economic inequality and keep public services open in Oakland.

The Occupy movement holds demonstrations and marches throughout the United States and in 81 other countries worldwide. There is an Occupy movement office located in nearly every major American city. Oakland is no exception and, in fact, the Occupy movement has been very active in the city of Oakland.

The Occupy Oakland movement supports solidarity with the worldwide Occupy Movement and its opposition to the economic and social inequality that exists worldwide. Specific to Oakland, the Occupy Movement also opposes gang injunctions, youth curfews, and the closures of libraries and schools in Oakland.

The first demonstration was held on October 10, 2011 attended by approximately 300 people. Direct action by Occupy Oakland protesters included rallies, marches and speeches. Several dozen people also set up tents at the Frank Ogawa plaza in front of Oakland’s city hall building. This first Occupy Oakland demonstration lasted fifteen days and attracted 2,500 people. Demonstrations have included clergy, union members, and students.

A second demonstration was held on October 26, 2011, which was attended by 3,000 protesters. It was a peaceful protest.

Subsequent demonstrations and rallies have been organized throughout Oakland, including by Lake Merritt and the Oakland Public Library. Downtown Oakland has been a focus area for the movement. On January 28, 2013 the Occupy Movement organized a “move-in” day on which it occupied an abandoned building and converted it into a social center.

Local government’s response to the Occupy Oakland movement was positive and supportive. In the beginning, many local politicians supported the movement’s goals and actions to clean up the city and keep local services open and available to the community. Several local politicians attended and spoke at rallies organized by Occupy Oakland.

However, law enforcement has, at times, been characterized as aggressive and violent toward the protesters. Tents have been torn down, barricades set up around the demonstrators, and numerous arrests have been made. Oaklanders responded that the police reaction was overly aggressive, violent, and chaotic. Still, the Oakland Occupy movement continues and is gaining support.

And Oakland has had many more marches in support of Eric Garner who died when officers placed a choke-hold on him. In this particular march, people chanted “I can’t breathe!”

Oakland was also host to a march to protest the killing of Michael Brown. People marched with their hands up, to commemorate Michael Brown’s position with a police office in Ferguson, Missouri shot and killed him.

Because of the strong atmosphere of civil protest and involvement, Oakland has a long history of African Americans in government. Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a powerful representative in Oakland who works tirelessly to eradicate poverty, extend unemployment assistance for long-term unemployed persons ensure adequate health care as a human right. She was also one of the few representatives to question authorizing military force in Syria. There is a fantastic blog post about the great work of Barbara Lee on robinlofton.com. Ronald Dellums is another long-standing Congressional representative for the people of Oakland. He was an important figure is supporting peoples’ park in Berkeley and challenging the Vietnam War.

Oakland also has an impressive list of Black mayors. In 1977, Oakland elected its first Black mayor, Lionel Wilson who served for three terms after which Elihu Harris took the helm. After serving in Congress, Ron Dellums returned to Oakland and was elected mayor in 2007.

Many people mistakenly believe that the Berkeley is “THE place” for civil dissent. However, Oakland with its diverse and strongly opinionated population is at the forefront of a movement in which the community demands a just, fair, and safe society. Perhaps the next March on Washington will be held in Oakland.

Well, this concludes our wiki history podcast about marches that occurred in that “hotbed of radical activism” known as Oakland, California. I hope that you enjoyed it and learned a little something about this great but sometimes overlooked city. I have a lot of respect for the city for many reasons. Yes, it is the city where I was born. But it is a strong, multicultural hotbed of free speech and free thought with a strong ethical foundation. Marches are an important part of this city’s history and everyone is included in demanding a “more perfect union.”

In the final wiki history podcast on Marches, we will examine why we march, the importance of marches. In this final podcast in the marches series, I will discuss Dr. Martin Luther King’s views on marches, why they are important and how they can create change. Be prepared for interesting insights and a few surprises. And, as always, I would like to hear your views about whether you think that marches are important. Or are they just a waste of time and energy? Everyone has a right to their opinion and you’re free to share them at robinlofton.com soon to be rememberinghistory.com.

And please remember that for every time that someone listens to these podcasts in March, I will donate $1 to the Association for the Study of African American Life & History. Founded by Carter G. Woodson—the father of Black History month—this organization works tirelessly to keep African American history alive and respected around the world. Feel free to visit them at asalh.org.

And feel free to visit robinlofton.com or rememberinghistory.com. I hope to hear your comments and marching experiences. And I hope that that you will join me for the next marches podcast where we are remembering history and we’re making it.

Bye for now!

Welcome back to robinlofton.com! This is the place where we are remembering history and the place where we are making it. March is an interesting month: winter melts into spring, schools take a long—and much-needed break and many of us are still on a high from last month’s Black history month celebrations and remembrances. With all the great stories, achievements, and contributions, Black history month is a very hard act to follow. But March does have its strengths. This month, the theme will be marches. You know, when people get out and march, protest and make demands on the government for changes, improvements and justice. I’m talking about that important and powerful form of protest: marching.

Yes, in March, we will discuss marches. We’ll discuss famous marches. We’ll discuss not-so-famous marches. We will also examine why we march. And, during March month—and every month—I would love to hear from you if you’ve ever been involved in a march. What was it like? What were you marching about? What do you think of marching? Was it effective? In short, I want to hear from you about your marching experiences.

I can begin with one of my marching experiences. I was an undergrad at UCLA. During the 1980s (yes, I’m revealing my age bracket here), the United States was one of the last countries to maintain economic ties with South Africa. This was during the time when South Africa was in the grip of apartheid. The Black Students Association (or BSA as it is known by people in the know) organized several large marches on campus to demand that the UC Regents divest our funds from South Africa. We also demanded a full economic boycott against South Africa while it maintained the system of apartheid and while Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and other members of the ANC remained in prison. Today, we know how the story ended: Apartheid was dismantled. South Africa became an isolated symbol of racism throughout the world. And Nelson Mandela was freed from prison and became the first Black African president of South Africa. We know that he was much more than that—his legacy of power, peace, equality, and justice endure today, long after his death. And the other political prisoners were released. Did the Black Student marches accomplish all that? Probably not—at least not alone. But these marches were happening all over the country and I think that we all contributed to dismantling apartheid and making South Africa into a free and democratic country.

The marches at UCLA—all non-violent I should add—were events that brought us together as a community working towards a single and just cause. We felt empowered and strong. We felt unity (remember Umoja (in Swahili) from the first day of Kwanzaa?) and a collective passion to join the struggle with people thousands of miles away who desired equality, justice and freedom. To answer my own questions: Were our marches effective? Absolutely. Would I do it again? I already have! But that’s for another podcast.

Let’s back up and do a bit of housecleaning before we begin part 1 of the marches podcast series.

I hope that you enjoyed the Black History month wiki history podcasts where we answered basic questions about Black History Month: What is it? Who started it and why? And one of the most relevant questions (which also happened to be the most popular podcast of the month): do we still need Black History month? That presented a great question and really made people think about why, with a Black president, we continue to need Black history month. In fact, I remember seeing the hashtag #28daysisnotenough. It really isn’t so I will continue to learn, remember and honor Black history. If you haven’t listened to the Black history month wiki podcasts, please take a bit of time to go back to them. They are not long. Remember that they’re wiki lectures. That means (in the Hawaiian language), that you can learn a lot really fast.

