I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I visited the National Civil Rights Museum last week. Because I think I’ve fallen into the trap of seeing The Movement as a brief period in history: Brown v. Board of Education (1954) through the Voting Rights Act (1965). But the Civil Rights Movement actually spans 12 generations. While the museum is built inside the Lorraine Motel, … [Read more...]
Black History Spotlight: The City of Nashville and the Man that Trained the Movement
Nashville is famous for country music and hot chicken. However, few people know the pivotal role the city played in the nation’s civil rights movement. After seeing Selma last year, I had a newfound fervor to get conscious, so I started reading Walking with the Wind by the Honorable Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. Y’all, I was shocked to see he had dedicated three chapters of … [Read more...]
American Girl Tackles Civil Rights History with New Doll
I remember getting my Addy Walker doll, when she was introduced to the American Girl collection in 1993. I can’t say I remember asking for her or even wanting her, but one day, she was there. At first, I was kind of taken back by her plain appearance and clothing—just a simple, pink frock. I mean, the dolls with the crimp-it-yourself hair were all the rage then, and this doll … [Read more...]
Five Powerful Women of the Civil Rights Movement You Should Know, but Probably Don’t
Although I understand the idea behind Black History Month, I’m not a huge proponent of relegating our history to only one month of the year. We need to celebrate our heroes and sheroes year-round; however, since it is Black History Month, this is a great opportunity to go beyond the usual narrative of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks to highlight some of the little-known … [Read more...]
Rosa Parks Artifacts Sold to Foundation for $4.5 Million
The Howard G. Buffet Foundation, belonging to the son of billionaire investor, Warren Buffet, has purchased hundreds of artifacts belonging to civil rights icon, Ms. Rosa Parks, for $4.5 million. Among the artifacts belonging to the civil rights pioneer were letters from presidents, her Presidential Medal of Freedom, and even a post card signed by Dr. Martin Luther King, … [Read more...]
Is Educational Disparity Our Generation’s Civil Rights Issue?
This month Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke out about educational disparities among Hispanic and black children during a luncheon that was leading up the Inauguration of President Obama. While Mayor Villaraigosa is a Los Angeles mayor, the issue of racial disparity in education is present across state lines. Mayor Villaraigosa described this epidemic of higher … [Read more...]
MLK Didn’t Die for This
"I had a dream once. It was a dream that little black boys and little black girls would drink from the river of prosperity, freed from the thirst of oppression. But lo and behold, some four decades later, what have I found but a bunch of trifling, shiftless, good-for-nothing..." Those words didn't actually come from Dr. King's mouth, rather, his character in a parody episode … [Read more...]
Travel Tuesday: The Int’l Civil Rights Museum!
As Black History Month comes to a close, I find myself watching a lot of wonderful documentaries on significant moments in our history. This weekend I've watched "Slavery by Another Name," Independent Lens' "First Lady of Little Rock: Daisy Bates," and "February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four." There have also been a lot of media on the ground breaking ceremony for … [Read more...]
VIDEO: President Obama Meets With Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges visited the White House last week to see how a painting commemorating her personal and historic milestone looks hanging on the wall outside of the Oval Office. Bridges was the first Black child to attend an all-white school when she integrated William Franz School on November 14, 1960. "To be standing shoulder to shoulder with history, and viewing history - it's … [Read more...]