 For me, last year’s Juneteenth Celebration at Franklin Park here in Boston was the best. A city park filled with happy black friends, colleagues, and families all enjoying the moment of good weather, good friends, and definitely good barbecue. This annual celebration took place every third Saturday in June from early morning where you staked out your location till the evening when the charcoal embers smolder from the sizzle of the grill.
So Much Fun In Franklin Park In addition to the families who turned out in the 2019 sunshine, many local, state, and national organizations proudly set up tables, stands, and entire corners of the park to display their emblems, symbols, logos, and signage in full recognition of Juneteenth’s real meaning…freedom for all in a joyous celebration. I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, founded 107 years ago on the campus of Howard University. I am from a family of Deltas, including my sister in law, an older daughter, cousin, and my late mother. Last Juneteenth, I hung out with my Delta sisters, who proudly pitched a red and white tent at the Franklin Park celebration. And we were not alone! We were surrounded by the other black sororities and fraternities, including Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, Iota Phi Theta. Those were just the black Greek-letter organizations present at last year’s Juneteenth Celebration. We were also joined by the NAACP, Urban League, Nation of Islam, various church groups, political campaigns, and healthcare advocacy organizations. I invited two of my clients to attend so that they could see the black community's interconnection in a unified celebration of harmony and happiness. My clients saw how they could proactively build a relationship with multiple groups and constituencies within an arm’s reach of their headquarters. There were no speeches, no planned programs, no political debate. Just plain ol’ fun, with soul, hip hop, R&B, dance music and the electric slide blasting everywhere. It was beautiful. It was Juneteenth 2019. An Alternative To June 19, 1997 And it was a soothing way for me to block out June 19, 1997 the date I buried my 17-year-old son who had died in a single-occupant car crash that year days after graduating from high school. Juneteenth 2020 Now I think of Juneteenth differently this year, where social distancing and an angry virus have robbed residents and citizens around the country from holding picnics or parades in commemoration of Juneteenth. We know this year there are large gatherings of peaceful protesters marching to restore dignity and safety in the black community following the tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, D. J. Henry, Sandra Bland and far too many more. And we also know that Black Lives Matter is not just a catchy slogan by progressive liberals. It’s become a new “call to action” mounted on signs and placards and held by black, white brown, Asian, Arab, English, French, Kenyan, Brazilian, and Jamaican faces all over the world! History of Juneteenth The historic proclamation announced on a balcony by Union Army General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865 that ALL slaves throughout America were free. The announcement was made in Galveston, Texas, because selfish white Texas plantation owners kept their slaves in bondage long after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863. They even held onto their slaves after the last Civil War shot was fired in April 1865. So you can only imagine how astonished those ex-slaves were in Galveston tasting freedom for the first time, nearly 2.5 years after the fact. It’s that historical reality that has made Juneteenth such a festive celebration throughout the country. Clearly there are other “black holidays and traditions” that have more recognition than Juneteenth. It’s just this year, with the triple pandemic - (1) COVID-19, (2) the teetering economic, and(3) racial strife, Juneteenth came center stage when a racist president picked June 19th to hold his “Make America Great Again” rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The voices of protest pushed back, causing the autocrat to move his political mob scene to the next day, June 20th. Only the Appetizer The bottom line is go on and celebrate Juneteenth. Make it a national holiday, take the day off from work, and hold countless socially distanced picnics and discussion in its honor. But don’t make it an end-all. It’s the appetizer in a full course meal that hasn’t even been cooked yet. That seven-course meal must include many more intentional initiatives, policy actions, police lobotomies, and economic course correctors if this country is going to really set sail in a new direction. So enjoy Juneteenth. But make sure you save room for the remaining six courses that will really take us somewhere into a future guaranteeing justice, economic access, and freedom for all.
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 By Carole Copeland Thomas Periodic flashbacks of conversations with my late mother, Gwendolyn Charleston Copeland, come roaring back in my head from time to time. “Yes, your grandfather’s eyesight was indirectly affected by the Great Influenza of 1918. He had to go to eye specialists for treatment before he fully recovered some years later,” my mother would remind me. My grandfather was Rev. James Arminius Charleston, a well-respected pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). During that era, he pastored Bethel AME Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the birthplace my mother. He later pastored other churches in the midwest and, ultimately St. Paul AME in Detroit.
