Author |
Message |
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Wednesday, July 21, 2004 - 4:49 pm
Eddie Robinson Battling Alzheimers http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1844075 GRAMBLING, La. -- Eddie Robinson, Grambling State University's football coach for 57 years, is suffering with Alzheimer's, his wife Doris Robinson said. "He's pretty bad," Doris Robinson said. "He gets a little bit worse every day. He comes to the table for breakfast, but after that he wants to go right to bed." During his career at Grambling, which spanned 11 presidents, several wars and the civil rights movement, Robinson won more football games than any other coach, college or pro -- 408-165-15. His teams had only nine losing seasons and won 16 conference titles and nine national black college championships. Robinson, 85, started showing signs of the disease soon after his retirement from Grambling after the 1997 season, his wife said. The couple went to hospitals in New Orleans, Dallas and Houston trying to find help, she said. "Eddie Junior and his wife, the four of us would just get in the car and go anywhere trying to get something done," she said. "I don't guess Alzheimer's has done him any worse than it's done anybody else. We're trying to live with it." The Robinsons could go out to lunch as recently as two months ago, Doris Robinson said. Eddie Robinson can no longer do that. "If I let myself, I could cry," Doris Robinson said. "But I don't have time to do that. I never thought I would be the strong one, but I have to be now."
|
Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 9:05 pm
Jazz Saxophonist Illinois Jacquet Dies Legendary Saxophonist Illinois Jacquet, Who Defined the Jazz Style Called Screeching, Dies at 81 LINK Tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet, who defined the jazz style called screeching and played with jazz legends including Lionel Hampton, Count Basie and Cab Calloway during a career spanning eight decades, died Thursday. He was 81. Jacquet, who was known as much for his trademark pork pie hat as the innovative playing style, died of a heart attack in his Queens home, said his longtime friend and collaborator Dan Frank. Jacquet played with nearly every jazz and blues legend of his time, including Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Jo Jones, Buddy Rich, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Gene Krupa. He played tenor sax in the Basie and Calloway bands and since 1981 performed with his own band, the Illinois Jacquet Big Band. Former President Clinton, an amateur saxophonist, tapped Jacquet to play at his inaugural ball in January 1993. The duo jammed on the White House lawn, playing "C-Jam Blues." Jacquet also performed for Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. During his heyday in the 1940s and 1950s, Jacquet recorded more than 300 original compositions, including three of his biggest hits, "Black Velvet," "Robbins' Nest" and "Port of Rico." Born Jean-Baptiste Jacquet in Broussard, La., his mother was a Sioux Indian and his father, Gilbert Jacquet, a French-Creole railroad worker and part-time musician. The nickname Illinois came from the Indian word "Illiniwek," which means superior men. He dropped the name Jean-Baptiste when the family moved from Louisiana to Houston because there were so few French-speaking people there. Jacquet, one of six children, began performing at age 3, tap dancing to the sounds of the Gilbert Jacquet band. He later played the drums in his father's band but discovered his true talent when a music teacher introduced him to the saxophone. After graduating from high school, Jacquet moved to California where he soon earned a reputation as a little guy who played a lot of sax. His first exposure was a command performance by Cole, who lined up bass player Jimmy Blanton, Sid Catlett on drums and guitarist Charlie Christian from the Benny Goodman Orchestra and told Jacquet he wanted to hear what he could do. Years later, Jacquet told an interviewer that playing in that jam session "was like playing with God, St. Peter and Moses" yet he wasn't nervous because "when you play with the greatest you play even better." When he was 19, he performed the standout tenor saxophone solo on "Flying Home" with Hampton. He likened that performance to a religious experience and said, "Something was with me at that moment. It all came together for some reason." Jacquet appeared with Calloway's band in the Lena Horne movie "Stormy Weather" and in the Academy Award-nominated short film "Jammin' the Blues" with Billie Holiday and Lester Young. He replaced Young in the Count Basie Orchestra in 1946 and was given the nickname "The King" by Basie. During the 1960s and 1970s, he toured extensively in Europe. In 1983, he became the first jazz musician to become artist-in-residence at Harvard University. His stint as guest lecturer at the Ivy League school caused him more angst than any performance of his life, said Carol Sherick, his longtime companion and manager of more than 20 years. "When he's on stage with a horn in his hand, he's comfortable, but put him in front of a class, just talking ... that's a whole different thing," she said. Despite his fame, Jacquet lived quietly in the St. Albans section of Queens. His wife said he followed Basie to Queens in 1947 but stayed because "the cost of parking his car in Manhattan was more than the rent on his apartment." Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 9:25 pm
Aww, that's so sad ...
