It's About More Than Just One Man
Today we celebrate the notable accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. In my mind it is also the day that is the gateway to soon usher us into National Negro Heritage Week, The Expanded Edition better known as Black History Month. Basically, the holidays are over let's begin the year anew and quickly throw out some stuff about black folks so that we can get on with our lives season.
At least this is exactly how it felt as a middle school teacher of English and Social Studies. In my teaching experience I have often been disheartened at the realization that when it comes to the accomplishments of African Americans or historic Africans, casting a wider net, our children come up with very few names. Most times Martin Luther King is always on the tip of their tongues and fast after there will be Michael Jordan, sometimes Jackson and then Lebron James. What further is disheartening is that when I prepare for the commemorative day I look forward to delving in deeply to all the nuisances and literary devices of the "I Have A Dream Speech." or even really feeling very ambitious to push them through MLK's statement on Vietnam. Ready and roaring ahead only to find out that I am forced to retract those plans to simply explain the chronology of Jim Crow and the Civil Rights and its difference from the era of Slavery. I have to explain the similarities and difference of the two references to freedom using a nifty Venn diagram. I have to hide my shock when a student proclaims. MLK was a slave who fought for our freedom and I'm positive because my grandma said she remembers him and she was a slave too.
As many teachers do with many topics we often find ourselves perplexed with how our children come up with some of the answers they have. We most often understand it as the creative imagination of the child who is looking to please just by participating. We continue on to ask ourselves is this what we did at that age? We push on never really having the full answers, sometimes laughing, often crying, but we know that we must teach.
But I wonder how many adults can fill in these gaps. Can adults have a cursory conversation about anyone that seems to be of interest or importance in Black America. Are we able to guide our children into schools and buildings named after thought leaders, activist, organizers and trailblazers of history and know who they are? Present day issues have brought to the forefront controversial figures in American history that were memorialized for contributions to the Confederacy but do we know who should stand in their place that were on the right side of history?
Today, I issue a challenge, in Honor of Dr, Martin Luther King Jr. and for the sake of the eternal legacy and proper historic perspective of the United States ,that we learn more about the contributions of Black Men and Women. I offer a list of 10 Civil Rights Icons and Trailblazers that we should begin to know well and at some point easily refer to.
1. Martin Luther King Jr. : This one is really easy. We simply need to know more about who he was and the complexity of his career. We remember the March On Washington and" The I Have A Dream Speech" but what does the" Letter from the Birmingham City Jail" say? We remember the Montgomery bus boycott but what about the boycott in Memphis? Can we understand how much more of a threat to our nations fabric and the current status of Jim Crow when he began the poor people's campaign vs. voting rights? There is a lot to know about him and we must not boil him down to a few catch phrases.
2. Malcolm X : Malcolm is someone we mention with a sort of whisper. He's there but we really don't want to talk about him, like the brother you had that dropped out of high school and no ever thought he would amount to much. You say hi but you move on. He was not as popular and was highly criticized because of his religious beliefs and his "Any Means Necessary " stance. No matter what you believe on the merits of protest and how they should b conducted in " civilized society". Malcolm had a powerful voice and filled a void in the black community that Martin couldn't reach. He was a marvelous example of growth and human evolution. He gave a contrasting standard of leadership and engagement.
3. Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael , and Angela Davis and the Black Panther Party For Self Defense:
Whoa!!! Malcolm and the Panthers in the same list. OMG! She has to hate white people. (I'm sure your thinking it!)
Nope far from it. But hold your horses it gets easier after this.
The Black Panther Party has gotten a horrible wrap as being criminal and violent when there were not. They simple were not to be intimidated and chose to boldly exercise their rights as citizens. Just go ask PBS they have a great documentary out, that I'm sure can be found on Netflix ,explaining the whole thing. Furthermore, just trust me!. I've been studying them since the sixth grade when I shocked the system of my little Irish catholic classmates and teachers with my black history project. To add to that I'm a teacher Just trust me!💁
Seriously, the party was about taking immediate action and working through defined principles. They fought against police brutality and sought to meet the extensional needs of the community . To add to that, they formed strategic alliances with other groups to fight for justice regardless of race.
4. Angela Davis: Yes, I mentioned her in relationship to the party. However, Angela was associated not an official member and continues her work to this day. She has many more accomplishments and advocates for women's rights, prison reform and civil rights.
5. Bayard Rustin: Arguably without Bayard we wouldn't be celebrating Martin Luther King. Bayard was instrumental in organizing and strategist for King. He did with his mentor A. Phillip Randolph.
