 By Carole Copeland Thomas
Five international holidays converge on the scene every December (and early January) to make our schedules hectic, exciting, and pressure-filled. Wrapping gifts while shopping at odd hours of the night either pushes us into the spirit of happiness OR helps us find an escape path until all of the celebrations are over. Here are related links to five holidays with religious and nonreligious implications. You'll learn interesting facts and figures that will make you scratch your head in amazement. The marathon includes Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. Learn new traditions and pass them on as the merriment continues throughout the holiday season. May you celebrate the Season and get ready for an awe-inspiring 2023! -Carole Copeland Thomas ========== Links and Resources For The Five Holidays 1 Hanukkah https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/3840625/jewish/13-Hanukkah-Facts-Every-Jew-Should-Know.htm?gclid=CjwKCAiAmO3gBRBBEiwA8d0Q4pDJz2VX1LG1_sN0V5SAZbinichpFp5px9yfA6E7saEpk0daVFLqnRoCncwQAvD_BwE 2 Winter Solstice https://www.farmersalmanac.com/get-ready-for-the-winter-solstice-23294 3 Christmas Parenting Article Written For Kids https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/20-interesting-facts-and-information-about-christmas-for-kids/ Inc Magazine https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/10-weird-facts-about-christmas.html History of the Christmas Tree https://www.historytoday.com/alison-barnes/first-christmas-tree 4 Kwanzaa Official Website: https://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.html 5 Three Kings Day https://www.newsweek.com/when-three-kings-day-and-how-it-celebrated-epiphany-772690
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 Passing The Torch Of The Royal Legacy
Despite her age, I was stunned to receive the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, September 8th. I kept my BBC Live app on all morning when the news alert announced that the Queen was under medical care. So when a colleague at my new assignment at Curry College said the Queen had died, I was truly shocked. Two days earlier, she had ushered in a new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, who shook her hand and smiled gleefully. Yes, she looked frail and leaned on a tall walking cane to help her stay balanced, but death didn't seem imminent. It was the late morning announcement that really caught my attention. The one that reported all four children were at Balmoral in Scotland, and Prince William and Prince Harry were on their way. It still seemed like a health scare, but not one that would prove fatal. In the end, it was Queen Elizabeth's time to join the ancestors of time and pass the torch onto her eldest child, the now King Charles III. Americans look at the Royal Family with fascination. Some Americans care little about monarchies in distant lands. I have always been fascinated with the pomp and circumstance of the British monarchy and the pageantry that makes it so unique. Several years ago, I visited a safari lodge in Kenya that was near the Treetop hotel, where then Princess Elizabeth became Queen, following the sudden death of her father, King George VI, in 1952. That close proximity gave me a better sense of historical relevance to the magnitude of that transition. And from 1952 to 2022, a 70-year record no other British monarchy has topped, Queen Elizabeth II endured the test of time with her ever-present commitment to public service throughout the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth countries, and the world. Yes, I fully acknowledge the fault lines, pitfalls, mistakes, and colonial control levers in her power and/or influence. The magnificent jewel in her crown that really belongs to the people of South Africa, and the other prized jewels taken from India during colonial days. I fully acknowledge the historical process of granting independence to countries in the Caribbean and on the continent of Africa in the 1950s, 1960s, and beyond. Those were somewhat difficult times, particularly with the horrific mistreatment of Kenyans during the Mau Mau uprisings from 1952-1960. And I fully acknowledge the racial issues inside of the United Kingdom and the Windrush immigration issue that has jeopardized some Black British residents' citizenship because of missing paperwork and unsympathetic government officials too quick to deport those back to their Caribbean homelands. I get all of that. But Queen Elizabeth still managed to rise about the political and social-economic fray to be a steady reminder of elegance under fire. The Photos I Have Posted My UK friends and colleagues, Garth Dallas and Carol Ann Whitehead, met the Queen. Carol Ann Whitehead coordinated charitable events in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II (not pictured), (then) Prince Charles, and (then) Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Garth Dallas spoke to and shook hands with Queen