Archive through February 06, 2003
TV ClubHouse: Archives: 2003 February:
Black History Month:
Archive through February 06, 2003
Ladytex | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 06:37 pm     Paul Roberson - 4/9/1898-1/23/1976 Went to Rutgers University where he was named one of football's All-Americans in 1917 and 1918. After earning a law degree from Columbia University, he debuted on Broadway in 1922. He acted in Eugene O'Neill's plays Emperor Jones and All God's Chillun Got Wings and he sang in the musicals Show Boat and Porgy and Bess. From 1928 to 1939 he toured the world. Perceiving an absence of racial prejudice in the Soviet Union, he developed communist sympathies. He returned to America and won praise for his lead performance in the 1943 Broadway production of Othello. He appealed to President Truman for civil rights legislation, helped found the Progressive Party and spoke out against America's treatment of blacks. In 1950, the government revoked his passport claiming he refused to sign an anti-communism oath. In 1958 when his passport was restored, he gave a triumphant concert in Carnegie Hall. On that day, his 60th birthday, celebrations were held throughout the world, where he was hailed as one of the greatest men of his time. Timelines ... |
Cyn | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 06:41 pm     Dr. Charles R. Drew (1904-1950) - Surgeon and Blood Researcher Dr. Charles R. Drew was a renowned surgeon, teacher, and researcher. He was responsible for founding two of the world's largest blood banks. Because of his research into the storage and shipment of blood plasma—blood without cells—he is credited with saving the lives of hundreds of Britains during World War II. He was director of the first American Red Cross effort to collect and bank blood on a large scale. In 1942, a year after he was made a diplomat of surgery by the American Board of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University, he became the first African American surgeon to serve as an examiner on the board. |
Hippyt | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 06:41 pm     Oh,thanks MJH and LadyTex! Now I remember in school we always did study Frederick Douglass around the same time as Lincoln's birthday. Here's another link,for some reason my clipboard doesn't want to copy much tonight. Since I'm a Texan,I thought a lot of people may not know much about this holiday. It's a big celebration here in Texas. Juneteenth |
Ladytex | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 06:55 pm     "This generation, especially of our people, have a burden, more so than any other time in history. The most important thing we can learn to do today is think for ourselves." -- Malcolm X, 1964 |
Cyn | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 07:03 pm     Michael P. Anderson (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF) NASA Astronaut He was one of the seven people who we lost in the tragic shuttle accident this weekend. NASA biography |
Moderator | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 07:08 pm     I've taken the liberty and added the "Create New Conversation" feature at the top of this thread. I hope no one minds. (M) |
Abbynormal | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 07:49 pm     'WHAT IF THERE WAS NO BLACK PEOPLE IN THE WORLD' This is the story of a little boy named Theo who woke up one morning and asked his mother, Mom, what if there were no Black people in the world? Well his mother thought about that for a moment, and then said, Son, follow me around today and let's just see what it would be like if there were no Black people in the world. Mom said, now go get dressed and we will get started. Theo ran to his room to put on his clothes and shoes. His mother took one look at him and said, Theo, where are your shoes and those clothes are all wrinkled son, I must iron them. But when she reached for the ironing board it was no longer there. You see Sarah Boone, a black woman, invented the ironing board and Jan E. Matzelinger, a black man invented shoes. Oh well, she said, please go and do something to your hair. Theo ran in his room to comb his hair, but the comb was not there. You see, Walter Sammons, a black man invented the comb. Theo decided to just brush his hair, but the brush was gone. Lydia O. Newman, a black female, invented the brush. Well this was a sight, no shoes, wrinkled clothes, hair a mess, even Mom's hair, without the hair care inventions of Madam C. Walker, well you get the picture. Mom told Theo, let's do our chores around the house and then take a trip to the grocery store. Theo's job was to sweep the floor. He swept and swept and swept. When he reached for the dustpan, it was not there. You see. Lloyd P. Ray, a black man, invented the dustpan. So he swept his pile of dirt over in the comer and left it there. He then decided to mop the floor, but the mop, was gone. You see, Thomas W. Stewart, a black man. invented the mop. Theo yelled to his Mom, Mom, I'm not having any luck. Well son, she said, let me finish washing these clothes and we will prepare a list for the grocery store. When the wash was finished, she went to place the clothes in the dryer but it was not there. George T. Samon, a black man, invented the clothes dryer. Mom asked Theo to go get a pencil and some paper to prepare their list for the market. So Theo ran for the paper and pencil but noticed the pencil lead was broken. Well he was out of luck because John Love, a black man, invented the pencil sharpener. Mom reached for a pen, but it was not there because William Purvis, a black man, invented the fountain pen. As a matter of fact, Lee Burridge invented the typewriting machine and W. A. Lovette the advanced printing press. Theo and his