One more thing before I forget and before we start discussing famous marches: robinlofton.com is taking a new name. This website, podcast, and blog will be called rememberinghistory.com. I will still be the host and the front person but the name will change to reflect more closely my real goal. To remember history. To honor history. To learn from and be inspired by history. And, ultimately, to make history. So, rememberinghistory.com. There’s nothing that you need to do. You can go to robinlofton.com where you’ll be forwarded to rememberinghistory.com. Or you can, of course, just visit rememberinghistory.com. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Now for the marches.

I know as I begin this podcast, you might be thinking about the blockbuster historical movie, Selma. That’s great. I love historical movies because they help to bring history to life and remind us of the important events in history—even if they were not so long ago. And Selma, Alabama was the scene of an important march on what has come to be known as Bloody Sunday. It was March 7, 1965.

There were other marches that took place around the same time, lasting for another 18 days. The Turnaround March, for example. This was one of the most famous marches in U.S. history. What was the march about? Voting rights for African Americans. The marchers were demanding the passage of a Voting Rights law that prohibited discrimination in the right and practice of voting. As the bloody Sunday name suggests, this non-violent march ended with police and state troopers attacking the unarmed marchers. Many were injured. Some were killed. This march was effective: President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law just five months later, on August 6, 1965. There is lots more about the Voting Rights Act—it is a fundamental and revolutionary document that is constantly under attack—and I have a wiki history podcast that discusses it called Civil Rights Movement: The Laws & Supreme Court cases. Back to the Selma march, the march was also a response to the killing of Jimmie Lee Jackson by an Alabama State trooper. Mr. Jackson was killed while fleeing violence that had erupted at a voting rights rally. The Selma march was also a response to the killing of Rev. James Reeb by four members of the Ku Klux Klan who objected to Rev. Reeb dining at an integrated restaurant. Well, if you want to know more about the Selma march, I encourage you to see the movie or listen to my podcast called The Civil Rights Movement: Marches and Protests. Actually, you can do both if you like!

One of the most famous and largest marches, not just in U.S. history, but in world history was the March on Washington, which was held on August 28, 1963. Did you know that full name was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom? Yes, that really tells it all. It was the largest march ever held for economic and social rights for African Americans. 250,000 people attended the march, including 60,000 whites. It was absolutely an integrated (or multicultural in modern lingo) movement—and that was very rare at the time. This is when and where SCLC president Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

In fact, there was a long list of speakers including A. Philip Randolph who gave the opening remarks, SNCC Chairman John Lewis (who would be a central figure at the Selma march 2 years later), National Urban League director Whitney Young, and NAACP Executive Secretary Roy Wilkens who led a moment of silence for WEB Dubois had died in Ghana on the previous night. There was also a long list of performers like Mahalia Jackson, Marion Anderson, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. How effective was the March on Washington? That is open to a lot of debate. There was criticism on all sides: Some people, including Malcolm X, thought that the issue and goal of the march were too diluted as a result of multicultural support and conflicting agendas. Some people in the Kennedy Administration felt that the march was too radical and inflammatory because many speakers were questioning the effectiveness of the current civil rights bill. Still, others (particularly white segregationists) were angered that Black people and civil rights issues had been provided with so much power and coverage. Most of the participants felt that the march was an historic and life-changing experience. To me (no I wasn’t there), that historic and life-changing feeling by itself shows that the march was effective and powerful. Following the march, President Kennedy did actually meet with civil rights leaders—that was a huge step on its own—but he had not signed the civil rights bill before his assassination. Eleven months later, his successor Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law.

So, those are two of the most famous marches. There is a lot more to say about them but I encourage you read about them for yourself. Two good books are This is the Day: The March on Washington by Leonard Freed and March from Selma to Montgomery by Michael Uschan (by the way, Michael Uschan has written a lot about African American history and his books are very readable and informative.) If you’re more the visual type, go see Selma if it’s still in the theaters. If not, then a great DVD is Selma, Lord, Selma. And a good DVD about the March on Washington is called The March, which is a documentary with Denzel Washington. I just mention these books and DVDs but you can find them all and others (with reviews) on robinlofton.com and rememberinghistory.com. Look in the store section on Marches. You can’t miss it!

And, while you’re at the website, please give me your comments about the marches, the books, the movies, or anything else that it is on your mind. I love to hear from my listeners. Remember we are part of a community and I definitely believe in freedom of speech and expression. If you actually attended one of these marches—or another march—tell me your experiences, thoughts, and beliefs about the marches.

In the next wiki podcast, we are going to discuss some of the lesser-known marches. These marches are not unknown, but they certainly were not on the scale of the March on Washington or the Selma to Montgomery march in terms of participation and numbers. But you might just find that they were powerful, effective and memorable in their own right. And to make it even more interesting, I am going to focus on a single city for the wiki history podcast on these lesser-known marches. I will not tell you the name of the city but here’s a hint: This city has been described as a “hotbed of radical activism.” That’s a quote. Well, think about it and tune in next time for the name of this “hotbed of radical activism” and the marches that have occurred there. Just to jump ahead, the final podcast in the marches series will discuss why we march and examine the march as an effective tool for change. We will examine specific and modern marches so it will be quite interesting. There is a reason that Gandhi marched and that we continue to march.

Finally, every time someone listens to these podcasts, I will donate $1 to the ASALH, the Association for the Study of African American Life & History. This organization, founded by Carter G. Woodson, is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year and is a great organization that keeps African American history alive, growing and respected. Feel free to visit them at asalh.org.

And feel free to visit robinlofton.com and rememberinghistory.com. Hope that you enjoyed this “march” down memory lane (sorry, but I couldn’t resist that one), I hope to hear your comments and experiences, and I hope that you will join me at the next marches podcast where we are remembering history and we’re making history.

Bye for now!

The last two podcasts, we have been enjoying a discussion of Black History Month. On first day, we looked at what Black History month actually is and what people can do to recognize and celebrate it. Yes, it is a time for learning and it is also a time for celebration. I love food so I’m celebrating it by making food from my heritage every day this month. And I’ve put the pictures on my Facebook page. I hope that you have seen the Jollof Rice and plantains that I posted. I hope that you are thinking of more ways to celebrate this great month. Remember, yes, history is very important but you can also commemorate the month through cultural activities (like music, art, or food) or political activities like attending a rally. One great way to celebrate Black History Month is to celebrate the Black family. Spending time together as a family is a wonderful way to honor the month. You can even remember or set a place for the ancestors.

On the second day, we discussed who founded Black History Month. We noted that Dr. Carter G. Woodson originally started it as Negro History Week in 1926. It did not become a full month celebration until the mid-1970s. Dr. Woodson was an honored and respected historian and scholar who was unhappy with how Black history was being taught and ignored in schools. His landmark book, The Mis-education of the Negro, should be required reading in every African American home. (It’s also a great read for Black History Month!)

In today’s podcast, we will discuss why Black History Month was important and why it’s still important today.

I think that this point is obvious to anyone who has listened to the first two podcasts about Black History Month. (If you haven’t heard them, I really hope that you do. They’re not long but there is a lot of great information in them.) Why is Black History Month important? This is an important question to answer because it might NOT be obvious to many people, including African Americans.

Let’s begin this discussion with a quote by Dr. Carter G. Woodson:

If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.