Elizabeth II. I am sure they are reflecting heavily on those moments that will become historical time capsules they will remember forever. The Transition Moves Forward Now their titles are King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort. Queen Elizabeth's reign has set a new record at 70 years as the head of the monarchy. A wife, mother of four, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Queen of the British empire. Now in the history books, as she rests in power. I believe she missed her husband, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, who died 17 months ago. They were married for 73 years. That's a LONG time. Now they are together again in the afterlife. We are all anxious to see how King Charles III will lead. He has spent his entire life preparing for this moment in time, and the world is watching. We hope his leadership and vision will be inclusive, fair, and just. And may we all take a page out of Queen Elizabeth's book and commit ourselves to service to others. -Carole  Juneteenth, which is celebrated annually, is an important holiday in the Black community. The day has become the most prominent Emancipation Day holiday in the United States and commemorates the moment when emancipation finally reached those in the deepest parts of the former Confederacy on June 19, 1865. It is a holiday meant for celebration rather than mourning and remembrance. Juneteenth is not just a Black holiday. It is an American holiday. The day signals America finally realizing our founding principles of "liberty and justice for all." Slavery is a dark stain on US history, but Juneteenth is an example that America can move past the transgressions of history in the pursuit of a freer society. Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, and a number of other states subsequently followed suit. In 2021 Juneteenth was made a federal holiday. The day is also celebrated outside the United States, being used by organizations in a number of countries to recognize the end of slavery and to honor the culture and achievements of African Americans. The word is a combination of the month of June and the 19th, the exact day when Major General Gordon Granger marched into Galveston, Texas with 7000 "colored troops" and read General Order Number 3 announcing the end of the Civil War and Slavery. The war had actually ended two months earlier, and the slaves in the region had actually been freed 2.5 years earlier, but their slave masters had NOT set them free. After reading the order, it was posted on the door of Reedy Chapter AME Church in Galveston.  JUNETEENTH: BLACK PRIDE OR PERIL?
JUNE 3, 2022 Invite a Friend or Colleague to this two-hour event. It will be worth every minute as you hear from subject-matter experts on issues impacting the Black community AND Beyond! Register and Join Us for This Free Live Webinar And Learn More About The Legacy of Juneteenth As We Wrestle With The 2nd Anniversary of George Floyd's Death & Now The Tragedy of The Buffalo Massacre The event is a multigenerational, multimedia virtual program designed to inspire and engage each attendee to understand why Juneteenth is considered the second Independence Day in American History. CLICK ON THE BUTTON BELOW FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. 5/18/2022 Open Season On Black People in America: The Buffalo Massacre Rips Open Raw RacismRead Now Make no mistake, America IS filled with racism from sea to shining sea. We are NOT post-racial, and we are NOT on a unified path to reconciliation and self-healing. We are fractured, broken, and loaded with 18-year-old shooters ready to annihilate Black people all over this country. Buffalo was only the latest tragedy that make my work as a diversity professional that much more challenging. Ten innocent "brothers and sisters" were going about their Saturday shopping activities, only to be slaughtered by a young White boy filled with hate and violence. All of the victims were Black. That included 55-year-old retired police officer Aaron Salter, who quickly fired on 18-year-old Peyton Gendron but was outgunned by a heavily armed Gendron, who killed Salter in the line of duty. We call the roll of the other nine Buffalo citizens whose only "crime" was the color of their skin. They could have all been my relatives, friends, church members, or clients. All dead because of a young monster radicalized on his mobile device and/or laptop. THEY WERE SHOPPING WHILE BLACK Pearly Young, age 77 Not only a dedicated substitute teacher, church leader, and missionary, Ms. Young ran a food pantry for 25 years. Deacon Heyward "Tenny" Patterson, age 67 A friendly "jitney" driver, providing transportation to and from Tops Friendly Market to those who needed a ride home with a safe and reliable "brother" in the neighborhood. Playwright August Wilson's production titled "Jitney" addressed the lives of these unofficial, unlicensed taxi cab drivers who operate in Black and Brown neighborhoods around the