6. Benjamin O. Davis Sr. : The First African American general in the U.S. Army. Trough is appointment and promotions in the Army he lobbied for racial integration of the armed services and spent his career training and educating black service men. He also fathered the leader of the Greatest Air force Unit we have seen in US History ! The Tuskegee Airmen
7. Benjamin O Davis Jr and the Tuskegee Airmen :
I am a WWII fanatic!! Being the daughter of a baby boomer, whose was told stories of her loving grandfather who went off to war with his brothers to serve his country probably has a lot to do with the allure and pride of the armed forces during this war.
Benjamin O Davis Jr was like his father int that he became the first Black General of the United States Air Force. In 1941 he organized the 99th Pursuit Squadron and in 44 the 332nd Fighter group or the Tuskegee Airmen. This was the first group of fighter pilots in the military that played an instrumental role in their combat missions in the war.
8. Bessie Colemen: Coming before the Airmen in 1921 Bessie Coleman was the first black woman to fly.
Imagine how much I dreamed of flying growing up. Learning about Bessie Coleman and wishing for a pair of aviator goggles. Passing by the Benjamin O Davis School of Aviation on the waterfront here in Cleveland Ohio and knowing about the elite skills of the Airmen. The sky was the limit!
9. Frederick Douglas: One of the most significant figures of the abolitionist movement . A slave who escaped and risked his life or being sent back to slavery to public speak out about the horrors of slavery. His story is one that highlights the importance of education, perseverance, and strength.
10. Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hammer. :
Both of these women deserve their own spot on my list or any list. But eleven is messy and doesn't divide easily. I told myself 10 and I'm sticking to it and i refuse to choose one or the other.
Ella Baker was a labor organizer and leader the Southern Leadership Conference (SCLC), She also raised money tho fight against Jim Crow, ran voters registration campaigns and assisted in grooming young activist to continue to energize the movement.
Fannie Lou Hamer was also an organize,r who worked with the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee ( SNCC) , and was a voters rights activist. Hamer risked her life and was brutally beaten when she attempted to vote in Mississippi. She founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and gave a rousing speech at the democratic convention that was famously televised.
This list may be very elementary to some. You've know some of these brief facts all of your life. Have you thought about where this information is in our current consciousness? Do we utilize the lessons learned and build on the strategies laid out before us? Have we made sure that these figures pervade the consciousness of the generation after you , that feels so far away from Jim Crow, slavery and a harsher world filled with injustice ,so that they will begin to care and see their current plight through another lens. ?
Black History is more than MLK , its more than a month or a day. We have much to talk about and so much to remember. The list does not start here and nor does it end after. But the conversation must begin somewhere.
From The Teachers Desk
Ashley R. Evans
At least this is exactly how it felt as a middle school teacher of English and Social Studies. In my teaching experience I have often been disheartened at the realization that when it comes to the accomplishments of African Americans or historic Africans, casting a wider net, our children come up with very few names. Most times Martin Luther King is always on the tip of their tongues and fast after there will be Michael Jordan, sometimes Jackson and then Lebron James. What further is disheartening is that when I prepare for the commemorative day I look forward to delving in deeply to all the nuisances and literary devices of the "I Have A Dream Speech." or even really feeling very ambitious to push them through MLK's statement on Vietnam. Ready and roaring ahead only to find out that I am forced to retract those plans to simply explain the chronology of Jim Crow and the Civil Rights and its difference from the era of Slavery. I have to explain the similarities and difference of the two references to freedom using a nifty Venn diagram. I have to hide my shock when a student proclaims. MLK was a slave who fought for our freedom and I'm positive because my grandma said she remembers him and she was a slave too.
As many teachers do with many topics we often find ourselves perplexed with how our children come up with some of the answers they have. We most often understand it as the creative imagination of the child who is looking to please just by participating. We continue on to ask ourselves is this what we did at that age? We push on never really having the full answers, sometimes laughing, often crying, but we know that we must teach.
But I wonder how many adults can fill in these gaps. Can adults have a cursory conversation about anyone that seems to be of interest or importance in Black America. Are we able to guide our children into schools and buildings named after thought leaders, activist, organizers and trailblazers of history and know who they are? Present day issues have brought to the forefront controversial figures in American history that were memorialized for contributions to the Confederacy but do we know who should stand in their place that were on the right side of history?
Today, I issue a challenge, in Honor of Dr, Martin Luther King Jr. and for the sake of the eternal legacy and proper historic perspective of the United States ,that we learn more about the contributions of Black Men and Women. I offer a list of 10 Civil Rights Icons and Trailblazers that we should begin to know well and at some point easily refer to.
1. Martin Luther King Jr. : This one is really easy. We simply need to know more about who he was and the complexity of his career. We remember the March On Washington and" The I Have A Dream Speech" but what does the" Letter from the Birmingham City Jail" say? We remember the Montgomery bus boycott but what about the boycott in Memphis? Can we understand how much more of a threat to our nations fabric and the current status of Jim Crow when he began the poor people's campaign vs. voting rights? There is a lot to know about him and we must not boil him down to a few catch phrases.