Scary, huh? I think that this is a powerful powerful quote from which to start the discussion. Dr. Woodson talks about the vulnerability of a people who do not know their history. And it could make African Americans appear to lack value, tradition, and humanity. I think that we have seen some of the results recently as African Americans have been killed and punishment has been lacking. Black lives did not matter to those people.

Dr. Woodson also did not want African Americans to believe that our history consisted solely of slavery. Certainly, slavery was a part of African American history—and we MUST remember that time and honor those who lived through it and passed their traditions to us-- but there is so much more to Black history than slavery. And this is why Black History Month is important and necessary.

In recent years, Black history is appearing more on the curriculum and that is great. However, it is only a broad view of Black history and only a small view of the contributions made by African Americans.

One distinguished historian (no, he’s not Black but he’s still great), David McCullough, wrote:

For a free, self-governing people, something more than a vague familiarity of history is essential if we want to hold on to, and maintain, our freedom.

Dr. McCullough’s statement is a “mantra” for African Americans and the study of African American history. And Black History Month is the right time to pierce the superficial veil of history and get to its heart and spirit.

In short, we need Black History Month to remind us of the great people before us, on whose backs we climb, whose vision we follow, and whose work, toil, and suffering have changed this country and the world.

Do you know who Benjamin Banneker is?

Do you know which courageous Black woman fought against lynching?

Have you ever heard the Negro National Anthem?

These are some questions to consider during Black History Month. And there are so many others!

Black History Month is important because it allows all people to pause and remember the important contributions of African Americans–and to celebrate the Black experience (and it’s a great and rich experience) throughout the world.

Remember the quote from Dr. Woodson:

Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration that comes from the teaching of biography and history. ~ Dr. Carter G. Woodson

We need the record. We must have that record. For ourselves and our children. We need it for our people. For our survival. And remember that we are still making history. History is not just about the past (remember that no one has ever lived in the past), it is about the present. We are caught up in the living moment and making history again for ourselves, our children, our people and the world.

So, I hope that you enjoyed this podcast about the continuing need for Black History Month. I really enjoyed researching it and presenting it to you. I hope that you will remember, study, and celebrate Black History month.

Please remember to visit robinlofton.com. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about Black History Month and what you are doing to celebrate this exciting month. As I said, one thing that I’m doing is making food from my heritage every day this month. I have posted pictures of my dishes on my Facebook page at Robin Lofton and Remembering History. I have also tweeted them. You can follow Waikoloarobin to see these dishes every day.

Finally, I want to remind you that for every one who listens to this podcast and every podcast this month, I will donate $1 to Blackpast.org, which is an online encyclopedia of African American history. It is a great resource so I hope that you also visit it and contribute to it. Remember, Blackpast.org. And don’t forget robinlofton.com. We are a great community here and everyone is welcome. Every day.

See you next time at robinlofton.com where we remember history and we make it!

Black History Month is here…get ready to be impressed!

Yesterday, I introduced Black History Month. I discussed what this month is and means and all the ways great and small that people can celebrate this great month. I also noted that everyone is invited to participate in Black History Month. It’s not just for African Americans (or even just for Black peopld worldwide) but also for all cultures and ethnicities, genders, ages, and interests.

Today, I will discuss the person who initiated or founded Black History month.

Have you heard of Dr. Carter G. Woodson? Listen and prepare to be impressed!

Carter G. Woodson was born in Virginia in 1875, the son of former slaves. As the eldest son of nine children, he helped to support the family by working as a sharecropper and a miner. But he was always an avid reader and interested student. He graduated from Douglass High School, the University of Chicago, and, in 1912, became the second African American to receive a doctorate from Harvard University. (W.E.B. Dubois was the first.)

Throughout his studies, he noticed that the contributions of African Americans were never discussed or taught in school. African American history was either missing or misrepresented in the educational systems throughout the United States--both in the northern and southern states. He was determined to change this problem.

In 1915, he founded the Association for Negro Life, which later became the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. This organization was—and still is--dedicated to ensuring that Black history was taught in school and studied by scholars. Perhaps many of us don’t understand or remember when Black history was not taught in schools or when the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans were not presented or acknowledged. It was not that long ago.

Personally, I remember that throughout elementary school in the 1970s, we used a 500-page textbook for American history. In all those 500 pages, there was a single paragraph that mentioned African Americans. It mentioned slavery and how Blacks were brought to the United States as slaves then continued to say that President Lincoln freed the slaves! We know that slavery was one part of African American history but there is so much more and it’s essential that this information become part of the standard education and to be treated as a scholarly pursuit.

In 1926, Dr. Woodson founded Negro History week, which was the second week of February. (Yes, it started as only a week.) Dr. Woodson chose the second week of February because it coincided with the birthdays of the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln. He envisioned this week as a time for Blacks to learn about their history and culture.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Woodson wrote more than a dozen books, including the iconic and influential Mis-education of the Negro in 1933. This book, which is still required reading in some universities, discussed the western indoctrination of the educational system and the means of self-empowerment for African Americans. It is an incredible book that remains relevant today. You can find this book, The Mis-education of the Negro, in the bookstore at robinlofton.com. He also wrote numerous works of literature to teach African American history to elementary and secondary school students.

His continuous commitment to teaching and legitimizing Ahistory and culture in the United States have made these subjects essential parts of educational curricula throughout the country. For this reason, he is known as the father of Black History. He has definitely earned that distinguished title. I’m grateful for his hard work and vision.

Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration that comes from teaching of biography and history. ~ Dr. Carter G. Woodson

Dr. Woodson died in 1950. In 1976, Negro History Week became Black History Month as African Americans started to embrace their culture and history.

This was the short story of Dr. Carter G. Woodson. He also wrote the Negro National Anthem, which is a powerful and vivid reminder of how much progress African Americans have made in the United States. It’s called Lift E’vry Voice and Sing! and is one of the most moving and uplifting songs that I’ve ever heard.

Well, that’s all for today’s podcast. Next time, we will ask:

Do we still need Black History Month?

In this podcast, we learned that Dr. Carter G. Woodson initiated Black History month to encourage people to learn about Black history and to support scholarly examination. Both are good reasons. But remember he founded Black History month in 1926. That’s a long time ago. Do we still need it today?

So, I hope that you enjoyed this podcast about Dr. Woodson. I really enjoyed researching it and presenting it to you. I hope that you will take it further than I have.

Please remember to visit robinlofton.com. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about Black History Month and what you are doing to celebrate this exciting month. As I said, one thing that I’m doing is making food from my heritage every day this month. Yesterday, I made Jollof Rice, which is a dish from Gambia. Today, I made fried plantains. I have posted pictures of these dishes on my facebook page at Robin Lofton and Remembering History. I have also tweeted them. You can follow Waikoloarobin (spell it) to see these dishes every day.

Finally, I want to remind you that for every one who listens to this podcast and every podcast this month, I will donate $1 to Blackpast.org, which is an online encyclopedia of African American history. It is a great resource so I hope that you also visit it and contribute to it. Remember, Blackpast.org. And don’t forget robinlofton.com. We are a great community here and everyone is welcome. Every day.

See you next time at robinlofton.com where we remember history and we make it!

What is Black History Month?

Black History Month is a time for learning about the African American experience, which includes the history and other issues, events, and experiences that are important to the African American community. And might actually be important to all Americans. After all, we are one country.