country. As a child in Detroit, I vividly remember the friendly jitney drivers taking customers home after shopping at the A&P Grocery Store in my neighborhood. I have greeted jitney drivers when I shop in Boston neighborhoods. They are the cornerstone of the community. Ruth Whitfield, age 86 Wife and mother of Former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield. She had just visited her beloved husband in the nursing home and merely stopped by Tops to grab some food to eat. Katherine Massey, age 72 Former journalist for the Buffalo News, spirited and described as a "beautiful soul" by her sister Barbara Massey. Celestine Chaney, age 65 Beat cancer and loved her six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Roberta A. Drury, age 32 Had relocated to Buffalo to care for her brother, who was battling leukemia, surgeries, and bone marrow transplants. She was an avid fan of Whitey Houston. Andre Mackneil, age 53 Described as a beloved father, brother, uncle, and friend. Mackneil stopped by Tops to pick up a birthday cake for his three-year-old son. Margus D. Morrison, age 52 Family man and school bus aide Morrison had gone to the grocery store to pick up chicken for dinner. Geraldine Talley, age 62 She visited the Tops Friendly Market with her fiancé, Gregory Allen, to pick up bologna, cheese, and iced tea. They split up to pick out their food items when the 18-year-old monster entered the supermarket and started shooting. Gregory Allen survived. His beloved Geraldine Talley did not. Allen described the massacre this way: "I had to duck and everything," Allen said. "Because the bullets are flying, so I had to dodge bullets, and I went inside the cooler. When I went into the cooler, the guy just went past me by like an inch. He would have shot me. I was lucky he didn't shoot me." Three other victims survived their gunshot wounds and now live to tell the story. That includes Zaire Goodman, age 20, Jennifer Warrington, age 50, and Christopher Braden, age 55. The ten who were targeted and died were decent human beings so familiar to all of us and could have been our neighbors, cousins, friends, or Sunday School teachers. There are so many layers to this tragedy that I need to write several articles to cover them all. The abandoned investigation on the shooter, who was questioned for his irrational behavior in high school. The shooter bored during the Pandemic and transformed into a raving white supremacist as a result of it. The countless opportunities to find racist websites online that provide an open recruiting field for those easily sucked into their hateful and violent tactics. The parents…..WHERE WERE THEY?????? What kind of parents don't know when GUNS, ammunition, and bulletproof armor are kept in the bedroom of their 18-year-old son????? The white supremacist groups sprouting up like weeds all over the internet that provide manifesto templates ready for the asking. How can some condone Replacement Theory and denounce Critical Race Theory???? I could go on. And I will in upcoming articles. This tragedy was only the latest in a worldwide network of fringe groups seeping into mainstream culture. Their growing power is a threat to democracy and decency. They must be contained and destroyed before their hatred kills us all. If your head is still spinning from the sheer horror of Saturday's spectacle, read what the 18-year-old mass murderer said in his 180+ page manifesto. These are the words of Peyton Gendron: "Blacks, on average, have a lesser IQ due to restrictions of their brain development. They are prone to violence and common criminal activity. We must remove blacks from our western civilizations." We're in big trouble, America. This is not a Black problem. Nor a White one. This is an AMERICAN problem, embraced and courted by the right wing of the Republican Party and destroying the hopes and aspirations of many in the Black community. Yes, it is open season on Black people. Sadly we've been the target of White power since slavery. Buffalo was only the latest violent scene of hatred and racism on steroids. Finding new opportunities for diversity, equity, inclusion, and multiculturalism are the only ways we will find the exit strategy out of this slippery slope of extinction.   