By:
GoDanRiver.com
Published: February 19, 2012
In the 1940s, Langston High School teacher Charles Coleman fought for teacher salary equalization for blacks.
He eventually ran for City Council in Danville.
Before the 24th Amendment was ratified, people had to pay a poll tax in order to vote. Coleman kept a ledger recording money people had given him and when they got enough to pay the poll tax he would help them register to vote. He got enough people registered that he ran for a position on the all-white City Council, but lost by less than 100 votes.
He never made it to City Council, but Coleman set a precedent for black people in Danville. In 1968, Charles Harried became the first black man to sit on the city council since Reconstruction....
'Ebony Embers' honors Harlem Renaissance giants (click here)
10:41 PM, Feb. 19, 2012
Langston Hughes stands by his father’s grave, talking to the man with whom he had a contentious relationship. He tries to make peace and amends as he recites lines from his poems “Songs of the Genius Child,” “Mother to Son” and “When Sue Wears Red.”Countee Cullen, looking dapper in an overcoat and hat, stands on a New York City street on his way to sample the nightlife of Harlem.And when we encounter Claude McKay, he’s on hard times, wearing a shabby old sweater, trying to discover what the next chapter in his life and career will be....
Profile America for the 20th day of Black History Month. In his 38-year career in the Navy,Samuel Gravely Jr. accomplished many things — all under the floodlight of publicity. In World War II, he was among the first black naval officers. In 1962, he became the first African-American to command a combat ship in the Navy — a destroyer escort. Gravely went on to become the first black admiral, retiring as a three-star vice admiral. His assignments included commanding the 3rd Fleet, and the Defense Communications Agency. In 2009, a new destroyer was named after Samuel Gravely. Today, there are just over 1 million ready reservists in the military, 148,000 of them African-American. This special edition of Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Black History Month: MC’s 1st valedictorian caused a stir (click here)
February 20, 2012
, The Marietta Times
Marietta College's first valedictorian played a key role in Washington County's anti-slavery movement and caused quite a stir in the local pro-slavery population during the 1830s.
"There were four students in the first graduating class of 1838 and one of those was Samuel Hall from Norwich, Mass., who graduated as our first valedictorian," said Linda Showalter, special collections associate for the Marietta College Library.
Hall had come to Marietta around 1832 and became involved with the abolitionist and anti-slavery efforts locally.
"A well-known abolitionist at the time, Theodore Weld, came to town during the 1830s to hold a series of lectures," Showalter said. "He wanted to speak at the college, but there was concern for possible damage to the college buildings if the local pro-slave community would get stirred up. So he spoke at another area location, but many students attended the lectures, including Samuel Hall."
Weld later edited a book, published in 1839, entitled "American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses," which included some letters from Hall, describing atrocities that had been committed against slaves....
Black History Month Tribute Part 2: Horatio Strother’s Pioneering Work — 'The Underground Railroad In Connecticut' (click here)
2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first comprehensive study of Connecticut’s role in the Underground Railroad.
Last week’s column dealt principally with the life of scholar, athlete, and author Horatio Strother. Though born in New York City, Strother spent most of his adolescence and adult life living in Middletown and Higganum, CT.
It was in Middletown that young Horatio began to distinguish himself both as an athlete and as a student. A star football player for Woodrow Wilson High School and a state champion in track and field, Strother also developed a keen interest in American history in general and in the Underground Railroad in particular. He pursued his interest in history at UConn and became a social studies teacher at Hale-Ray High School in the Moodus section of East Haddam. Later, he became a professor of history at a community college in New Haven.
Though discouraged to do so, Strother persisted in writing his master’s essay on the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. His pioneering study of this subject was first published 50 years ago in 1962 by Wesleyan University Press and was reprinted several months ago, perhaps in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of its publication....
The list continues for as many cities and towns as there exists in the USA. Our minorities have contributed to the fabric of this country in ways everyone of us can be proud. We are the luckiest nation on Earth to have citizens from every walk of life, every creed, every race, every gender with cultural diversity enriching our daily lives. That diversity is free. It doesn't cost us a darn thing and we should all embrace it at every turn.