This is a time for learning about the contributions of Black people, learning about the struggles, the victories, the difficulties, and the successes of African Americans. As a child, Black History month was a time when we would change the focus from great American figures like Thomas Jefferson to “other” great Americans like Martin Luther King. But we wouldn’t stop there. We would learn about “lesser known” African American “greats” like Benjamin Banneker, Bass Reeves, and Mary McLeod Bethune, Ida B. Wells. Just recently, I learned about Bessie Coleman who was the first Black woman aviator—she wasn’t permitted to learn to fly in the United States, so she taught herself French, moved to France, and learned to fly! There is so much more about this woman I can say but she was just one example of the great stories that are “hidden” about Black people.

Black History Month is a time for learning, but it is also a time for celebration. This is a month that we enjoy Black culture, food, music, dance, and art. It’s a great time to go to a jazz concert or attend a concert of African drummers, go to an Ethiopian restaurant, or watch X by Spike Lee (again). Spend the month reading Roots by Alex Haley (yes, it is about 500 pages) or visit one of the African American history museums opening throughout the country. Have a barbecue (inside if it’s too cold) or attend a lecture on African American literature. There are many, many ways to celebrate Black History Month while learning and enjoying Black culture. The list is endless.

I just started reading Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin. Wow! What a great book about a white man in the 1950s in Louisiana who through a chemical process turns himself black. He has some interesting, scary and dangerous experiences that I’m not going to spoil for you but it is his insight into living in a white world and living in a black world that are so amazing. It reads so easily but it definitely gives you food for thought. Speaking of food, I thought that, in honor of Black history month, I would make one dish from Black culture every day. Today, I made Jollof rice, which is actually a dish from the Gambia in west Africa. I made a big pot (I probably won’t have to cook for a few days) but I will add something to it tomorrow like plantains (Caribbean) or fried okra. These sound fantastic. By the way, if you want to see my Jollof rice, I have a picture of it on facebook, where you can find me at Robin Lofton or better the facebook page that I manage called, Remembering History. Or you can follow me at waikoloarobin (spell it). Waikoloa is a town on the Big Island of Hawaii where I spend every summer. (say and spell it again).

Back to Black History month: There is something for all ages, genders, and interests to make it a month of learning and celebration. Just spend the month focusing on things African American.

Is Black History Month just for African Americans? No way!

The month focuses on the Black experience but it is not only for African Americans. It is for all Americans—Caucasian, Asian, Latinos, people of Arabic descent and the list goes on. The stories include the full range of emotions and human experiences so everyone can find and connect to an aspect of African culture.

Still, I understand that every issue does not affect every one directly. Every ethnic, racial, religious group feels that they deserve respect and acknowledgement. Both women and men feel that need for acknowledgement. Everyone deserves compassion. But I do think that Black history month is a great time to remember the contributions of African Americans, African Caribbeans and Africans living on the continent. Remember, we are one world.

Black History month is a time to bask in the glory of being Black. Every Black man, woman, and child can deepen his or her knowledge, feeling, and understanding of this great culture. And everyone, absolutely everyone, can learn more about the Africans, the African Americans, and the African Caribbeans who built their countries and made important contributions to the world.

And don’t remember to spend time learning, but also spend time dancing, eating, reading and remembering the ancestors. Let’s celebrate Black History Month.

Stay tuned: Tomorrow we will learn the fascinating story of who initiated Black History Month.

And please visit robinlofton.com to leave your questions, comments and thoughts. I would love to hear how you celebrate Black History month or just what you think of Black History month. And I hope that you have visited my Facebook page at remembering history to tell me what you think of my Jollof rice picture. There’s gonna be lots of food pictures this month so keep coming back.

Finally, I want to remind you that for everyone who views this podcast or any of my podcasts this month, I will donate $1 to Blackpast.org, which is an online encyclopedia of African American history. It is also a great resource for research or just for curious minds who want to know more about history of Black people. Blackpast.org.

Hope you enjoyed this podcast. See you tomorrow to learn who started Black History Month. It really is a fascinating story. See you soon at robinlofton.com.

Welcome back to robinlofton.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history. Today we’re also studying history.

We’re continuing our examination into the modern Civil Rights movement in the United States. In Part I, we looked at the early movement beginning around the turn of the century and some of the iconic people who set the stage for the modern movement. We looked at the transition of the movement into an organized and concerted effort toward ensuring equality and equal rights for African Americans. This was, by no means, a chance occurrence. Leaders in the African American community, particularly the churches, had been patiently awaiting the right moment, person, and opportunity to make a strong statement and begin the modern movement. On December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to get up her seat on a segregated bus, the movement was begun. The modern movement was marked by organized marches, protests, sit-ins, freedom rides and other acts of civil disobedience. These acts had various degrees of success in dismantling segregation. But more needed to be done on another front. This second front was in the legal system.

The NAACP was the real leader on this front. Talented and committed lawyers like Charles Houston and Thurgood Marshall (maybe those names are familiar) worked tireless and fearlessly to argue cases in court, including the Supreme Court, to attack discriminatory laws and practices. In addition to invalidating these laws, civil rights leaders were also committed to the passage of new laws to guarantee equal rights and equal protection under the law. By the way, I want to point out that the civil rights movement (whether in the form of marches and protests or by fighting in the courts was a unified movement with one goal: equality).

First, let’s look at the laws.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

This was a main goal of the March on Washington; this was what the people wanted!! For years, civil rights leaders had been working to dismantle segregation and promote equality for African Americans. They had marched, protested and rallied. Yes, progress was made. Supreme Court judgments had been favorable. Some local practices were changed. But the country needed a law that would state clearly and unequivocally that discrimination would not be tolerated, that it was illegal.

Following the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, civil rights leaders met with President Kennedy who morally agreed with promoting civil rights legislation but seemed reluctant to pass any effective legislation at that time. However, President Johnson (a Southern democrat who succeeded President Kennedy after his assassination) made strong and bold moves to pass a civil rights bill.

After many political moves and maneuvers (some that can only be considered legendary), Congress passed the civil rights bill. President Johnson signed the bill into law on July 2, 1964. The country finally had the Civil Rights Act. (I do want to add though that this was not the first civil rights law in the United States. The very first was in 1866, though President Andrew Johnson vetoed it at the last minute. The following year, Congress passed another civil rights bill and President Johnson again vetoed it but the Congress overrode that veto and the bill became a law. That’s a fascinating story and I wish that we had time to examine it but it will keep for another time.)

So, what did the Civil Right Act of 1964 do?

It was a sweeping and thorough attack on segregation. It outlawed discrimination in voting, education, public accommodations, employment and any federally-funded program. It also created the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission. In eleven different sections (called titles), the Civil Rights Act of 1964 attacked segregation and discrimination in nearly every segment of life.

It was, indeed, landmark legislation that set the scene for more specific and powerful legislation. While there was a lot to celebrate with the passage of this law, it did have its weaknesses, particularly in its enforcement powers. However, more and stronger laws were made possible by the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, namely the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which guaranteed and enforced fair housing and even much later, the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

A great law that marked the beginning of a new era. Lots of people worked hard and sacrificed a lot for this law. But the work was not done yet. The next law was truly legendary.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

As we have discussed earlier, African Americans were continuing to be denied basic rights that were ensured by the U.S. Constitution. One of those fundamental rights was the right to vote. And this was one major focus of the Civil Rights Movement.