In the 35 years I have served in the diversity, equity, multicultural, and inclusion industry, one of the most popular topics focuses on diversity names, categories, and labels. Let me share my perspective on one category that causes both agreement and disagreement among those who lay claim to its importance and meaning in our global society. Question: Which Term Is It? Black or African American? Answer: Either term is appropriate. Some people prefer African American, while others prefer Black. Style, tradition, and history dictate which term to use. From a global perspective, Black is more appropriate, referring to any person of African descent from Lagos, Nigeria, to Liverpool, England, to Los Angeles, California. The term African American pertains to those individuals living in the United States. It can relate to people like me, a 7th generation American whose ancestors were born in slavery. It can also pertain to those born outside of the US but now living in America. However, don't be surprised if you encounter those born outside of the US who still reject self-identifying as "African Americans." For example, some in the Haitian community will call themselves Haitian-Americans or Haitians before calling themselves African Americans. It gets tricky because one term does not fit all. Your best bet is to ASK QUESTIONS and get feedback from a person or group before arbitrarily assigning a label to an ethnically different individual. Here's where it gets a bit complicated: The socially acceptable term to use in the United States is "People of Color" What's NOT acceptable in the United States: "Colored People" (this is an old term closely tied to racial discrimination of the past.) Please Note: The term "Colored" is still used by some in South Africa to describe people of mixed race. Old Fashion Term in the US that may turn heads if you use it: Negro or Afro-American Yes, I know about the Afro-American Newspaper in Baltimore, Maryland. The retired publisher was the best man at my brother's wedding. It is one of the oldest and most respected newspapers in the US. I also know about the NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. That organization, like several others, decided to keep its original name, first created in 1909. A term that is NOT ACCEPTABLE anywhere: Nigger. It's so distasteful that it's difficult for me to include it in this article. I am particularly offended that it is the word of choice by some hip-hop artists, rap artists, comics, and other entertainers. NO, it is not at all cool to use that word. The historical implications connected to its violent past are still too radioactive to consider mainstreaming its use. And finally, there are those who only prefer to be called an "American" or "human" and see no value in the realm of diversity categories and labels. So, your best bet is to ASK people of color which term they prefer using. You might be surprised by their responses.  After 232 years and 115 prior appointments, President Joe Biden stuck to his campaign promise and identified the right woman for the top job. He promised to appoint a Black woman to the US Supreme Court at his first opportunity. When Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement on the Bench earlier this year, President Biden sprang into action with his nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the US Court of Appeals judge with a stellar track record of judicial balance and even-handedness.
And despite a contentious Senate hearing process, Jackson was confirmed on April 8, 2022 by a Senate vote of 53-47, with three Republicans voting for Justice Jackson (Mitt Romney-Utah, Susan Collins-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski-Alaska). Vice President Kamala Harris read the results as the Senate Chamber burst into thunderous applause. A historic Supreme Court confirmation of a Black woman from Florida was announced by the first Black woman Vice President of the United States. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will serve a lifetime term in the Court and will start her service as soon as Justice Breyer retires, most likely sometime in June. With such an outstanding series of events, here is why every Black woman can relate to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson: 1 She's Grounded. Justice Jackson will have served as a sitting Judge longer than most of the other Justices. She's been a sitting judge for nearly ten years, with no trouble in getting confirmed for her other federal appointments. She also sets the record for having served as a public defender, and she clerked for Justice Breyer early in her career. She knows the law and has been praised for her ability to look at issues from both sides of the spectrum. Black women know that often we have to be twice or three times as prepared to qualify to get the job. 2 She's Well Educated Her mother was an educator, and her father was a lawyer. She graduated at the top of her class at Miami Palmetto Senior High School and was admitted to Harvard University in spite of a non-visionary guidance counselor advising her to lower her educational expectations. Black women are used to being "dumbed down" by guidance counselors who don't see their brilliance. Not the first time, nor the last, that a counselor gave bad advice to a top Black student. Justice Jackson would graduate from Harvard College (1992) and Harvard Law School (1996) with flying colors. I wonder how many other students of color suffered through the low expectations of a high school guidance counselor. Too many…far too many. 3 She's Unmoved By Political Hacks Like Ted Cruz and Marsha Blackburn I had MUCH to say after reacting to the ridiculous and racially motivated Senate