Category: 2017

12/31/2017

Watch Night 2018 & The Black Community

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Dear Family, Valuable Friends, Clients, and Colleagues:

From my home to yours, I wish you rich blessings into the New Year. Here is a special article I created about the history of Watch Night Service in the African American community. The tradition predated the importance of the famous 1862 Watch Night Services and originated with the Moravians in Germany many years earlier. The first Methodist church in America to celebrate Watch Night in the 1700s was St. George United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, the home church of Bishop Richard Allen, co-founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. However, it has become particularly important in the Black Church, with its evolution in the early to mid-1800s. The word evolved from “Freedom’s Eve” to “Watch Night” as the freed and enslaved blacks “watched” the clock strike 12 midnight, turning the course of the Civil War and freeing three million slaves in the states of the rebellion.

Wishing You The Best in 2018!
Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA CDMP, CITM

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The History Of Watch Night Services In The Black Church
by Carole Copeland Thomas

With the festivities of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa now on full display, there is still time to reflect on the ritual of my ancestors and many other African Americans, whose forefathers sat around campfires and wood stoves in the twilight of December 31, 1862. There they sang spirituals acapella, prayed, and thanked the Good Lord for what was about to happen the next day. In the North, Abolitionists were jubilant that the “peculiar institution” was finally about to get dismantled one plantation at a time.

The booklet, Walking Tours of Civil War Boston sites this about this historic event:

“On January 1, 1863, large anti-slavery crowds gathered at Boston’s Music Hall and Tremont Temple to await word that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the much-anticipated Emancipation Proclamation (EP). Those present at the Music Hall included Uncle Tom’s Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe, poets Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and John Greenleaf Whittier and essayist, poet and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Also present was Ralph Waldo Emerson, who composed his Boston Hymn to mark the occasion.”

Now… Let’s Look Back...154 Years Ago Tonight...

It was on January 1, 1863, amidst the cannon fire, gun shots, and burnings at the height of the Civil War that President Abraham Lincoln sealed his own fate and signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It begins with the following decree:

Whereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, towit:
"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.”

That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States."

CAROLE' S TRANSLATION:
Effective January 1, 1863 all slaves in the states in rebellion against the Union are free.

Technically that is all that President Lincoln could do at the time. He used his wartime powers as Commander in Chief to liberate the "property" of the states in rebellion of the Union. The act did not free the slaves of the Union or border states (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, or West Virginia) or any southern state under Union control (like parts of Virginia). It would take the 13th Amendment (that freed all slaves in 1865), the Union Army winning the Civil War (April 9, 1865), and the assassination of President Lincoln (shot on April 14th and died on April 15, 1865) for all of the slaves to be freed. That included the liberation of the slaves in rebellious Texas on June 19, 1865 (Juneteenth Day) and finally the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 18, 1865, giving all black people freedom and permanently abolishing slavery in the US.

So in 1862 on the eve of this great era, the slaves "watched", prayed, and waited. My ancestors, including Bishop Wesley John Gaines of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) (a slave in Georgia freed by the EP) and the other three million slaves prayed for divine guidance and an empowered Abraham Lincoln to do the right thing. It is as important today as the tradition of black people eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck.

Following the Emancipation Proclamation slaves were freed in stages, based on where they lived, the willingness of the plantation owner to release them and when Union troops began to control their area.

Black educator and community activist Booker T. Washington as a boy of 9 in Virginia, remembered the day in early 1865:

“As the great day drew nearer, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. Most of the verses of the plantation songs had some reference to freedom. ... Some man who seemed to be a stranger (a United States officer, I presume) made a little speech and then read a rather long paper—the Emancipation Proclamation, I think. After the reading, we were told that we were all free, and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children, while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see.”

The longest holdouts were the slaves in Texas, who were not freed until June 19, 1865, two months after the Civil War ended. That day is now celebrated as Juneteenth Day around the United States.

That is the history of Watch Night in the African American culture.

May you and your family enjoy a spirit-filled New Year throughout 2018. Thank you for ALL of your support you have given to me and my business throughout 2017.

-Carole

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8/24/2017

Eyewitness Account Of The Boston Protest March And Rally Why I Had To Be There: Where We Go From Here

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Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern.
Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole
Listen LIVE or Download Anytime At This Blog Post. Each broadcast can be replayed immediately following the show.

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The anxiety levels were on full alert, with no certainty that all would stay calm. It did stay calm and the day was declared a big success for those on the side of social justice, equity and real freedom.

I witnessed the August 19th Boston Protest March and Rally with my own eyes at Boston Common. 40,000 strong. And I witnessed the quiet escape of the 50 or so alt-right Boston Free Speech rally participants get escorted off the Parkman Bandstand by the police to ensure their safety.

Today’s show will give you all of the details of why this modern day civil rights march was indeed the right thing to do and why the world needed to see it happen in Boston.

