Author |
Message |
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 7:15 am
I never knew Rosa and I shared a birthday!
|
Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 8:01 am
I love these because I learn something new everyday.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 6:29 am
Hank Aaron February 5, 1934 - Nicknamed "Hammerin Hank", Henry Louis (Hank) Aaron played professional baseball in the Negro Leagues, as well as the minor and major leagues. He is reported to be the last Negro League player to play in the Majors. His brother Tommie also played in the Majors and by the time Hank retired, he and his brother held the record for most career home runs by a pair of siblings (768). They were also the first siblings to appear in a League Championship Series as teammates. Aaron played 23 years in the majors and still holds quite a few records, but he was best known for breaking Babe Ruth's homerun record on April 8, 1974. This period was not all roses for Mr. Aaron, as he was receiving numerous death threats and expressed fear in 1973 that he'd even live to play in the 1974 season. Personal note: I remember watching him hit that historic homer on tv with my mom and dad. Aaron held the record for 33 years until 2007. After retiring, he worked in the Atlanta Braves front office. In 1982, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and in 1999, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of breaking Ruth's record, Major League Baseball announced the Hank Aaron Award, given annually to the best overall hitter in each league. It was the first award named after a player who was still alive. He was also honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. Tonight Aaron, along with his wife Billye, will be celebrating his 75th birthday at a bash with friends in Atlanta. Wiki Bio Biography.com Bio
|
Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 6:58 am
Yesterday in Portland, Oregon (Light rail system) February 4, 2009 MAX station renamed to honor Rosa Parks Local leaders gather on Rosa Parks' birthday to unveil new signage From today forward, the Portland Blvd MAX Yellow line station will be known as the Rosa Parks Station. TriMet announced the name change at a ceremony held today on the anniversary of Rosa Parks' birth. "Rosa Parks' actions started on a bus and helped change our nation," said TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen. "She called attention to the simple truth that a transit system paid for by all must benefit all. We are proud to permanently recognize her legacy by renaming this MAX station in her honor."
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 6:25 am
Dr. Ben Carson September 18, 1951 - Benjamin Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan. His mother Sonya had dropped out of school in the third grade, and married when she was only 13. When Benjamin Carson was only eight, his parents divorced, and Mrs. Carson was left to raise Benjamin and his older brother Curtis on her own. She worked at two, sometimes three, jobs at a time to provide for her boys. Benjamin and his brother fell farther and farther behind in school. In fifth grade, Carson was at the bottom of his class. His classmates called him "dummy" and he developed a violent, uncontrollable temper. When Mrs. Carson saw Benjamin's failing grades, she determined to turn her sons' lives around. She sharply limited the boys' television watching and refused to let them outside to play until they had finished their homework each day. She required them to read two library books a week and to give her written reports on their reading even though, with her own poor education, she could barely read what they had written. He soon discovered that he could escape when he read. He could go places and be anything. He went from being called 'dummy' to being called 'bookworm', from the bottom of the class to the top. The hunger for knowledge had taken hold of him, and he began to read voraciously on all subjects. After graduating with honors from his high school, he attended Yale University, where he earned a degree in Psychology. From Yale, he went to the Medical School of the University of Michigan, where his interest shifted from psychiatry to neurosurgery. His excellent hand-eye coordination and three-dimensional reasoning skills made him a superior surgeon. After medical school he became a neurosurgery resident at the world-famous Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. At age 32, he became the hospital's Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, the youngest surgeon ever to head a division. Carson made numerous advancements in neurosurgery. For example, he developed a new method to treat brain-stem tumors and was the first doctor to perform surgery on a fetus inside the womb. However, by the late 1980s, Carson became known as an expert in one of the most difficult types of surgeries: separating conjoined twins (identical twins born with connected body parts). In 1994 Ben Carson and his wife, Candy, established the Carson Scholars Fund. Carson noticed that schools honored athletes with trophies and pep rallies, but that academic achievement often went unnoticed. He also wanted to encourage students to explore the fields of science and technology. According to the fund's Web site (http://www.carsonscholars.org), the goal of the nonprofit organization is to "to help our children stay competitive in science, math, and technology, as well as balance academic achievement with the high esteem our society gives to sports and entertainment. Each year, scholarships of $1,000 are awarded to students in grades four through twelve who achieve a grade point average of at least 3.75, and who show a true commitment to their community. Scholarships are presented at an awards banquet where winners are also given certificates and medals. In 2008, Dr. Carson was chosen to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom and on Feb 7, 2009, his story: "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story" will premiere on TNT. Achievment.org Bio Notable Biographies Bio The History of African Americans at Johns Hopkins University Bio
|
Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 7:19 am
Ben Carson is a hero in every sense of the word.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 7:25 am
Yes, he is. I can't wait to see the movie. It's already getting Emmy buzz. He was so funny on the radio this morning ... he said that someone came up to him and told him that he looks like Cuba Gooding, Jr. ... and that's who plays him in the movie ...