hearing questions by Ted Cruz and Marsha Blackburn. Some of my words can't be put in print because of the vile contempt I have for Cruz and Blackburn. Lindsey Graham and Josh Hawley round out the quartet of Trump sycophants who have sold their souls to the devil. While I wanted to throw my television down a flight of steps because of the questioning of Justice Jackson's judicial record, she remained unmoved. When Senator Blackburn asked Brown-Jackson to "define a woman," Justice Jackson looked mildly puzzled and artfully skipped over the trap that lay before her. Blackburn, in later comments, referred to Jackson in terms of being the recipient of "dark money Leftist groups" and "pushing the agenda of woke education" as she explained why she felt Justice Jackson was unqualified for the job. That's when I wanted to throw my television down the steps in protest of this right-wing racist woman who can't imagine a dark-skinned Black woman serving on the Supreme Court. I reacted in front of my television set. Justice Jackson, who had prepared for the brutality of the Republican Senators, remained unmoved. She was rewarded when Romney, Collins, and Murkowski joined the Democrats to vote for this brilliant woman of action. Black women understand the resilience and emotional constraint it took for Justice Jackson to remain unmoved when the Senate attacks mounted. 4 She's Visionary Three of her Harvard roommates and good friends were interviewed on national television about their college and law school days with Justice Jackson. Attorney Antoinette Coakley, who is one of my friends and church members here in Boston said, "It was very clear from the first time that we met her that it was special. I remember telling her when we were in the dorm, 'You are going to be the first black woman on the US Supreme Court.'" Justice Jackson was a brilliant debater in high school. While Fox News' Tucker Carlson was asking about Justice Jackson's LSAT scores (law school entrance test scores), her high school classmate, Stephen Rosenthal, told news reporters about the numerous medals she won from the debate team victories. Justice Jackson knew from an early age that law was her profession and nothing deterred her from fulfilling her dream of success. She was supported by loving parents and guided by trusted hands throughout her college and law school courses. Her vision translated to the historic confirmation despite senators who wanted to squash her dreams. Black women know that vision often turns into reality when you believe in yourself. 5 She's All In The vitriol spewed out by small-minded politicians was washed away by the triumphant speech by Senator Cory Booker. He elevated the moment to its rightful, historic place when he showered Justice Jackson with praise and adoration. On March 25th, he said the following: "I'm telling you right now, I'm not letting anybody in the Senate steal my joy! I am embarrassed... I'm just looking at you, and I'm starting to get full of emotion. You didn't get here because of some left-wing agenda. You didn't get here because of some dark money groups. You got here how every Black woman in America (who) has gotten anywhere has done...by being like Ginger Rogers said, "I did everything Fred Astaire did but backwards in heels.' That star was a harbinger of hope. Today you are my star!" That 19-minute speech by Senator Booker will go down as one of the greatest speeches by any senator. It proved that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is an "All In" woman of integrity who represents the BEST in Black America. Every Black woman gave Senator Booker and a virtual standing ovation for his unwavering support of Judge Jackson. She's All In because of the love of her husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, and her daughters, Talia and Leila. Her parents, Johnny and Ellery Brown, married for more than 54 years, solidly stand by her. So does her younger brother Attorney Ketajh Brown. Black women know that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is All In because she's prepared to preside in the US Supreme Court as the harbinger of hope for us all. The time is now, and this country is the better because of Black women like Ketanji Brown Jackson. She may be the first but certainly won't be the last. We salute her courage under fire for a job well done!  I have worked with or known some of the best diversity professionals in the industry. After 35 years of crisscrossing the country and the world, I should know a thing or two about the concepts, terms, and ideologies of diversity, equity, inclusion, and multiculturalism. That includes the years I was a member of the Diversity Collegium co-founded by the late great Dr. Roosevelt Thomas and Dr. Price Cobbs. Dr. Mary Frances Winters, Kay Iwata, and Julie O'Mara were also my colleagues in the Collegium for many years. We traveled the country meeting on key issues and paved the way for the current crop of DEI professionals in the US.