2. Malcolm X : Malcolm is someone we mention with a sort of whisper. He's there but we really don't want to talk about him, like the brother you had that dropped out of high school and no ever thought he would amount to much. You say hi but you move on. He was not as popular and was highly criticized because of his religious beliefs and his "Any Means Necessary " stance. No matter what you believe on the merits of protest and how they should b conducted in " civilized society". Malcolm had a powerful voice and filled a void in the black community that Martin couldn't reach. He was a marvelous example of growth and human evolution. He gave a contrasting standard of leadership and engagement.
3. Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael , and Angela Davis and the Black Panther Party For Self Defense:
Whoa!!! Malcolm and the Panthers in the same list. OMG! She has to hate white people. (I'm sure your thinking it!)
Nope far from it. But hold your horses it gets easier after this.
The Black Panther Party has gotten a horrible wrap as being criminal and violent when there were not. They simple were not to be intimidated and chose to boldly exercise their rights as citizens. Just go ask PBS they have a great documentary out, that I'm sure can be found on Netflix ,explaining the whole thing. Furthermore, just trust me!. I've been studying them since the sixth grade when I shocked the system of my little Irish catholic classmates and teachers with my black history project. To add to that I'm a teacher Just trust me!💁
Seriously, the party was about taking immediate action and working through defined principles. They fought against police brutality and sought to meet the extensional needs of the community . To add to that, they formed strategic alliances with other groups to fight for justice regardless of race.
4. Angela Davis: Yes, I mentioned her in relationship to the party. However, Angela was associated not an official member and continues her work to this day. She has many more accomplishments and advocates for women's rights, prison reform and civil rights.
5. Bayard Rustin: Arguably without Bayard we wouldn't be celebrating Martin Luther King. Bayard was instrumental in organizing and strategist for King. He did with his mentor A. Phillip Randolph.
6. Benjamin O. Davis Sr. : The First African American general in the U.S. Army. Trough is appointment and promotions in the Army he lobbied for racial integration of the armed services and spent his career training and educating black service men. He also fathered the leader of the Greatest Air force Unit we have seen in US History ! The Tuskegee Airmen
7. Benjamin O Davis Jr and the Tuskegee Airmen :
I am a WWII fanatic!! Being the daughter of a baby boomer, whose was told stories of her loving grandfather who went off to war with his brothers to serve his country probably has a lot to do with the allure and pride of the armed forces during this war.
Benjamin O Davis Jr was like his father int that he became the first Black General of the United States Air Force. In 1941 he organized the 99th Pursuit Squadron and in 44 the 332nd Fighter group or the Tuskegee Airmen. This was the first group of fighter pilots in the military that played an instrumental role in their combat missions in the war.
8. Bessie Colemen: Coming before the Airmen in 1921 Bessie Coleman was the first black woman to fly.
Imagine how much I dreamed of flying growing up. Learning about Bessie Coleman and wishing for a pair of aviator goggles. Passing by the Benjamin O Davis School of Aviation on the waterfront here in Cleveland Ohio and knowing about the elite skills of the Airmen. The sky was the limit!
9. Frederick Douglas: One of the most significant figures of the abolitionist movement . A slave who escaped and risked his life or being sent back to slavery to public speak out about the horrors of slavery. His story is one that highlights the importance of education, perseverance, and strength.
10. Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hammer. :
Both of these women deserve their own spot on my list or any list. But eleven is messy and doesn't divide easily. I told myself 10 and I'm sticking to it and i refuse to choose one or the other.
Ella Baker was a labor organizer and leader the Southern Leadership Conference (SCLC), She also raised money tho fight against Jim Crow, ran voters registration campaigns and assisted in grooming young activist to continue to energize the movement.
Fannie Lou Hamer was also an organize,r who worked with the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee ( SNCC) , and was a voters rights activist. Hamer risked her life and was brutally beaten when she attempted to vote in Mississippi. She founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and gave a rousing speech at the democratic convention that was famously televised.
This list may be very elementary to some. You've know some of these brief facts all of your life. Have you thought about where this information is in our current consciousness? Do we utilize the lessons learned and build on the strategies laid out before us? Have we made sure that these figures pervade the consciousness of the generation after you , that feels so far away from Jim Crow, slavery and a harsher world filled with injustice ,so that they will begin to care and see their current plight through another lens. ?
"We must know where we came from to know where we are going."
Black History is more than MLK , its more than a month or a day. We have much to talk about and so much to remember. The list does not start here and nor does it end after. But the conversation must begin somewhere.
From The Teachers Desk
Ashley R. Evans
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