|
Jan
Member
08-01-2000
| Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 7:36 am
Underground Railroad Monument established today in Owen Sound Ontario Canada --------------------------- Toronto Star Last stop on liberty express Family, friends gather in Owen Sound Monument will be `link to our history' ROBERTA AVERY SPECIAL TO THE STAR OWEN SOUND—As many as 3,000 descendants of black slaves who settled here after escaping through the Underground Railroad are expected to picnic today to celebrate the freedom their ancestors found in Canada. The tradition has continued uninterrupted for 142 years. For Beatrice Tillman, 91, it will be a journey down memory lane, back to the time more than 80 years ago when she was a little girl and the Emancipation Picnic was the social event of the summer. "We all travelled in horse and buggies and all the men wore white trousers, everyone really dressed up," said Tillman. "There were races for everyone and baseball, and of course the picnic." Tillman spent yesterday, like her mother did all those years ago, making goodies to share at the picnic with her extended family. Some of them travelled thousands of kilometres to be at her side when a special cairn is unveiled today. The cairn, designed by Tillman's niece Bonita Johnson-de-Matheis, is built with stones donated by many of the former American slave states. It also includes black granite from South Africa and limestone from the Owen Sound quarry where Tillman's father was killed in an explosion in 1924. "My father taught us to be proud of who we were and this (the cairn) is absolutely the connection that links our history," said Tillman yesterday when Johnson-de-Matheis gave her a sneak preview of the L-shaped monument. Tillman's great-grandmother was one of hundreds of black slaves who followed the Underground Railroad north to Owen Sound. Following the North Star and looking for secret messages on quilts hung outside homes along the route, runaway slaves made their way north to freedom. The symbols once found on the quilts have been replicated in paving stones in front of the cairn. For Johnson-de-Matheis, 47, who is of mixed descent, the cairn is a celebration of her black heritage. "Within the family we were proud of our background, but we were taught to be quiet and discreet and go about our business," said Johnson-de-Matheis, referring to her youth in Owen Sound. City councillor Peter Lemon, who headed the cairn project, said he hopes it will increase awareness about the important role the black community played in building the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "I realized how important this was when I was at a committee meeting a couple of years ago and a female teacher stood up and said that black slaves hadn't come to Owen Sound," Lemon said. "I knew she was wrong, and it was then I realized we hadn't been doing a good job of telling the world about that part of the city's history," said Lemon. With funding from the federal and provincial governments, from private enterprise and with land donated by the city at Harrison Park, the cairn project has become a reality. Lemon hopes it will help get the message out about the city's early black community. One of the best known Owen Sound blacks is John "Daddy" Hall. He made his way to the area after escaping a plantation, and is said to have lived until the ripe old age of 117 and fathered 23 children before his death in 1900. Terry Harding, part of the very large extended Hall family, is somewhat skeptical about the cairn and plaques around town honouring Hall. "I just hope that this isn't about white people realizing they can make money from our history," said Harding. His mother Frances Harding, 90, also has mixed feelings about the cairn. "It's very nice," she said during a visit to the site yesterday. "But it doesn't mean the attitude toward us has changed. It's just hidden better these days." Harding remembers being shunned as a little girl at school. "Nobody would march with you or sit next to you because your skin was a different colour," she said. She has happier memories about the annual picnic, which she has attended every single summer for the past 75 years. "We always had a lot of fun, even when there was just a few of us," said Harding, who plans to take her cousin, Elaine McGill from Atlanta, to this afternoon's picnic. "We have people come from all over, this has always been a special day," said Harding. "I'm thrilled to be here," McGill said. Dennis Scott, 54, the third generation of his family to organize the picnic, said his research indicates it has been held every year since 1862, when it began outside of Owen Sound to commemorate the British Commonwealth Emancipation Act of Aug. 1, 1834. Scott, whose ancestors escaped from a Maryland plantation to Owen Sound, said he feels very positive about the cairn. "What you are seeing is the integration of all of the community and a real appreciation of black history."