And throughout the years, during my Collegium days and beyond them, we NEVER designed a training module focused on the Critical Race Theory! It may have been discussed but was NEVER a part of our strategic design. So…What is the Critical Race Theory? Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an academic and legal framework created by law experts and scholars in the 1970s and 80s that has blown up into a controversial hot topic around the country. CRT is now tied to educational efforts as either an ideological concept or a threat to the "freedom" of our nation. Despite the naysayers, CRT has never been used as the educational foundation for public school systems around the United States, nor has it been the principal framework used by diversity experts in the country. Who are some of the "framers" of CRT? The late Attorney Derrick Bell, while on the faculty of Harvard Law School, was one of the early framers of CRT. Civil Rights advocate, attorney, and academician Kimberlé Crenshaw was also an early scholar who helped shape the concept. They were academic leaders looking at systemic racism from an institutional perspective. They had NO reason to roll out a CRT course for elementary school students. Is CRT designed for elementary students? NO! It has NEVER been designed with elementary, middle, or high school students in mind. It principally was confined to exploration in the legal and judicial arenas. Why is CRT such a controversial topic? Sadly, right-wing conservative groups have latched on to CRT and are now using it as a wedge issue as they wage culture wars across the United States. They have flipped it and now use messaging to denounce it as a racist ideology promoted by left-wing progressives. When did the CRT controversy start? It started under the Trump administration. In September 22, 2020, at the end of his term in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order #13950 banning diversity training, CRT "training," gender identity, and sexual orientation training within federal agencies and contractors. I lost business because of that order. Although the Executive Order was reversed by President Biden, various state legislatures across the US continued to push to ban CRT, diversity, gender identity, and sexual orientation educational efforts, primarily in public schools. Again CRT has never been taught in public schools yet has been targeted in various legislative bills across the United States. What states are targeting anti CRT legislation? To date, more than 34 states created anti-CRT legislation impacting public school systems and job sites in New Hampshire, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and several others. Florida's ruling has been called the "Don't Say Gay" law, impacting grades Kindergarten through Third Grade, and bans any specific discussion about gender identity or sexual orientation in the classrooms. It has passed the state Senate and was signed by the Governor of Florida on Monday, March 29, 2022. In New Hampshire, a pending law prohibits specific discussions about race or sex as mandatory student or employee training. Teachers can lose their license if caught teaching about race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The bill was slipped in under the state budget without the benefit of the full range of discussion or hearings. So, where can I learn more about CRT and the fight to reverse the legislation designed to kill it? Start with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund document about CRT. Download it here: https://bit.ly/3r7V5QQ The NAACP Legal Defense Funds articulates it this way: Critical Race Theory recognizes that racism is more than the result of individual bias and prejudice. It is embedded in laws, policies, and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities. According to CRT, societal issues like Black Americans' higher mortality rate, outsized exposure to police violence, the school-to-prison pipeline, denial of affordable housing, and the rates of the death of Black women in childbirth are not unrelated anomalies. Good Book To Read: Race, Rights, and Redemption: The Derrick Bell Lectures On The Law And Critical Race Theory Edited by Janet Deward Bell and Vincent M. Southerland LIVE State by State Update on Anti-CRT GAG Orders https://bit.ly/3r8TQBd Good YouTube Video To Watch on Right-Wing Groups and Why They Are Fighting Against CRT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtJ3s6YECAc&t=7s Now do your homework, make up your OWN mind and talk to your friends, students, colleagues, or neighbors about WHY you support or denounce CRT. The choice is YOURS.  By Carole Copeland Thomas