mother decided to head out to the market. Well then Theo opened the door he noticed the grass was as high as he was tall. You see, John Burr, a black man, invented the lawn mower. They made their way over to the car and found that it wouldn't go. You see, Richard Spikes, a black man, invented automatic gearshift and Joseph Gamm, invented the supercharge system for internal combustion engines. They noticed that the few cars that were moving were running into each other and having wrecks because there were no traffic signals. Garrett A. Morgan, a black man invented the traffic light. Well, it was getting late, so they walked to the market, got their groceries and returned home. Just when they were about to put away the milk, eggs and butter, they noticed the refrigerator was gone. John Standard, a black man, invented the refrigerator. So they just left the food on the counter. By this time, Theo noticed he was getting mighty cold. Mom went to turn up the heat, and what do you know? Alice Parker, a black female, invented the heat furnace. Even in the summer time they would have been out of luck because Frederick Jones, a black man, invented the air conditioner. It was almost time for Theo's father to arrive home. He usually takes the bus. But there was no bus, because its precursor was the electric trolley, invented by another black man, Elbert R. Robinson. He usually takes the elevator from his office on the 20th floor but there was no elevator because Alexander Miles, a black man, invented the elevator. He also usually dropped off the office mail at a near by mailbox, but it was no longer there because Phillip Downing, a black man, invented the letter drop mail and William Barry invented the postmark and cancelling machine. Theo and his mother sat at the kitchen table with their head in their hands. When the father arrived he asked why are you sitting in the dark? Why? Because Lewis Howard Latimer, a black man, invented the filament within the light bulb. Theo quickly learned what it would be like if there were no black people in the world. Not to mention if he were ever sick and needed blood. Charles Drew, a black scientist, found a way to preserve and store blood, which led to his starting the world first blood bank. And what if family member had to have heart surgery. This would not have been possible without Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a black doctor, who performed the first open heart surgery. Theo and his Mom had a great deal to talk about. |
Grooch | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 07:53 pm     Ok. I protest the iron and the ironing board. They never needed to be invented as far as I am concerned.  |
Nanya | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 08:09 pm     Thank you Square!! Dr Drew worked dilligently to bank and store blood for tranfusion. It is Ironic that he died from blood loss following an auto accident after being denied admission to a segregated hospital in a southern hospital. (I believe in the Carolinas) |
Abbynormal | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 08:09 pm     Grooch, I agree, much to my mother's shame. (That's what dryers are for, IMO.) I received that in an email about 3 yrs ago and have always kept it. I think it's an awesome story. |
Cyn | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 09:02 pm     Nanya, I am sorry that i didn't see that you listed Dr. Drew's name already. I posted a link in the other folder I created to more info on him also. I guees I just got too happy with starting to think about all the great names to put on the list and got carried away. |
Kady | Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 09:18 pm     Abby...shows you we are never too old to learn. I was never taught in school about all the inventions by black men and women. I learn something here everyday. |
Squaredsc | Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 05:58 am     thanks mods for the categories, i was surprised, thanks a bunch. abby ive seen that email too. thanks guys for all of your posts. grooch i protest the iron and ironing board too.  |
Squaredsc | Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 06:12 am     Nelson Mandela As the world's most famous prisoner and, now, his country's leader, he exemplifies a moral integrity that shines far beyond South Africa -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BY ANDRE BRINK [an error occurred while processing this directive] n a recent television broadcast BBC commentator Brian Walden argued that Nelson Mandela, "perhaps the most generally admired figure of our age, falls short of the giants of the past." Mandela himself argues that "I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances." Clearly, a changing world demands redefinition of old concepts. In the revolution led by Mandela to transform a model of racial division and oppression into an open democracy, he demonstrated that he didn't flinch from taking up arms, but his real qualities came to the fore after his time as an activist--during his 27 years in prison and in the eight years since his release, when he had to negotiate the challenge of turning a myth into a man. Rolihlahla Mandela was born deep in the black homeland of Transkei on July 18, 1918. His first name could be interpreted, prophetically, as "troublemaker." The Nelson was added later, by a primary school teacher with delusions of imperial splendor. Mandela's boyhood was peaceful enough, spent on cattle herding and other rural pursuits, until the death of his father landed him in the care of a powerful relative, the acting regent of the Thembu people. But it was only after he left the missionary College of Fort Hare, where he had become involved in student protests against the white colonial rule