About The March and Rally

The Boston Free Speech Rally took place at the Boston Common on August 19, 2017 The organizers and participants were characterized as adherents of the alt-lite, a loosely organized right-wing political movement. Around 50 people attended the rally, and they were met by tens of thousands of counter-protesters.The rally was organized by John Medlar and others in the Boston Free Speech Coalition.It was intended to feature Kyle Chapman, Joe Biggs, Shiva Ayyadurai, and Samson Racioppi as speakers, although the rally ended before all of the speeches were made.

Police erected barricades and blocked streets near the rally, and weapons of any kind were banned.The city planned for around 500 police officers to be present for the event.
The alt-lite rally ended early, and all rally attendees left the Parkman Bandstand by 12:50 pm. Most of the planned speeches did not take place, although Republican Senate candidate Shiva Ayyadurai gave a speech to other rallygoers making reference to "fake news" describing the rally as a Nazi event. Samson Racioppi, who was scheduled to speak, said "I really think it was supposed to be a good event by the organizers, but it kind of fell apart."

The rally drew only a handful of attendees, while between 30,000 and 40,000 people participated in the counter-protest. The counter protesters were organized by Black Lives Matter, various Faith-based organizations, trade unions, the NAACP and other social justice groups. The event was largely peaceful, with no injuries reported as of the afternoon of August 19. A total of 33 people were arrested, largely for disorderly conduct. There were a few arrests for assaults on police officers. During a news conference in the afternoon of August 19, Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans said that some rocks and bottles filled with urine had been thrown at police officers but that over all there was "very little injury and property damage."

CLICK HERE FOR THE MARCH & RALLY PHOTOS

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1/19/2017

Speak Up, Speak Out AND Keep Your Job Ways To Share Your Views Under Trump

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1/5/2017

Bringing Clarity and Confidence Into Your 2017: Five Ways To Move Your Life and Career Forward

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Watch The Video Below To Help You Implement Your 2017 Plan Of Action

Check Out Carole's Radio Show Below. Listen Anytime.

Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern.
Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole
Listen LIVE or Download Anytime At This Blog Post. Each broadcast can be replayed immediately following the show.

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Ready or not, 2017 is here and starting off with a bang! As we reflect on the significant events of 2016, we must now fully focus on our present circumstances, future goals and aspirations. Similar to driving a car, the rear view mirror of yesterday shouldn’t overpower the importance of focusing our thoughts, hopes and actions on what is in front of us.

On today’s show, I’ll give you FIVE Ways to recalibrate your life to maximize your achievements from now till December. Your complete honesty and commitment to personal progress are the prerequisites to making this show matter in your life.

Buckle up and get ready to bring clarity and confidence into your 2017!

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Your 5 Step Plan For 2017

1. Pull Out Your RVM ..... Your Rear View Mirror
Look back on 2016 and reflect on your past, your achievements, your lessons learned and your setbacks. Take a good hard look before closing the door on 2016.

2. Start Your Year NOW! WRITE DOWN your plan of action for the New Year.

3. Try the 3 Week Habit to change your behavior. Start a food journal. Start a finance journal. Contribute in it for 3 straight weeks. See if you can develop a positive pattern to alter/change your behavior fot the better.

4. Don't Neglect Your Family & Friends. That's all you have in life. Work should never occupy 100% of your time. Save the special moments for those who support and care for YOU.

5. Become a champion of Civic Engagement. Get involved in a non profit that is making difference in YOUR community. Become more politically educated in the issues. Stop allowing the political pundits to form YOUR perspectives on issues. Express your opinions online, with op-ed letters and with correspondence directed at your local/city/state/federal/international representatives.

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12/30/2016

Drive Forward In 2017

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Happy New Year!! 2016 is over. 2017 is your new frontier. One is the rear view mirror. The other is your life moving forward. Balancing the two will determine your outcome over the next 12 months. Here's your BONUS Tip #2 in our Ten Tip Holiday Video Series. Watch and learn!

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Watch Night 2018 & The Black Community

Eyewitness Account Of The Boston Protest March And Rally Why I Had To Be There: Where We Go From Here

Speak Up, Speak Out AND Keep Your Job Ways To Share Your Views Under Trump

Bringing Clarity and Confidence Into Your 2017: Five Ways To Move Your Life and Career Forward

Watch The Video Below To Help You Implement Your 2017 Plan Of Action

Check Out Carole's Radio Show Below. Listen Anytime.

Drive Forward In 2017

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Watch Night 2018 & The Black Community

Eyewitness Account Of The Boston Protest March And Rally Why I Had To Be There: Where We Go From Here

Speak Up, Speak Out AND Keep Your Job Ways To Share Your Views Under Trump

Bringing Clarity and Confidence Into Your 2017: Five Ways To Move Your Life and Career Forward

Watch The Video Below To Help You Implement Your 2017 Plan Of Action

Check Out Carole's Radio Show Below. Listen Anytime.

﻿Drive Forward In 2017

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Author

Archives

Drive Forward In 2017