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 5:59 pm
Thanks for posting that, Jan! Very interesting article.
|
Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 12:25 pm
Rick James Died It's breaking news on CNN. "Hey, Charlie. What did the five fingers say to the face?"
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 12:27 pm
Damn, I'm sorry to hear this. 
|
Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 12:38 pm
OMG! He didn't look that great when we saw him last month but he didn't look close to death. How did he die? My heart breaks, he was just starting his career over again...at least he felt the love of his fans at the concert..he was truly touched when we all stood and cheered, he even broke down and cried. God Bless him
|
Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 1:02 pm
Funk Singer Rick James Dies in Los Angeles Yahoo Funk legend Rick James, best known for the 1981 hit "Super Freak," died Friday, apparently of natural causes, police said. James died at 9:45 a.m. at a residence near Universal City, said Police Department spokeswoman Esther Reyes. "We learned of his death after responding to a radio call," Reyes said. After his big hit, James' fame began to fade as he became embroiled in drugs, legal problems and health issues. James was convicted in 1993 of assaulting two women. The first attack occurred in 1991 when he restrained and burned a young woman with a hot pipe during a cocaine binge at his house in West Hollywood. He was free on bail when the second assault occurred in 1992 in James' hotel room. James was sentenced to more than two years in state prison. In 1997, he released a new album, but a year later he suffered a stroke while performing at Denver's Mammoth Events Center, derailing a comeback tour. In 1998 he also underwent hip replacement surgery. With his trademark Jheri curl, James was one of the biggest R&B stars of the 1980s, using danceable rhythms and passionate ballads to gain a wide following. Aside from "Super Freak" — which MC Hammer used a decade later as the backing track for his monster hit "U Can't Touch This" — James' hits included "Mary Jane," "Ebony Eyes" and "Fire and Desire," a stirring duet with Teena Marie.
|
Hippyt
Member
06-15-2001
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 2:10 pm
Wow,he was only 56. I'd say the drug use caught up with him.
|
Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 3:07 pm
I wish the article stated he is currently touring with Teena and making fans sooo happy. That he died knowing his fans loved him and he died doing what he loves to do...that article makes it sound like he hasn't done anything since 1998
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 3:51 pm
I couldn't believe it when my son told me! My favorite radio station is doing a Rick James song marathon. Just when it seemed like he was getting his stuff together ... he was also writing his autobiography. I wonder if he finished ...
|
Hippyt
Member
06-15-2001
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 4:04 pm
I know Pamy. So sad. I was laughing earlier telling Dennis about him joking about Chappelle at the concert you went to. Sounds like he was having a great time.
|
Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 4:44 pm
I heard Chappelle is doing a biopic of him, but it might be only in development. I had no idea he was living with Teena!
|
Abby7
Member
07-17-2002
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 4:56 pm
I didn't know Rick James was being discussed here. I posted in the "Right Now" thread about Rick James: This is so strange. When I posted above about the death of Rick James....I had no idea he lived here at the apartment complex I live in. I was watching the 4pm news/CBS, listening to more information on his death. They say the name of this apartment building lived/died and the street, then show a picture of the place; then, taking a body out. I called the office to verify it and they said they couldn't give out any information. I then told them, well it's on the news. He just said I could then deduct it on my own, and after more chat....he said well, he kept a low profile ____________ I wish he could have lived longer. His life seemed to be back on track. Very sad.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 5:19 pm
Oh no! I loved his music!!! This is so very sad.
|
Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 5:23 pm
Tish, I heard he lived alone...I know Tee adores him though
|
Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Friday, August 06, 2004 - 5:23 pm
Abby must live in a cool complex!!