of the institution, that he set out on the long walk toward personal and national liberation. Having run away from his guardian to avoid an arranged marriage, he joined a law firm in Johannesburg as an apprentice. Years of daily exposure to the inhumanities of apartheid, where being black reduced one to the status of a nonperson, kindled in him a kind of absurd courage to change the world. It meant that instead of the easy life in a rural setting he'd been brought up for, or even a modest measure of success as a lawyer, his only future certainties would be sacrifice and suffering, with little hope of success in a country in which centuries of colonial rule had concentrated all political and military power, all access to education, and most of the wealth in the hands of the white minority. The classic conditions for a successful revolution were almost wholly absent: the great mass of have-nots had been humbled into docile collusion, the geographic expanse of the country hampered communication and mobility, and the prospects of a race war were not only unrealistic but also horrendous. In these circumstances Mandela opted for nonviolence as a strategy. He joined the Youth League of the African National Congress and became involved in programs of passive resistance against the laws that forced blacks to carry passes and kept them in a position of permanent servility. Exasperated, the government mounted a massive treason trial against its main opponents, Mandela among them. It dragged on for five years, until 1961, ending in the acquittal of all 156 accused. But by that time the country had been convulsed by the massacre of peaceful black demonstrators at Sharpeville in March 1960, and the government was intent on crushing all opposition. Most liberation movements, including the A.N.C., were banned. Earning a reputation as the Black Pimpernel, Mandela went underground for more than a year and traveled abroad to enlist support for the A.N.C. Soon after his return, he was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment on Robben Island for five years; within months practically all the leaders of the A.N.C. were arrested. Mandela was hauled from prison to face with them an almost certain death sentence. His statement from the dock was destined to smolder in the homes and servant quarters, the shacks and shebeens and huts and hovels of the oppressed, and to burn in the conscience of the world: "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." Without any attempt to find a legal way out, Mandela assumed his full responsibility. This conferred a new status of moral dignity on his leadership, which became evident from the moment he was returned to Robben Island. Even on his first arrival, two years before, he had set an example by refusing to obey an order to jog from the harbor, where the ferry docked, to the prison gates. The warden in charge warned him bluntly that unless he started obeying, he might quite simply be killed and that no one on the mainland would ever be the wiser. Whereupon Mandela quietly retorted, "If you so much as lay a hand on me, I will take you to the highest court in the land, and when I finish with you, you will be as poor as a church mouse." Amazingly, the warden backed off. "Any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose," Mandela later wrote in notes smuggled out by friends His major response to the indignities of the prison was a creative denial of victimhood, expressed most remarkably by a system of self-education, which earned the prison the appellation of "Island University." As the prisoners left their cells in the morning to toil in the extremes of summer and winter, buffeted by the merciless southeaster or broiled by the African sun (whose glare in the limestone quarry permanently impaired Mandela's vision), each team was assigned an instructor--in history, economics, politics, philosophy, whatever. Previously barren recreation hours were filled with cultural activities, and Mandela recalls with pride his acting in the role of Creon in Sophocles' Antigone. After more than two decades in prison, confident that on some crucial issues a leader must make decisions on his own, Mandela decided on a new approach. And after painstaking preliminaries, the most famous prisoner in the world was escorted, in the greatest secrecy, to the State President's office to start negotiating not only his own release but also the nation's transition from apartheid to democracy. On Feb. 2, 1990, President F.W. de Klerk lifted the ban on the A.N.C. and announced Mandela's imminent release. Then began the real test. Every inch of the way, Mandela had to win the support of his own followers. More difficult still was the process of allaying white fears. But the patience, the wisdom, the visionary quality Mandela brought to his struggle, and above all the moral integrity with which he set about to unify a divided people, resulted in the country's first democratic elections and his selection as President. The road since then has not been easy. Tormented by the scandals that pursued his wife Winnie, from whom he finally parted; plagued by corruption among his followers; dogged by worries about delivering on programs of job creation and housing in a country devastated by white greed, he has become a sadder, wiser man. In the process he has undeniably made mistakes, based on a stubborn belief in himself. Yet his stature and integrity remain such that these failings tend to enhance rather than diminish his humanity. Camus once said one man's chains imply that we are all enslaved; Mandela proves through his own example that faith, hope and charity are qualities attainable by humanity as a whole. Through his willingness to walk the road of sacrifice, he has reaffirmed our common potential to move toward a new age. And he is not deluded by the adulation of the world. Asked to comment on the BBC's unflattering verdict on his performance as a leader, Mandela said with a smile, "It helps to make you human." |