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an academic and legal framework created by law experts and scholars in the 1970s and 80s that has blown up into a controversial hot topic around the country. CRT is now tied to educational efforts as either an ideological concept or a threat to the "freedom" of our nation. Despite the naysayers, CRT has never been used as the educational foundation for public school systems around the United States, nor has it been the principal framework used by diversity experts in the country. The NAACP Legal Defense Funds articulates it this way: Critical Race Theory recognizes that racism is more than the result of individual bias and prejudice. It is embedded in laws, policies, and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities. According to CRT, societal issues like Black Americans' higher mortality rate, outsized exposure to police violence, the school-to- prison pipeline, denial of affordable housing, and the rates of the death of Black women in childbirth are not unrelated anomalies. Because most people do not understand its theoretical origins, CRT has been politicized and demonized by conservative organizations across the United States as anti-American and a form of race-baiting. Increased awareness of CRT was generated with the September 2020 Executive Order signed by then-President Donald Trump banning diversity training programs by Federal agencies and Federal contractors. Although the Trump ban was eliminated when President Joe Biden came into office, the anti-CRT conservative base continued to propagate its destructiveness around the country. To date, more than 34 states created anti-CRT legislation impacting public school systems and job sites in New Hampshire, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and several others. Florida's ruling has been called the "Don't Say Gay" law, impacting grades Kindergarten through Third Grade, and bans any specific discussion about gender identity or sexual orientation in the classrooms. It has passed the state Senate and was signed by the Governor of Florida on Monday, March 29, 2022. In New Hampshire, a pending law prohibits specific discussions about race or sex as mandatory student or employee training. Teachers can lose their license if caught teaching about race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The bill was slipped in under the state budget without the benefit of the full range of discussion or hearings. The jury is out on the long-term effect of these anti-CRT laws. Public outcries of dissension are needed to reverse this high level of censorship that will remove more than 50 years of diversity and civil rights progress in America. It is a form of legislative hysteria and censorship this country simply does not need. -Carole  Sign above on the campus of Curry College marking a hate crime location Last Friday, I had the honor of delivering one of the two keynote speeches to the students, faculty, and staff of Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. It was a sobering experience since the school has been under attack this month with a rash of anti-Semitic and racial incidences that had rocked the campus to its core. Swastikas splattered in plain sight. Racial slurs dotted the campus. And direct threats targeting all Black students came with two dates in February, marking specific violent events that would occur. Fortunately, those dates came and left with no violent action occurring. Nonetheless, the damage has been done, and the campus is traumatized. Rabbi Dr. Alfred H. Benjamin, the head of Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills, delivered a compelling keynote that kicked off the two-hour webinar with more than 400 attending. His message opened the door for a new dialogue between the Jewish community in Milton and the campus's student body. The student leaders who addressed the audience were powerful, leaving no room for bigotry and no tolerance for misplaced hatred or ugly outbursts to the LGBTQ community at Curry. My keynote was titled "Stand Up, Stand Tall, Stand Together," aimed to pull the campus together as they battled the evil in their midst. I encouraged the college to reach out to at least one of the 14 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) also under attack during Black History Month. Those 14 schools, including Howard University and Spelman College, were plagued with bomb threats on or around February 1st at the beginning of the month celebrating African American achievement. None of this is what Dr. Carter G.Woodson had visualized when he founded Negro History Week in 1926. (That week morphed into Black History Month by the mid-1970s.) He envisioned a week celebrating the achievements and historical significance of Black people, countering the oppressive discrimination that gripped the nation during that era. I am sure that Dr. Woodson would have anticipated some 96 years into the future that this nation would have solved its age-old cancerous problems concerning the lack of respect for race, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Sadly the hate cancer never left and is embedded in new layers of resentment, retrenchment, and resilience. That is no recipe for progress. That's a formula for holding our country back and keeping us from progressing to a more just and equitable state for all. Black History Month was never intended to be marginalized and contained in a 28 day rinse and repeat cycle of historical facts. It was designed to awaken our homage to the past while invigorating our knowledge of today as we plan for the future. Black History IS American History because it reminds us that the elevator, traffic light, and ironing board all had something to do with the ingenuity, skills, and creativity of Black inventors. Check out my list of 25 Black inventors who changed America, and let's celebrate the real reason why Black History Month is such a special time of year for our nation. And may the vitality of student power at Howard University, Spelman College, and Curry College fend off the hate thrill-seekers whose plans for destruction and discrimination must be crushed in their tracks. See the list of Black Inventors Here 25 Black Inventors Who Changed America
Source: https://blackinventor.com/#google_vignette Charles Drew Blood Plasma Bag 1945 Air Conditioning Unit Frederick M Jones 1949 Almanac Benjamin Banneker 1891 Auto Cut-Off Switch Granville T. Woods 1839 Auto Fishing Device George Cook 1899 Ironing Board Sarah Boone 1892 George Washington Carver Thousands of Uses for the Peanut 1896-1943 Patricia Bath Laser Surgical Device 1981 Baby Buggy William H. Richardson 1889 Biscuit Cutter Alexander P. Ashbourne 1875 Chamber Commode Thomas Elkins 1897 Door Knob Osbourn Dorsey 1878 Door Stop Osbourn Dorsey 1878 Elevator Alexander Miles 1867 Fire Escape Ladder Joseph W. Winters 1878 Madame C. J. Walker Black Hair Care Empire 1906 Egg Beater Willie Johnson 1884 Fire Extinguisher Thomas Marshall 1872 Gas Mask Garrett Morgan 1914 Improved Golf Tee George T. Grant 1899 Miriam Benjamin Gong and Signal Chair for Hotels 1888 Valerie Thomas 3-D Optical Illusion Device 1980 Electric Light Bulb Filament Lewis Latimer est 1890 George Crum Potato Chip 1853 Marjorie Joyner Permanent (Hair) Waving Machine 1928  The shortest month of the year should not limit the expansive contributions of Black people throughout the United States and the Americas. We salute African Americans' sacrifices, dreams, hopes, and opportunities, from Phyllis Wheatley to Dr. Ralph David Abernathy to Rev. Karla Cooper, who represent the best of our race.
Black History IS American History, and it should matter to ALL people throughout the land. -Carole Copeland Thomas =================== Black History Month and Dr. Carter G.Woodson During the dawning decades of the twentieth century, it was commonly presumed that black people had little history besides the subjugation of slavery. Today, it is clear that blacks have significantly impacted the development of the social, political, and economic structures of the United States and the world. Credit for the evolving awareness of the true place of blacks in history can, in large part, be bestowed on one man, Carter G. Woodson. And, his brainchild the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc. is continuing Woodson's tradition of disseminating information about black life, history and culture to the global community. Known as the "Father of Black History," Woodson (1875-1950) was the son of former slaves and understood how important gaining a proper education is when striving to secure and make the most out of one's divine right of freedom. Although he did not begin his formal education until he was 20 years old, his dedication to study enabled him to earn a high school diploma in West Virginia and bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Chicago in just a few years. In 1912, Woodson became the second African American to earn a Ph.D. at Harvard University. Recognizing the dearth of information on the accomplishments of blacks in 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Under Woodson's pioneering leadership, the Association created research and publication outlets for black scholars with the establishment of the Journal of Negro History (1916) and the Negro History Bulletin (1937), which garners a popular public appeal. In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience. ASALH views the promotion of Black History Month as one of the most important components of advancing Dr. Woodson's legacy. In honor of all the work that Dr. Carter G. Woodson has done to promote the study of African American History, an ornament of Woodson hangs on the White House's Christmas tree each year. Source: Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) By Korey Bowers Brown http://asalh.net |
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