|
Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 12:58 am
Journalism calling Tavis Smiley's $1 million gift to Texas Southern University's School of Communications is a reminder that the best legacy is educating the next generation. Houston Chronicle Tavis Smiley's $1 million gift to Texas Southern University's School of Communications is a reminder that the best legacy is educating the next generation. To hear Tavis Smiley tell it — in that inimitable, engaging voice — the chance to give TSU a million dollars was a priceless opportunity. For him. To those who have never listened to National Public Radio, switched on Black Entertainment Television or tuned into PBS, Smiley is a commentator and self-described activist who has rapidly become one of the country's most listened to black voices. Author of five books and founder of a nonprofit for black youth, Tavis turned 40 this year, a milestone he always assumed he'd never reach. Because his idols and role models, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., both died at 39, he couldn't imagine living longer. Thus, Smiley told the Chronicle, for his first four decades he worked furiously to make provocative, socially responsible programs in the more ephemeral realms of TV and radio. Only when he found himself still kicking at age 40 did Smiley turn to the goal of a more lasting legacy. At that juncture, TSU President Priscilla Slade showed Smiley a model of an already planned communication building with his name on it. Her shrewd approach inspired Smiley to offer his $1 million gift a few weeks later. The money will go to an endowed chair, an internship program, a lecture series and a media center; all aim to lure more minority students into the communications field and to give them top-notch training. The donation, which will be matched by an additional $1 million from the state, is especially timely because so many journalism programs in Texas suffer from severe anemia. Texas A&M, Texas Women's University and the University of Houston have all reduced or squelched their journalism departments because of budget shortfalls. Meanwhile, lack of racial and ethnic diversity in newsrooms and on mastheads continues to plague media outlets and trouble many of their customers. With one big check, Smiley has helped TSU attract talented media students who might otherwise have turned to other universities. He also enables ambitious low-income students to flourish in prestigious out-of-town internships, which are notoriously ill-paid and sometimes make journalism seem a career choice for the pampered. Smiley's gift also recognizes the progress TSU has made under Slade's leadership, escaping chronic administration problems and bolstering academic excellence. If TSU administers this donation wisely, the media can celebrate as well. TV, radio and newpapers will do their work better with the benefit of a large pool of minority reporters drawn to the field and trained by a respected journalism program.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 11:10 am
Too cool!
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Saturday, October 23, 2004 - 6:28 pm
Kenyan ecologist wins Nobel prize http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3726024.stm Kenyan environmentalist and human rights campaigner Wangari Maathai has won the Nobel Peace Prize. She is the first African woman to be awarded the peace prize since it was created in 1901. A surprised Mrs Maathai broke the news to reporters minutes before the official announcement. The prize committee says Mrs Maathai, Kenya's Deputy Environment Minister, is an example for all Africans fighting for democracy and peace. The delighted 64-year-old professor said the award was completely unexpected. "This is extremely encouraging to the people of Africa and the African woman," she told the BBC. "It is a recognition of the many efforts of African women, who continue to struggle despite all the problems they face." Social science In the late 1970s, Mrs Maathai led a campaign called the Green Belt Movement to plant tens of millions of trees across Africa to slow deforestation. The movement grew to include projects to preserve biodiversity, educate people about their environment and promote the rights of women and girls. Known as "The Tree Woman" in Kenya, Mrs Maathai celebrated by planting a Nandi flame tree in her home town of Nyeri, in the shadow of Mount Kenya. I am working to make sure we don't only protect the environment, we also improve governance She said she was delighted that the vital role of the environment had been recognised. "The environment is very important in the aspects of peace because when we destroy our resources and our resources become scarce, we fight over that". "I am working to make sure we don't only protect the environment, we also improve governance," she added. The committee says she has combined science with social engagement and politics, and has worked both locally and internationally. 'Honoured' The professor was the 12th woman peace laureate since the first award was first made in 1901. A spokesman for the Kenyan government said his country was honoured. "This is a great moment in Kenyan history. To us this shows that what Wangari Maathai has been doing here has been recognised," Alfred Mutua said. "We're very proud of her and she deserves all the credit." Mrs Maathai beat a record 194 nominations, including former chief United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix and the head of the UN energy watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, to win the prize. Mrs Maathai is the second woman in a row to be awarded the peace prize, which last year went to Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi for her work for the rights of women and children in Iran. The award, which includes 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.3m) is awarded in Oslo on 10 December each year.