|
Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 7:32 am
I'll have the tissues ready while I watch. What a story!
|
Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 8:03 am
An incredible achievement on his part.
|
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 8:18 am
Very inspiring story. What a good Momma! She knew her baby could be anything and she made him go get it.
|
Holly
Member
07-22-2001
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 8:32 am
OMG, I've been using a story about Ben for years now as a reading assignment in my classes in an attempt to inspire students to actually read. I'm so glad he's going to achieve national recognition now through this movie. His mother really does need to be commended--if only there were more parents like her today.
|
Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 10:58 am
I saw a full page ad in People Mag for this movie. It looks so inspiring and I luv CGjr I hope we get it here in Canada...
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Monday, February 09, 2009 - 7:06 pm
Alice Walker February 9, 1944 - Alice Walker, best known perhaps as the author of The Color Purple, was the eighth child of Georgia sharecroppers. After a childhood accident blinded her in one eye, she went on to become valedictorian of her local school, and attend Spelman College and Sarah Lawrence College on scholarships, graduating in 1965. Alice Walker volunteered in the voter registration drives of the 1960s in Georgia, and went to work after college in the Welfare Department in New York City. Alice Walker married in 1967 (and divorced in 1976). Her first book of poems came out in 1968 and her first novel just after her daughter's birth in 1970. Alice Walker's early poems, novels and short stories dealt with themes familiar to readers of her later works: rape, violence, isolation, troubled relationships, multi-generational perspectives, sexism and racism. When The Color Purple came out in 1982, Walker became known to an even wider audience. Her Pulitzer Prize and the movie by Steven Spielberg brought both fame and controversy. She was widely criticized for negative portrayals of men in The Color Purple, though many critics admitted that the movie presented more simplistic negative pictures than the book's more nuanced portrayals. Walker also published a biography of the poet, Langston Hughes, and worked to recover and publicize the nearly-lost works of writer Zora Neale Hurston. She's credited with introducing the word "womanist" for African American feminism. In 1989 and 1992, in two books, The Temple of My Familiar and Possessing the Secret of Joy, Walker took on the issue of female circumcision in Africa, which brought further controversy: was Walker a cultural imperialist to criticize a different culture? Her works are known for their portrayals of the African American woman's life. She depicts vividly the sexism, racism and poverty that make that life often a struggle. But she also portrays as part of that life, the strengths of family, community, self-worth, and spirituality. Many of her novels depict women in other periods of history than our own. Just as with non-fiction women's history writing, such portrayals give a sense of the differences and similarities of women's condition today and in that other time. Alice Walker continues not only to write, but to be active in environmental, feminist/womanist causes, and issues of economic justice. about.com bio
|
Goddessatlaw
Member
07-19-2002
| Friday, February 20, 2009 - 5:02 pm
Here's a great story I'd never heard til now: Slave in Jefferson Davis' Home Gave Union His Secrets Link is to CNN - the story is about more than just this slave, but the many of them that performed espionage for the North.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 11:41 am
Sir Duke is first African-American to solo on U.S. circulating coin
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States Mint launched a new coin Tuesday featuring jazz legend Duke Ellington, making him the first African-American to appear by himself on a circulating U.S. coin. Ellington, the composer of classics including "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" appears on the "tails" side of the new D.C. quarter. George Washington is on the "heads" side, as is usual with U.S. quarters. The coin was issued to celebrate Ellington's birthplace, the District of Columbia. U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy introduced the new coin at a news conference Tuesday at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Members of Ellington's family were present at the ceremony, and the jazz band of Duke Ellington High School performed. <snip>
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 2:52 am
Remember HBO's The Black List Vol. 1? Well, there IS a Vol. 2!!! Airing at 8 pm (I'm getting an eastern feed earlier in the day). If it is even almost as good as the first one, I'm pumped to see it. Looks like they are repeating Vol. 1 on Thursday, here at 3:15pm and 6:15pm (also on the Spanish HBO channel) Volume 2 at 5pm and 8pm with repeats on Saturday.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 6:09 am
Vol 2 tonight??? I'll have to record it so I can burn it. Thanks for that news, I loved Vol 1 and I bought the book and love it, too.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 6:54 am
The women of THE 6888TH CENTRAL POSTAL DIRECTORY BATTALION are being recognized today at the Arlington National Park. The 6888th was made up of 855 African-American women who were in charge of postal services in the European theatre during WW2. They, as a group, was transferred from place to place to eliminate backlog of soldiers letters. A little more info on this unit can be found here. I just heard about them this morning and I'm in the process of gathering more information for myself. One of the ladies was on the radio this morning. She's 88 and I betcha she can tell some stories, and I hope that someone is recording the history of these ladies before they are all gone.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 10:14 pm