Although the right to vote is guaranteed in the 15th Amendment, which was ratified in 1870, this did not prove sufficient to ensure that African Americans were allowed the right to vote. Instead, many states, especially in the southern part of the country, were prohibiting Blacks from registering to vote. This was done in many ways: literacy tests, grandfather clauses, poll taxes and other means. When these failed to deter Blacks from voting, some whites in the south used intimidation, threats, and often violence to keep Blacks from registering to vote.

Civil rights group put the right to vote on the top of their agenda. (As you heard in the previous podcast, there were numerous marches, protests, and rallies that focused on the right to vote. These often turned violent because many southerners were determined to stop this from happening.) Fortunately, President Johnson was determined to pass a voting rights act to ensure that everyone was allowed to register. It was a long and difficult road but the Voting Rights Act was passed and signed into law on August 6, 1965.

This was a major coup for civil rights. It largely restated the 15th Amendment but it went farther. Listen to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: It says, “No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.” Wow! That’s powerful and it was met with very mixed reviews. Before we look at that, let’s look at what else the Voting Rights Act did. It federalized the registration process in certain “resistant” states.

It guaranteed federal enforcement of the law, allowing troops, oversight, or any other means to prevent a denial of voting rights on the basis of race or to ensure the right to vote to all citizens. While it did not specifically prohibit the poll tax, it did allow a challenge to the tax in the federal courts, which quickly invalided it. One of the most powerful parts of the Voting Rights Act (even more powerful than section 2) was Section 5. I won’t read it because it’s too long but it prevented states or any subdivision from making any changes that affect voting rights until the Attorney General determined that the changes did not have any discriminatory effect or purpose. That’s huge! Section 5 would be enforced in states that had demonstrated records of denying voting rights on the basis of race. Those states were: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. No surprises there, I think. Section 5 also applied in parts of California, North Carolina, New York and Florida.

The VRA had an incredible impact on nearly every segment of American society. It was strongly enforced at the federal and state levels. Changes were quick. But more needed to be done. It was not the “miracle drug” that saved civil rights but it was a huge step in guaranteeing fundamental rights to every American.

In June of that year, President Johnson made a speech at Howard University and he addressed this issue. He said,

“The voting rights bill will be the latest, and among the most important, in a long series of victories. But this victory—as Winston Churchill said of another triumph for freedom—“is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps the end of the beginning. That beginning is freedom; and the barriers to that freedom are tumbling down. Freedom is the right to share, share fully and equally, in American Society—to vote, to hold a job, to enter a public place, to go to school. It is the right to be treated in every part of our national life as a person equal in dignity and promise to all others.”

There is a lot more but it shows that he understood that the road toward complete freedom and equality is long and that the right to vote (while critical in a free society) is only one step on this journey of a thousand miles.

Another step took place in the Supreme Court and that’s where we will turn right now. That was an exciting venue and it showed some of America’s brightest talent and skill.

The Supreme Court had been both friend and foe to civil rights for African Americans. Some of its decisions acknowledged and protected Constitutional rights. Others completely denied rights to African Americans. The famous (or rather infamous) Dred Scott decision in 1857 was one of the worst decisions ever made in American jurisprudence. Justice Taney, writing for the Court, held:

1. Missouri Compromise, which made certain states free, was unconstitutional;

2. Congress could not prohibit slavery in any state; and

3. A slave could not sue because he was not a citizen.

The South was ecstatic about this decision, which protected slavery. The North was furious. Justice Taney who wrote the opinion was a former slave owner as well as four other justices so the decision shouldn’t have been a surprise. Many people believed that this decision made the Civil War inevitable. I know that it certainly denied the basic right of citizenship to a free man born to enslaved parents.

He stated, “A free negro of the African race, whose ancestors were brought to this country and sold as slaves, is not a “citizen” within the meaning of the Constitution of the United States.”

Another bad case by the Supreme Court was Plessy v. Ferguson, decided in 1897.

Plessy, who was part African American, attempted to sit in the white section of a railway car. He was arrested for violating Louisiana’s railroad law, which prohibited African Americans from sitting in the white section but also required a separate but equal section for African Americans. He challenged the law. The Supreme Court held that the Louisiana law was constitutional because the two separate sections were required to be equal. The effect of this case was to legalize racial segregation. Moreover, it created the concept of separate but equal as satisfying the equal protection requirement of the 14th Amendment.

Those were definitely low points for the Court. Now, you’re gonna see the Supreme Court at its best. The Court wrote some of the BEST cases in American law during this period. Let’s take a look at a few of the cases.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

The Brown case is arguably the most famous case ever decided by the Supreme Court. Thirteen African American parents sued the Topeka Board of Education when they were not permitted to enroll their children in white schools. The Supreme Court held that racial segregation in public schools violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court held that separate but equal is an inherently unequal situation. This landmark case abolished segregation in public facilities.

Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States (1964)

This case changed the Court’s attention from segregation in the public sector to discrimination by private companies. The Court also changed “ammunition” by using interstate commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Heart of Atlanta Motel refused to serve or house African Americans. The motel was located In Atlanta, Georgia near several interstate highways, advertised nationally, and served customers primarily from other states. The motel challenged the constitutionality of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of this federal law on the basis of its protection of interstate commerce.

The Court held that discrimination keeps African Americans from travelling throughout the country, which has a direct effect on interstate commerce. Congress is empowered to regulate any activity that affects interstate commerce. Therefore, Congress acted within its scope of power in passing the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination by private companies and individuals. This landmark case broadened Congressional power to regulate acts that directly or indirectly affect interstate commerce, which became a foundation for prohibiting and punishing discrimination.

Loving v. Virginia (1967)

The state of Virginia passed a law making it a felony for a Black and white person to get married. The Virginia Supreme Court upheld the law stating that it served the legitimate state purpose of preserving the “racial integrity” of its citizens. The Virginia court also stated that the statute punishes both parties so it did not violate the Equal Protection clause. The U.S. Supreme Court disagreed. It overturned the law stating that classifications based on race were subject to the most rigorous level of scrutiny. Hence, the fact that the law bans only interracial marriages involving White and Black people is proof that the law promotes arbitrary and invidious discrimination and, therefore, violates the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

To conclude this section on civil rights cases, I just want to note that the Supreme Court approached the issue of segregation in different and sometimes contradictory ways. It made wide-reaching decisions that have affected everyone. The days of “whites only” sections and schools have passed. The Supreme Court was an important though sometimes reluctant part of this process. Beginning with the Brown case, the Supreme Court moved strongly against discrimination in both the public and private sectors. It also expanded the scope of Congressional power to champion this cause.

So, these were some of the more famous cases. I think that most people have heard of the Brown v. Board of Education case. I just wanted to mention a few other cases because they show that the Court was working to uphold the Constitution. This was probably the golden age of the Supreme Court; it was an activist court that upheld the rights and guarantees of the Constitution and boldly faced new issues and controversies with courage.

So, let’s bring this part of the History is Power! Lecture to a close. The Civil Rights Movement was an exciting time. The country changed forever. People changed forever. But the story continues. In next month’s History is Power! Lecture, we will examine racial justice and other modern issues faced by African Americans. Jumping ahead, the problem of racial justice continues to elude African Americans. We will look at specific cases and events and how they have been handled. Some of these events occur in the criminal justice system, others are in the educational system. Still others are an economic issue. There is so much that needs to be done. There is still much to do. But many groups and individuals are working hard to make America into an equal and fair country for all of its citizens, regardless of race, gender, religion or orientation.