|
Nino
Member
09-20-2004
| Saturday, October 23, 2004 - 9:07 pm
I enjoyed the post on Mrs. Maathai, Ladytex! Thank you for sharing the story. Congratulations to Mrs. Maathai for her much-deserved honor!
|
Legalboxer
Member
11-17-2003
| Saturday, October 23, 2004 - 11:25 pm
For immediate release Washington, DC -- October 13, 2004
Chadian Activist Wins 2004 RFK Human Rights Award Ms. Delphine Djiraibe of Chad has been selected for the 2004 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. Ms. Djiraibe was chosen by an international panel of distinguished judges for her tireless efforts in promoting the human rights of the Chadian people, often at great personal risk to herself and her family. Her activism began at an early age but became her professional vocation when she co-founded and served as President of the Chadian Association for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (ATPDDH). One of only two such organizations at the time in Chad, the ATPDDH was founded in response to the violence and widespread disregard for the human rights of the Chadian people surrounding the 1990 coup led by current Chadian President Idriss Deby. Ms. Djiraibe is being recognized for her work on the Chad/Cameroon Oil and Pipeline Project. Her multifaceted campaign encompasses fighting governmental corruption, ensuring that the Chadian people benefit from the pipeline and its resulting profits, and preventing environmental devastation resulting from its construction. The $3.7 billion Chad/Cameroon Oil and Pipeline project is Africa’s largest infrastructure investment today. The World Bank, which was critical to funding and overseeing the project, refers to the Chad/Cameroon Project as its model for poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and “the use of revenue for development.” Ms. Djiraibe has devoted herself to ensuring that the project is subject to environmental and social standards and that the profits from the project are allocated to Chadian education, health, infrastructure, and regional development. Despite significant opposition from the government, including a public relations campaign against her, Ms. Djiraibe refuses to stop her courageous campaign. Ms. Djiraibe helped create a coalition of Chadian civil society organizations which called on the World Bank to place a moratorium on project financing until the Chadian government provided the legal framework to protect human rights and could ensure there was adequate institutional capacity to address any environmental problems that might arise. The Bank approved the project anyway. However, due to Ms. Djiraibe’s work and the international pressure exerted, the Bank took some unprecedented steps, such as insisting that the Chadian government adopt a revenue management law and establish an oversight committee to monitor the use of oil revenue funds. Lynn Huntley, president of the Southern Education Foundation and one of the judges who chose Ms. Djiraibe, summarized her work by saying, “Helping people on the ground influence corporate policies and practices is a critically important way to foster good global corporate citizenship and safeguard against fundamental abuses of power and human rights. Ms. Djiraibe is rebalancing the scales of justice." Ms. Djiraibe will be presented with the award at the annual Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Ceremony in Washington, DC on November 16, 2004 in the US Senate’s Russell Caucus Room. Founded in 1968, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial works to realize Robert F. Kennedy’s vision of social justice. In 1984, in order to better reflect the global nature of RFK’s work, the Memorial established the Human Rights Award, and to support the Award Laureates, the Center for Human Rights (CHR). To date, the Memorial has recognized thirty five Laureates representing twenty-one different countries. For additional information, please visit www.rfkmemorial.org.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Sunday, October 24, 2004 - 1:39 pm
Happy Birthday Kweisi Mfume!