Yay, finally a mainstream media story on these ladies: CNN story on the 6888th ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- The honors were late but still well-received Wednesday for members of the first all-African-American, all-female unit to serve overseas in World War II. During the war, nearly 1,000 women from the "Six-Triple Eight" Central Postal Battalion moved mountains of mail for millions of American service members and civilians that clogged warehouses in England and France. Their service to their country had been overlooked for years, starting with when they returned to the United States from assignments overseas. "There was no parade," said Mary Crawford Ragland. "We just came home." The 82-year old was among those gathered Wednesday at the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, where a U.S. Army support group called the Freedom Team Salute presented them with certificates of appreciation, timed with Black History Month. The group also gives a letter of appreciation signed by the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Army, an Army lapel pin and an Army decal. For Alyce Dixon, 101, it was worth the wait. "They asked me because I'm one of the oldest survivors, and I can still talk," she said with a smile. Nearly 800 women that were part of the 6888th were first stationed in Birmingham, England, for three months, moved to Rouen, France, and finally settled in Paris, according to the Army's Web site. They were responsible for redirecting mail to more than seven million people -- all U.S. armed forces in the European Theater of Operations, including Army, Navy, Marine Corps, civilians and Red Cross workers. As Army units quickly moved throughout Western Europe and into Germany, a massive mail snag occurred because of a manpower shortage. Soldiers continued to move, fighting battles across the continent, but weren't getting their mail. Morale began to drop. That's when the Army turned to the "Six-Triple-Eight" When Dixon and the other women arrived at a warehouse in early 1945, they found the building had no heat. Inside the warehouse, the windows were painted black to keep the light from coming out at night against bombing raids. Because there was no heat, the women donned long johns and anything else they could layer on. But the temperature was nothing compared with the daunting challenge of sorting the mail. When they walked inside the warehouse, it was stacked to the ceiling with undelivered packages and letters. "They had 90 billion pieces of mail," Dixon told CNN, some of it from hometown friends and family addressed only to "Junior, U.S. Army or Buster, U.S. Army," she said. "We had to figure it out," she said. Even when there were complete names, it wasn't easy. There were 7,500 soldiers named Robert Smith in the European Theater of Operations, according to the Museum of Black WWII History Web site, and the women had to keep them straight. Because all undeliverable mail passed through them, they were charged with keeping information cards on everyone in the European Theater of Operations, according to the Army site. Because frontline soldiers were often moved frequently, the women often had to update information several times a month. While it was an arduous task, the women knew the importance of their job. For soldiers in the field, letters from loved ones brought important personal connections that kept their morale going. So they kept on sorting. Eight hours at a time, three shifts per day, seven days a week, they kept on sorting. And because of them, 65,000 letters went out each shift to soldiers across Europe. On Wednesday, the favor was finally returned.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 10:53 pm
Ladytex.. Thursday night, sorry. Vol 1 repeats, then Vol 2 a couple of times, with repeats on Saturday.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 5:54 am
Thanks, Sea, found it and have it set to record.
|
Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Sunday, March 01, 2009 - 5:08 am
If you missed Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union yesterday (it was in LA and I didn't know. harumpf), you can watch it here on CSPAN: link. Tavis continues his hating on Pres Obama and pretends he wants to criticize him "in love." But some of us won't forget that he wouldn't accept Michelle Obama last year when then-Sen Obama was doing something unimportant like, oh I don't know, win the Democratic Party nomination. Crabs. In. A. Bucket.
|
Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Sunday, March 01, 2009 - 3:28 pm
Hahaha, Tisha ... uh yeah, and he had to nerve to call into the TMJS and then Tom and Sybil were surprised that their callers called in to take him to task. Tom seems to have on blinders regarding Tavis and can't get his head from outta Tavis' behind.
|
Goddessatlaw
Member
07-19-2002
| Sunday, March 01, 2009 - 4:55 pm
I'm not sure what the problem is, I have been acquainted with/aware of Tavis since we were in college together. I've never liked the guy, he is way too liberal for me. But is he supposed to praise Obama because they are both black? Smiley has been consistent over the years in his support of Hillary Clinton, even after black media centers turned against him for it. I feel sorry for the guy. He has his own opinion and since it's not the "approved" opinion he gets run up a flag pole.
|
Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Sunday, March 01, 2009 - 5:18 pm
No, Mr Smiley can criticize the President until the cows come home and nobody at the State of the Black Union suggests otherwise--many of them are on the CSPAN archives doing precisely that. I think the problem people have with Mr Smiley is that his criticisms are generally self-serving and often designed to make him look "more authentic than thou" or, as someone said yesterday on Jack and Jill Politics (an African American culture/politics site), Tavis' criticisms often amount to "When will black folks stop kissing Obama’s ass and start criticizing him for not kissing mine?"
|
|