Squaredsc | Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 06:18 am     Mandela Sharply Criticizes Bush and Blair on Iraq Stance 01/31/2003 01:34 PM EDT By Ofeibea Quist-Arcton Johannesburg courtesy AllAfrica.com Former South African president and Nobel peace prize laureate, Nelson Mandela, has strongly criticised the American leader, George W Bush, calling him arrogant and shortsighted. Mandela also hinted that the US president was behaving like a racist in his determination to go to war with Iraq. Addressing an international women’s forum in Johannesburg on Thursday, Mandela uttered his most outspoken remarks about Bush to date, asking, "Why is the United States behaving so arrogantly?" South Africa’s revered elder statesman added: "What I am condemning is that one power, with a president who has no foresight, who cannot think properly, is now wanting to plunge the world into a holocaust." Mandela’s strong anti-Bush language coincided with a letter sent to Washington and drafted by eight European countries backing Bush’s stance on matters concerning the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Iraq is currently being inspected for weapons of mass destruction by a team from the United Nations, which issued a generally unfavourable interim report this week. The weapons’ inspectors announced Monday that they required more time to determine whether Iraq indeed possesses such weapons. Commenting on Mandela's outburst, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said: "The president (Bush) expresses his gratitude to the many leaders of Europe who obviously feel differently... He understands there are going to be people who are more comfortable doing nothing about a growing menace that could turn into a holocaust," said Fleischer. However Mandela rebuked Iraq for not cooperating fully with the weapons’ inspectors. He announced that South Africa would support any measures taken against Iraq by the UN. Mandela implied in his remarks about Bush, which were also critical of British prime minister Tony Blair, that American policy on Iraq was motivated more by financial than human rights’ concerns. "All that [the U.S.] wants is Iraqi oil," Mandela said. Blair, he added, was simply "the foreign minister of the United States. He is no longer prime minister of Britain." President Bush insists the U.S. would be justified in taking on President Saddam militarily, even if the UN does not authorise an attack. France and Germany are among a number of countries publicly opposed to Bush’s policy on Iraq. The American leader has indicated that he would like to set a deadline for the Iraqis to demonstrate they have disarmed. "Who are they to pretend that they are the policemen of the world, the ones that should decide for the people of Iraq what should be done with their government and their leadership?" asked Mandela, accusing Bush of "trying to bring about carnage". Mandela took issue with both Bush and Blair who he said were disregarding the authority of the UN and undermining its African secretary-general, Kofi Annan, who comes from Ghana. Mandela became personal in his accusations and launched a verbal attack on the two men, asking: "Is it because the secretary-general of the United Nations is now a black man? They never did that when secretary-generals were white." Africa’s best known statesman said the UN was the chief reason why a third world war had been avoided and urged that any decisions on Iraq should be dealt with by the UN. Mandela has been consistently critical of Bush’s handling of the Iraqi question over recent months, a view widely mirrored in other parts of Africa among leaders, politicians and ordinary people. Mandela’s comments also echo the official view from South Africa. His successor, President Thabo Mbeki, said this week: "We do not believe there is anything that has been said which says there is a need to go to war [with Iraq]". Mbeki is scheduled to meet Blair this weekend, just after the British prime minister has finished a summit with Bush at Camp David on Friday. Analysts in South Africa predict that another conflict in the Gulf would mean a hike in domestic oil prices and other economic consequences. Similar concern is being expressed in the columns of newspapers in several African countries. |
Staceyinpa | Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 10:26 am     Just a little something to add here... Last night on the Disney Channel, there was a movie on called "Selma Lord Selma" (Selma being Selma, Alabama) It was about MLKjr and the Civil Rights law. Excellent movie! If it replays at all this month, I highly recommend it! I learned about MLKjr in school, but it was never "real" to me until I watched this last night. I cried more than once. Anyhoo.. just my 2cents |
Squaredsc | Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 10:37 am     stacyinpa, welcome and thanks for posting. |
Ladytex | Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 11:58 am     Born on this date in 1934 -- Hank Aaron Biography on Biography.com |
Nanya | Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 07:55 pm     Cyn, No problem on the Dr Drew thing, my contribution was an addenum...just a bit of irony. |