Kweisi Mfume (pronounced Kwah-EE-see Oom-FOO-may), whose West African name means, "conquering son of kings," was born, raised and educated in Baltimore, and it was there that he followed his dreams to impact society and shape a more humane public policy. Mfume became politically active as a freshman in college, as editor of the school's newspaper and as head of the Black Student Union. He graduated magna cum laude from Morgan State University, and later returned there as an adjunct professor, teaching courses in political science and communications. In 1984, he earned a Masters degree in liberal arts, with a concentration in International Studies, from Johns Hopkins University. As Mfume's community involvement grew, so did his popularity as an activist, organizer, and radio commentator. He translated that approval into a grassroots election victory when he won a seat on the Baltimore City Council in 1979 by a margin of just three votes. During his seven years of service in local government, Kweisi Mfume led the efforts to diversify city government, improve community safety, enhance minority business development and divest city funds from the apartheid government of South Africa. Later, in 1986, he was decisively elected to the Congressional seat that he was to hold for the next decade. As a Member of Congress, Kweisi Mfume was active with broad committee obligations. He served on the Banking and Financial Services Committee, and held the ranking seat on the General Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. He also served as a member of the Committee on Education and as a senior member of the Small Business Committee. While in his third term, the Speaker of the House chose him to serve on the Ethics Committee and the Joint Economic Committee of the House and Senate, where he later became chair. As a member of the House of Representatives, Congressman Mfume consistently advocated landmark minority business and civil rights legislation. He successfully co-sponsored and helped to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act. He authorized the minority contracting and employment amendments to the Financial Institutions Reform and Recovery Act. He strengthened the Equal Credit Opportunity Law, and amended the Community Reinvestment Act in the interest of minority financial institutions. He co-authored and successfully amended the Civil Rights Bill of 1991 to apply the act to U.S. citizens working for American-based companies abroad. He also sponsored legislative initiatives banning assault weapons and establishing stalking as a federal crime. Mfume has served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and later as the Caucus' Chair of the Task Force on Affirmative Action. During his last term in Congress, he was appointed by the House Democratic Caucus as the Vice-Chairman for Communications. Kweisi Mfume became President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on February 20, 1996, after being unanimously elected to the post by the NAACP's Board of Directors. Mr. Mfume gave up his seat in the United States Congress where he had, for ten years, represented Maryland's 7th Congressional District, to assume the NAACP presidency. Since assuming the position of President and CEO of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization, Kweisi Mfume has raised the standards and expectations of NAACP branches nationwide, and has worked with the NAACP volunteers across the country to help usher in a whole new generation of civil rights advocacy. His six-point action agenda, which encompasses Civil Rights, Political Empowerment, Educational Excellence, Economic Development, Health and Youth Outreach, has given the NAACP a clear and compelling blueprint for the 21st century. Kweisi Mfume was formerly a member of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, the Advisory Board of the Schomburg Commission for the Preservation of Black Culture, and the Senior Advisory Committee of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is presently a member of the Gamma Boule Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Most Worshipful Prince Hall Masons and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. He also serves on the Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees, the Morgan State University Board of Regents, the Meyerhoff National Advisory Board of the University of Maryland, and People for the American Way. Mr. Mfume's background in broadcasting includes thirteen (13) years in radio. For nine (9) years he hosted the award-winning television show, "The Bottom Line." He is the recipient of eight (8) honorary doctorate degrees and hundreds of awards, proclamations and citations. His best selling autobiography is entitled, No Free Ride. http://www.naacp.org/leadership/presimessage.shtml An excellent article about him turning his life around can be found here: From Boy in the Hood, to Man in the House - And Beyond
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Monday, November 08, 2004 - 2:41 pm
Anger boils over slavery memorial delay http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6436612/ Congress directed the park service 2 years ago to build monument PHILADELPHIA - Some black leaders and scholars are accusing the National Park Service of dragging its feet on a congressional order to commemorate slaves kept by George Washington at the first presidential mansion. Congress directed the park service two years ago to build a monument at the site, which is just steps from the Liberty Bell at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, but it remains vacant and unacknowledged. The commemoration would be the first federal memorial to slavery in the nation. “We have to tell the truth, whether it hurts or not,” said Charles Blockson, a curator of African American artifacts at Temple University. “In the city of Philadelphia, it’s never been told.” Park Superintendent Mary Bomar said the delays have been caused in part by disagreement among historians over the exact location where Washington’s slaves once lived, as well as a lack of funding. “We’re not sweeping anything under the rug,” she said. “Nothing would suit me better than to move forward on this project.” Some park officials had resisted the argument that slaves and white servants used to live on the spot in front of the Liberty Bell Center, which is now a wide sidewalk along Market Street. Bomar said her staff finally agreed on the location of the slave quarters following a forum last month. Bomar said last week that she would push agency officials in Philadelphia and Washington to come up with the funds for the $4.5 million project. The city has pledged $1.5 million.
|
|
|
|