I hope that you have enjoyed these two lectures on the Civil Rights Movement. There are, of course lots of movies, books and documentaries made about civil rights and I hope that you also enjoy them. There is so much to learn and you will learn of the courage and strong moral force of the protesters. And I would love to hear your opinion about them on robinlofton.com. We should share this great information. BTW, I would love your opinion about the new film, Selma, which opened in January. It received two Oscar nominations (I was hoping for more!) but I would like to know what you thought of the movie. And please remember that, for everyone who listens to this podcast, I will make a donation to the Association for the Study of African American Life & History. It’s a great organization and it’s an honor to support them.

So, I look forward to seeing you again at robinlofton.com. Let’s remember history. And let’s make it.

History is Power: The Civil Rights Movement

Welcome back to robinlofton.com where we are remembering history and we’re making history! Today, we are continuing with next part of our History is Power Lecture series. Today’s lecture is about Civil Rights but let’s back up for a moment for those who are just joining us or to refresh our memory.

Remember, we began by asking why it is important to know African American history. I think that the legendary Jackie Robinson answered that question by encouraging us to believe in fairy tales. Remember on his first day playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, he almost could not believe it because he thought that an African American might not ever play in the major leagues and he thought that he would never be the first to do so. But they did and he was the first. So, he says that he believes in fairy tales…that fairy tales do come true because it happened to him. At the end of the first lecture, we concluded that if it could happen to him, then it can happen to you, too. We learn history for inspiration, insight, the success stories, the struggles, and the knowledge that nothing can stop you, but you.

In the second History is Power! lecture called “Coming to America,” we studied how the ancestors of most African Americans came to America. We discussed the terrible and violent institution of slavery and how it affected our families, culture and traditions. We also discussed the movement to abolish slavery. The great orator, author, and abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave us insight into how slaves were deprived of the most basic rights and dignity and how, even at an early age, he knew that this was indecent and wrong. We also heard from a former librarian of congress who reminded us that “trying to plan for the future without a sense of the past is like trying to plant cut flowers.”

Slavery is one part of African American history and, we can choose to feel pride and strength that our ancestors fought, struggled, and endured so that we could live and thrive.

So far, in our history is power lecture series, we have learned to believe in fairy tales and that we must never

plant cut flowers.

I hope that you will listen to those previous lectures if you have not done so already or just feel free to listen to them again if you need a review or a bit of inspiration. And please leave your comments, experiences, or questions about these topics. We have a great community at robinlofton.com and everyone is welcome.

So, what’s next?

The fight for freedom (abolition of slavery) was the first step. The next step was the struggle for equality. So, here is where we examine the Civil Rights Movement. By the way, in the first lecture, I said that we would examine roughly 400 years of African American history (from the time when the first Black person arrived in the American colonies to the present day). I’m sure that some of you made a heavy sigh and thought that this would be a long and tedious series. But—surprise, surprise!—we have already completed about 350 years of African American history!

I’m sure that most people—young and old—have some knowledge of the civil rights movement. That’s great! But I’m going to try to expand the modern (or understood) notion of civil rights and the African American struggle for equality. It has not been an easy road; it has been a road with bumps, twists, and turns but it was always headed in the same direction: equality. The road was lined with hardships, disappointment, struggle, and violence but it was the road that needed to be taken.

Following the abolition of slavery in (what year? Great! 1865), African Americans worked to establish a strong foundation for themselves and their families. Yes, it’s true that some former slaves left the United States and moved back to Africa. However, most former slaves had been in the United States for generations and therefore chose to stay. Also, it was a land of great opportunity and resources.

Still, even though slavery was abolished, Blacks were still not considered equal in the eyes of the law or the eyes of their fellow Americans. Remember that many people who opposed slavery did not envision Whites and Blacks as living together in peaceful harmony. And they did not want Blacks to have rights equal to white Americans, including the right to vote, receive an education or full citizenship rights. Blacks were considered lower-class citizens. You see, freedom was just the first step, it was a huge and essential step, but it was just the beginning.

But you might be asking now: why did people wait until the 1960s to start fighting for equality?

Great question. My answer: They didn’t wait.

African Americans and others started fighting for civil rights immediately after the abolition of slavery. (In fact, one might well argue that abolition was the first fight for civil rights!) Who were these people or groups fighting for civil rights?

There were so many that they can’t all be named here, but I do want to name a few. Some names might be familiar—I hope they’re familiar--but they might not typically be associated with civil rights. Others might be completely new—and that’s okay too—we’re here to learn.

National Negro Convention. Founded in 1830, the very first National Negro Convention met for five days in Philadelphia to “devise ways and means for bettering of our condition,” and to fight oppression and promote universal education. This is very interesting because slavery was still legal at that time (1830) and yet these free African Americans were pursuing ways to improve the Black condition in the United States. Following abolition of slavery, the conventions focused on voting rights, fair employment, education, citizenship rights, and the repeal of laws that discriminated against African Americans. This was an early version—or a precursor—to the modern civil rights movement.

Have you heard of Ida B. Wells?

Born in 1862, Ida B. Wells was a courageous and bold civil rights leader, a hardworking editor, and a passionate speaker and writer. She fought against the practice of lynching. In this way, Ida B. Wells analyzed the reasons and effects of lynching with depth and insight. She founded a newspaper and wrote a groundbreaking book about lynching called: Southern Horrors: Lynching Law in All Its Phases, which was the first real research done on that terrible practice. Ida B. Wells concluded that armed resistance was the only defense against lynching.

She was also a suffragette and worked hard for the rights of mothers in the workplace. A little known fact about her was that she was the first African American to win monetary damages in court. Just a quick story about it: On a trip to Ohio in 1885, Ida B. Wells was told to give up her seat on a train and move to the smoking car. She refused and was physically dragged by three men to a car for “colored” people. She later sued and was awarded $500. However, the appeals court reversed the decision. That doesn’t matter; she was bold enough to stand up to the injustice and to fight in the courts. Ida B. Wells was a strong leader in the early movement for civil rights—for African Americans and for women.

Carter G. Woodson. Is his name familiar? He founded Black History Month. Let’s back up. Born in 1875, Dr. Woodson was the son of former slaves. He was always interested in learning and, in 1912, he became the second Black person to receive a doctorate from Harvard University. (WEB Dubois was the first.) His focus was on African American history. He wanted people to recognize the contributions of African Americans but realized that this was never taught or even acknowledged. He started National Negro Week in 1926. This was later expanded to the entire month of February. He also founded the Association of African American Life and History, which is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. He wrote more than a dozen books, most notably the iconic Mis-education of the Negro, which is still relevant and useful even today. His contributions and continuous commitment to teaching and spreading African American history and culture in the United States have made these subjects essential parts of educational curricula throughout the country. For this reason, he is known as the father of Black History. He was certainly one of the important leaders in the early civil rights movement.

Another icon in education was Mary MacLeod Bethune who was super-charged to make sure every child received an education. She founded an innovative school for African American girls. The girls worked hard in this school, which opened at 5:30 every day and closed at 9:00 every night. And Mary Macleod Bethune taught there every day. She eventually founded Bethune-Cookman University. In 1935, Mary Macleod Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women, which was the first organization focused on the rights and needs of black women. She tirelessly fought for equality in education, voting rights, and for equal rights for women in the armed forces.