That family story is one I am now researching and makes the 1918 Spanish Influenza a relevant historic event in my search for truth. Little did I realize how much that event compares with the raging pandemic of COVID-19, some 102 years later. And when you watch the documentaries and read the books on that tragic event that killed between 50-100 million people worldwide, the similarities will make you weep. Case in point. Pubic health officials begged organizers and elected officials to cancel the Fourth Liberty Loan Drive Parade in Philadelphia on September 28, 1918. Other cities realized the rapid spread of the deadly influenza virus and canceled their celebrations. Yet the Philadelphia decision-makers ignored the medical professionals and held the parade anyway. The results were a devastatingly high loss of life, killing World War I soldiers, ordinary families, and the innocent equally by the menacing flu virus. An article in the September 2018 Smithsonian Magazine described it this way: "Within 72 hours of the parade, every bed in Philadelphia’s 31 hospitals was filled. In the week ending October 5, some 2,600 people in Philadelphia had died from the flu or its complications. A week later, that number rose to more than 4,500. With many of the city’s health professionals pressed into military service, Philadelphia was unprepared for this deluge of death. Attempting to slow the carnage, city leaders essentially closed down Philadelphia. On October 3, officials shuttered most public spaces – including schools, churches, theaters and pool halls. But the calamity was relentless. Understaffed hospitals were crippled. Morgues and undertakers could not keep pace with demand. Grieving families had to bury their own dead. Casket prices skyrocketed. The phrase “bodies stacked like cordwood” became a common refrain. And news reports and rumors soon spread that the Germans –the “Huns” – had unleashed the epidemic." * Fast forward to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Alarm bells rung by medical professionals in the US and around the world about inadequate medical supplies and ventilators. Delayed responses by elected officials who are urged to put their countries, states, or municipalities in lockdown. Hospital beds in short supply. And the general public forced to quarantine at home to save their lives. In both 1918 and 2020, healthcare professionals were first responders, industry experts, and clarion callers in a world turned upside down. The 1918 flu pandemic was further complicated by the fighting forces during World War 1. Healthcare professionals 102 years apart stand shoulder to shoulder in agreement with keeping the general public acutely aware of how to stay safe when a pandemic virus spreads like wildfire. Our modern-day heroes are the men and women in healthcare. It doesn’t matter what positions they hold, from doctors to hospital administration executives to nurses, to lab technicians, to dietary aides to the cleaning staff. They ALL play a vital role in the fight against COVID-19. Overcrowded hospitals, nursing/veteran home scares, long hours, countless sick patients, and the steady uptick of the dying have become the order of the day for our frontline healthcare professionals. They deserve our attention and our respect as they wage germ warfare in regions across the world. As my mother reminded me about my grandfather’s condition, we are reminded today about how one virus can knock out whole populations in the blink of an eye. In 1918, it was the flu virus. In 2020 the coronavirus looms large. And our future largely lies in the hands of millions of healthcare professionals who save lives through their sacrificial service throughout our communities. To all of our healthcare professionals, we salute you because of your selflessness in the face of danger and uncertainty. ======== Resources For Research Smithsonian Magazine https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/philadelphia-threw-wwi-parade-gave-thousands-onlookers-flu-180970372/ World War 1: 100 Years Later Philadelphia Threw a WW1 Parade That Gave Thousands of Onlookers The Flu By Kenneth C. Davis The Great Influenza By John M. Barry https://youtu.be/cORiWr2FRA0 Watch this 2005 interview of John M. Barry. He authored the book: The Great Influenza: The A Story of the Deadliest Plague in History. The book details the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic. Sadly, we are repeating some of the same obstacles that occurred 102 years ago. It took him seven years to write this book. 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDY5COg2P2c Here is an excellent documentary about the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Although a different germ, the response and reactions are eerily similar to what we are dealing with during this coronavirus pandemic. And to think someone 102 years later… We are repeating history! The Center For Disease Control www.cdc.gov The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the leading national public health institute of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Its main goal is to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability in the US and internationally. The CDC focuses national attention on developing and applying disease control and prevention. It especially focuses its attention on infectious disease, foodborne pathogens, environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, injury prevention, and educational activities designed to improve the health of United States citizens. The World Health Organization www.who.int The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. It is part of the UN Sustainable Development Group. The WHO Constitution, which establishes the agency's governing structure and principles, states its main objective as ensuring "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health." It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with six semi-autonomous regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide.  