Cyn | Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 06:21 am     Robert Neste Marely - Bob Marley (February 6, 1947 - May 11,1981) Today is Bob Marley's birthday. He to me is one of the most influential and inspiring souls ever to perform music. I think that Bob Marley had bunches to do with the world coming together as a more peaceful place. This is my fav song by Bob & the Wailers. Redemption Song Old pirates yes they rob I Sold I to the merchant ships Minutes after they took I From the bottomless pit But my hand was made strong By the hand of the almighty We forward in this generation Triumphantly All I ever had, is songs of freedom Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom Cause all I ever had, redemption songs Redemption songs Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery None but ourselves can free our minds Have no fear for atomic energy Cause none of them can stop the time How long shall they kill our prophets While we stand aside and look Some say it's just a part of it We've got to fullfill the book Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom Cause all I ever had, redemption songs Redemption songs, redemption songs Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery None but oursekves can free our minds Have no fear for atomic energy Cause none of them can stop the time How long shall they kill our prophets While we stand aside and look Yes some say it's just a part of it We've got to fullfill the book Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom Cause all I ever had, redemption songs All I ever had, redemption songs These songs of freedom, songs of freedom |
Ladytex | Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 12:42 pm     CNN Special Report on African American Music: Soul of a Culture seems to be a decent gateway to some good links. They will update weekly throughout February. CNN Black History Month offering |
Nanya | Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 03:53 pm     Black folks give credence to the adage "necessity is the mother of invention". The early inventers invented labor saving devices....the dumbwaiter (servant's back steps were steep, chamber pots bath water. food trays were very heavy)...my friends and I chuckle at the "why" of the golf tee....could it be while lying on your back in the grass is not taxing, balancing that ball on your nose or forehead could inspire creating a better way! Yes, Virginia, as always black folk can find humor in not so humorous situations. |
Hippyt | Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 05:53 pm     HBO has a special coming on Monday night that sounds excellent. HBO and The Library of Congress present Unchained Memories,Readings from the Slave Narratives. Black celebrities,including Oprah Winfrey,Angela Bassett,Vanessa Williams and Samuel L. Jackson,read transcripts from the slave narratives.The website is also really good,very interactive. HBO |
Squaredsc | Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 07:31 pm     Milestones in African American Education 1837 Institute for Colored Youth founded by Richard Humphreys; later became Cheyney University. 1854 Ashmun Institute, the first school of higher learning for young black men, founded by John Miller Dickey and his wife, Sarah Emlen Cresson; later (1866) renamed Lincoln University (Pa.) after President Abraham Lincoln. 1856 Wilberforce University, the first black school of higher learning owned and operated by African Americans, founded by the African Methodist Episcopal Church 1876 Meharry Medical College, the first black medical school in the U.S., founded by the Freedman's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 1881 Spelman College, the first college for black women in the U.S., founded by Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles. 1922 William Leo Hansberry teaches the first course in African civilization at an American university, at Howard University. 1944 Frederick Douglass Patterson establishes the United Negro College Fund to help support black colleges and black students. 1954 In the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans., the Supreme Court rules unanimously that segregation in public schools in unconstitutional. 1957 President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends federal troops to ensure integration of the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. 1960 Black and white students form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), dedicated to working against segregation and discrimination. 1962 James Meredith is the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi; on the day he enters the university, he is escorted by U.S. marshals. 1963 Despite Governor George Wallace physically blocking their way, Vivian Malone and James Hood register for classes at the University of Alabama. 1969 The Ford Foundation gives $1 million to Morgan State University, Howard University, and Yale University to help prepare faculty members to teach courses in African American studies. |
Squaredsc | Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 07:37 pm     i was listening to a talk radio show the other morning and the topic was a book called, "Africans Who Wrote The Bible" by Nana Banchie Darkwah Ph. D. The greatest secret Africa has never told and Christian Europe has been seeking to conceal for the past two thousand years is the African origin of the concepts, doctrines, sacramental practices of religion, and the documents that became the foundations of Christianity in Europe. It was from this fact that the Catholic Church got the Black Madonna, the black mother of Jesus Christ. Did you know that the earliest "Hebrew" name for God, Adonai, was derived from an African tribal word? Did you know that the other name of God, Yahweh, was derived from the name of an African tribal God? Did you know that most "Jewish" people still carry their African tribal names of origin? Christian Europe has never known these because it has never known the African linguistic and cultural side of the biblical story. |
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