Writers also helped to propel the early civil rights movement—often by helping us to see our world in a new and different way. Richard Wright wrote Black Boy in 1945, which compared and critiqued the black experience in the North and South. The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison illustrated the social and intellectual issues facing African Americans in the early 20th century. Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin took a unique approach to comparing the lives and experiences of blacks and whites in the Deep South in the 1950s. And we can never forget one of the most important books in American literature, Their Eyes were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston who bravely told her story with beauty, wit and wisdom. That book changed everyone who read it.

But it was not until the 1950s that the modern civil rights movement took form and leadership. Some people say that one event in particular started the civil rights movement: the lynching of young Emmett Till in August 1955. In fact, this terrible event brought national awareness to the horrors of lynching (words from Ida B. Wells). And the fact that it happened to a child (Emmett was only 14 years old) made it particularly reprehensible. Lynchings were occurring at an alarming rate for over a century. Remember this is what Ida B. Wells was fighting for so long.

Other injustices and degradations were occurring on a regular and consistent basis. An organized movement was nearly inevitable. As Blacks moved away from the gripping oppression and violence of the Southern states and became educated, organized and more financially stable, the movement toward civil rights evolved.

This movement happened on two equally important fronts:

Passive resistance by group efforts—marches, protests, demonstrations, boycotts, sit-ins and stand-ins.

The second front we will cover in the next podcast: Law (new laws like the Civil Rights Act) and landmark Supreme Court cases like Brown v. Board of Education. But those are for the next podcast.

Let’s take a quick look at the first two approaches to the fight for equality.

Passive Resistance. This term and approach were made famous by Mahatma Gandhi. Passive Resistance or Civil Disobedience was used quite effectively in the fight for civil rights in America. This is probably the “front” that most people remember when thinking of the civil rights movement. And the Southern Christian Leadership Council (the SCLC, founded in 1957) with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. as its first president was at the forefront of this peaceful movement. It used marches, protests, demonstrations, boycotts, sit-ins and many other “disobedient” actions.

One effective approach involved boycotts. One of the most effective boycotts took place in Montgomery, Alabama. This was the famous Montgomery Bus boycott, which started on December 5, 1955. This was an immediate response to the arrest of Rosa Parks who had refused to give up her seat to a white person on a bus. Led by the newly formed Montgomery Improvement Association (a precursor to the SCLC), the boycott lasted 381 days. To help with transportation, churches rented cars, station wagons and other vehicles to take people to work, home and school. Carpools became the norm. The boycott put enormous economic pressure on the Montgomery bus system, which finally agreed to end segregation on its buses. And the U.S. Court of Appeals also invalidated segregation on all buses in Alabama in Browder v. Gayle—we’ll discuss that next time.

Boycotts were used throughout the Civil Rights Movement to put economic pressure on companies or stores to change their unfair and unequal rules and practices. They were difficult but effective. The Montgomery bus boycott took the movement to a new level of depth and organization. The modern Civil Rights Movement had begun!

Another effective tool used in the modern Civil Rights Movement—made possible with newly-organized efforts and clear goals--were marches and protests.

The March on Washington is one of the most famous marches in US history. It was held on August 28, 1963. Did you know full name of this march was the March on Washington for jobs and freedom? The march was designed to focus national attention on racial equality and to pressure the president and Congress to pass a Civil Rights law. It was the largest protest march in the country up to that time, with more than 250,000 people (both Black and White) joining the march. It involved entertainers, performances, and speakers of whom the most famous was Dr. King who gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. After the march, civil rights leaders met with a previously reluctant President Kennedy who finally promised to push for anti-discrimination legislation. It was actually President Johnson who signed the Civil Rights Act, but we’ll discuss that next time.

There were many marches that occurred during this period. The last two marches that we’ll discuss today were focused on voting rights in Dallas County, Alabama. No not Texas, but Alabama. This area was part of what was called the Black Belt. Many white residents strongly (sometimes violently) resisted voter registration by African Americans in that region. Violence, intimidation and threats were used to prevent blacks from registering to vote. Because of these tactics, only 1 percent of blacks were registered to vote in that Dallas County. Selma was the seat of Dallas County so that was where the marches and protests were focused.

The SCLC and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (or SNCC) that was founded in 1960 with Marion Barry as its first president organized voter registration campaigns and marches in Selma. There were a series of marches in January and February of 1965. During one of the marches, Jimmy Lee Jackson, who was peacefully participating, was shot and killed by an Alabama State Trooper.

On March 7, the SCLC and SNCC organized a march to publicize and protest his killing by the state trooper. This became the infamous bloody Sunday march. Alabama state troopers and local law enforcement officers demanded that the 600 protesters immediately disband. When they refused, the troopers attacked with tear gas, billy clubs, dogs, and hoses. More than 50 marchers were seriously injured or hospitalized. This tragic event was televised and has become an iconic view of the southern response of the civil rights movement. But that was not the end of the story in Selma.

Another very important march started two weeks later. It was a 5-day, 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery. The goal was to promote and secure voting rights for African Americans, the passage of a voting rights act. More than 8,000 people participated in this march, which peacefully arrived in Montgomery on March 25. The Voting Rights Act was passed 5 months later. More information on that next time.

Sit-ins and stand-ins were another effective and sometimes dangerous approach to challenging unfair store policies that would not allow Blacks to sit or be served at lunch counters. How did sit-ins work? A group of African Americans would fill all the seats at a lunch counter and ask to be served. The store would refuse to serve them. However, they would remain seated there for hours—usually until the store closed. The protesters (people who were engaged in the sit-in) would be subjected to physical, verbal abuse and threats. Hot coffee would be thrown on them; food, water and other items would be thrown at them. Many times, the protesters were arrested. They were quickly replaced at the lunch counter by more protesters.

These sit-ins took place at stores like Woolworths that refused to serve Black people. Stand-ins were equally effective against movie theatres that wouldn’t allow African Americans to buy tickets to the movie. Blacks would stand in line in large numbers and ask to buy tickets. After they were denied, they would get into line again and request a ticket. Eventually, stores and movie theatres changed their policies and started patronizing African Americans but it was a dangerous and difficult time. The brave protesters (who were often high school or college students) were persistent in their pursuit of equal treatment in public facilities.

One of the first sit-ins was held in Oklahoma City in 1958 where NAACP Youth Council members sat at the “whites only” restaurant counters. They were served without incident or publicity. But, unfortunately, all sit-ins did not achieve these immediate results or end without violence.

The first sit-in movement to achieve widespread results was initiated on February 1, 1960 by four Black students who sought service at a Woolworth’s “whites only” lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. The sit-in gained momentum and within 10 days had spread to 15 cities in five states. On March 16, the city of San Antonio became the first southern city to integrate its lunch counters as a result of this movement.

Finally, let’s end this section with a brief look at the Freedom rides, which actually began in 1947. The freedom rides tested segregation in busing and interstate travel. In that year, the rides were testing the implementation of a Supreme Court decision that had prohibited segregated seating on buses travelling among the states. Twelve people were arrested in Virginia and North Carolina but later released. This outcome occurred on other freedom rides through the southern states but they also turned violent in some cases. On May 4, 1960, another interracial group of freedom riders boarded public buses in Washington, DC heading through the south to New Orleans. When they reached Alabama, the violence began. One bus was firebombed in Anniston, Alabama. Another bus was attacked by a mob of whites in front of the sheriff’s office that didn’t provide any protection to the riders. Upon arriving in Montgomery, Alabama, the riders were viciously attacked by hundreds of whites. President Kennedy sent federal marshals and Governor Patterson declared martial law. After long negotiations between the president and Mississippi senator James Eastland, the freedom riders were arrested in Jackson. More riders arrived and they continued to be arrested. Hundreds of freedom riders were jailed during that summer. In the fall of that year, a final ruling was issued that outlawed segregation in interstate travel. The freedom riders risked a lot but they eventually won the battle. We all won.

There is so much more to say about the marches, boycotts, sit-ins and stand-ins but we’ve covered a lot in this podcast. We have to save something for the next podcast.

While the marches and protests were extremely effective, their ultimate goal was to change the laws that permitted unequal treatment and segregation. And the laws did change. Old laws were thrown out and new laws were created. The Supreme Court was at the front of this legal change. But groups like the NAACP and the ACLU were the real visionaries of this part of the movement.

Remember segregation was still the norm in much of the country. “No Coloreds” and “Whites Only” signs were legal and enforced. Schools were segregated. Housing was segregated. Resources, jobs, funds, facilities were segregated. Everything was separate yet it was not equal.

In my next podcast, we will how segregation was dismantled through the law and the important players in this critical step towards equality like the NAACP, the Supreme Court, and even the U.S. president or two.

I hope that you will join me for that incredibly important and (I promise!) interesting podcast. The Civil Rights Movement was definitely an exciting time in US history. It seems like the people at the time were either on their best game or at their most evil. We know how that story ends. Lots of great things happened for the country. But lots of good people also died. It showed that dreams really can come true.

Please remember to contact me at robinlofton.com. I want your comments, questions, and thoughts. And you can also find those books that I mentioned at the online store. They are definitely worth reading, I promise!

See you soon at robinlofton.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it!

Kwanzaa Day Two: Kujichagulia

Heri za kwanzaa!

Welcome back to robinlofton.com where we are working our way through the 7 days of Kwanzaa. Actually, I will say that we are celebrating our way through the 7 days of Kwanzaa because Kwanzaa is indeed a celebration of seven principles of African culture. Yesterday, we studied and celebrated the foundation of the Kwanzaa celebration, which is Unity (or Umoja). I hope that you had a good celebration. I would love to hear how you celebrated this important and foundational first day so please let me know at robinlofton.com.

But let me begin with the greeting in the Swahili language of Habari gani!

Do you know your response? No problem, we’re just learning it. Your response on this second day of Kwanzaa is Kujichagulia! The response will change for each day of Kwanzaa.

Today, we move on to the second day of Kwanzaa. Today, we study and celebrate Self-Determination or Kujichagulia (remember that’s the word in Swahili). It encourages us to define ourselves, name ourselves, create ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

Wow, that’s a big responsibility. It’s true. And it can feel a bit daunting or scary but it is essential for us as individuals and for us as a people to have control in and over our lives and over our future. Dr. Karenga selected this principle following the events and problems that occurred during colonialism in Africa (and I would also think of slavery in America) when the African peoples were deprived of even the most basic decision-making powers and resources. While the period of colonialism is passed, its effects linger over the people and continent. (I add again that it’s just like the period of slavery.) So, self-determination or Kujichagulia is critical to the survival of the African people—and actually for any people.

I am going to start something a bit different in this podcast. I’m going to tell a story about self-determination. Story-telling is a big part of African culture and it allows us to teach a principle or lesson while utilizing local customs and situations. And everyone loves a good story. Metaphors are also used which really emphasize the message. I particularly like this story for its strong message and use of metaphors. First, I want to give credit for this great story to Folktales.net, which has many great stories and fables for all ages and cultures. After the story, we will come back to discuss ways to celebrate Kujichagulia on the second day of Kwanzaa. And I would like to know what you think of (or learned from) the story at robinlofton.com. It’s a great story for kids, too.

Let’s begin:

I think that this story describes self-determination so perfectly—and it also describes equality, independence and the ability to appreciate and work for self-determination. Which animal are you? The tiger? The hare or tortoise. This is the perfect day to examine your beliefs about self-determination. To decide how hard you work for your independence. And how to work together for the common good of self-determination and independence.

Let’s return to second day of the Kwanzaa celebration: Kujichagulia.

What to do? Gifts, candles, colors

Light the second candle:

On the first day of Kwanzaa, you will light the red candle. The candle (or Kinari) represents and is symbolic of the people. On the second day of Kwanzaa the family lights the red candle. This candle is symbolic of struggle--continuous effort and work. The placement and order of the Kwanzaa candles teach and reinforce valuable lessons for the family. The lesson here is that we light the red candle to reinforce the value and priority we place on struggle as the method for creating progress.

How to celebrate kujichagulia:

There are so many different ways that people, families, societies can celebrate self-determination! Everyone has a different path and that path towards independence and should be recognized and celebrated. The path is not always straight—most of the time it is not easy or straight—and obstacles will appear that can make the road more difficult. As long as it continues to lead towards growth and independence, then the path is right for you. Get creative here and find ways to acknowledge your struggle and journey. Remember to have fun; it does not have to be heavy or serious. Celebrating kujichagulia is an honor and privilege. Make it joyful.

Self-Determination Day focuses on activities that reinforce the principle Self-Determination. Here are a few activities that celebrate kujichagulia:

▪ Make the day special with a focus on African American culture and history

• Discuss a major event, milestone, artist or musician, movie, in black history

• Read African/American proverbs, folktales, poems—like we just did today!

• Remember a period of struggle in your life and how you worked through the difficult time.

• Celebrate the growth and overcoming of obstacles that others have achieved.

• Celebrate your own achievements.

• Set a goal for yourself and make a plan on how to achieve it.

• Read a biography about someone that you admire. You will see that everyone has a mountain to climb.

▪ Remember the African Feast (called the Karamu). One of my favorite parts! Make a special meal or just one special dish for the family. Make your favorite dish to celebrate your growth and independence. Or just wait and have the big feast on the 6th day of Kwanzaa (which is also new year’s eve.)

These are just a few activities to celebrate on the second day of Kwanzaa. We must remember that our right to self-determination should never be taken for granted; we must always cherish it.

In the next podcast, we will have another story for the Kwanzaa celebration. The story will teach a lesson about collective work and responsibility or Ujima. This is a concept that invokes humility following the previous day of recognizing our growth and greatness from our struggles. Ujima is the focus for December 28. Keep listening; it will be great.

Again, I want to thank you for listening to this podcast on the Kwanzaa celebration. And I want to thank folktales.net for providing these interesting and thought-provoking stories. Story-telling is a great way to teach a lesson. That’s why we are going to continue with more Kwanzaa stories in the next few podcasts. Enjoy them on your own or with your family and friends. And you can learn even more about Kwanzaa about kwanzaaguide.com.

Remember that for everyone who listens to this podcast, I will donate $1 to the Association for *Study of African American Life & History. I hope that you will support them too.

Finally, please leave your comments, questions, and ideas at robinlofton.com. I enjoy making these podcasts but I also enjoy hearing from my listeners. It’s a great and active community of people who are interested in learning history and learning from history. Hope to see you there soon!

See you next time for Day Three of the Kwanzaa celebration.

Heri za Kwanzaa!