By Carole Copeland Thomas Excitement is building in anticipation of the 27th Black History Empowerment Recognition Breakfast on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at the Colonnade Boston Hotel. The featured Keynote Speaker is Shironda White whose financial background and online technological expertise produced one of her latest ventures, CauseEDU. She will empower and inspire the expected sell-out crowd with her message of good news by showcasing the achievement of women entrepreneurs of color. About Shironda Shironda White is a social entrepreneur with a passion for higher education and community development. She is currently the Founder of three companies: CauseEDU, an online college financial planning platform; West Douglas Capital, a real estate investment and community development company; and Cocoa & Cupcakes, an allergy-friendly baked goods company. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, her 15-year career spanned financial services, philanthropy, and higher education management, working for organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Department of Health & Human Services, and Harvard University. Shironda is an alumna of Spelman College and received her MBA in entrepreneurship and social impact from Boston University's Questrom School of Business. She is very active with both of her alma maters and currently serves as a case competition coach and a frequent speaker at Boston University. Shironda is originally from Oxnard, California, started her career in Atlanta, and moved to Boston in 2010. Click Here for complete information about purchasing tickets or Tables of Ten. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. The Breakfast will be held from 8:30 am to 11:00 am on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at the Colonnade Boston Hotel. Tickets are $65 per person. Only $50 for members of the Multicultural Symposium Series. For More Information, Call Carole Copeland Thomas at 508 947-5755.   Black-Eyed Peas are served in African American & Southern White Homes on New Year's Day for Good Luck By Carole Copeland Thomas Happy New Year To You And Your Family!
As we say goodbye to 2019 and give a hearty HELLO to 2020, let’s highlight eight traditional foods served around the world during either New Year's Eve or New Year’s Day. Some may sound so tempting that you’ll want to try one of two of them sometime this year or next New Year’s Day. The traditions of food always add value and symbolism to cultures worldwide. Please share your food tradition with my network. Share your comments with me by emailing me at carole@mssconnect.com. May 2020 bring you inner joy and happiness throughout the next year. Eight Food Traditions 1. USA Black Eyed Peas: African American Community and Southern Whites Call it comfort food or Southern soul food, serving black-eyed peas, collard greens (or in my case cabbage), and (often) chicken are served for prosperity and good luck on January 1st in many African American homes across the US. And a white colleague, born in the South, reminded me that he, too, grew up with this food tradition! And yes, I enjoyed both cooking and eating my black-eyed peas today on the first day of 2020. 2. Spain Twelve Grapes At the stroke of midnight, they eat one grape for every toll of the clock bell. Some even prep their grapes -- peeling and seeding them -- to make sure they will be as efficient as possible when midnight comes. The custom began at the turn of the 20th century and was purportedly thought up by grape producers in the southern part of the country with a bumper crop. Since then, the tradition has spread to many Spanish-speaking nations. 3. Mexico Tamales Tamales, corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese, and other delicious additions and wrapped in a banana leaf or a corn husk, make appearances at pretty much every special occasion in Mexico. But the holiday season is an especially favored time for the food. In many families, groups of women gather together to make hundreds of the little packets -- with each person in charge of one aspect of the cooking process -- to hand out to friends, family, and neighbors. On New Year's, it's often served with menudo, a tripe and hominy soup that is famously good for hangovers. 4. Japan Soba Noodles In Japanese households, families eat buckwheat soba noodles, or toshikoshi soba, at midnight on New Year's Eve to bid farewell to the year gone by and welcome the year to come. The tradition dates back to the 17th century, and the long noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity. 5. Philippines Find 12 Round Fruits For a favorable fortune in the Philippines, it’s not size or color or texture that matters, but rather shape. Avoid rectangles and triangles if you’re visiting this country for its New Year’s celebration, and instead, be on the lookout for anything circular in fashion. The idea is that circles represent coins and bring wealth, so the more circle shapes you can collect, the better. Most locals will attempt to get to 12 round fruits, each representing a month of the year. 6. Denmark Smash Plates Jump Into The New Year Tradition says you should—affectionately!—shatter them against the doors of your friends’ homes to ward off bad spirits and welcome happier vibes in the chaos. Another ritual that doesn’t require cleanup is jumping for joy at midnight—literally. As the clock ticks closer to midnight, Danish folk will try to climb to the highest peak they can—on top of chairs, tables, you name it—and jump into the New Year. 7. South Korea Soup For The Soul There’s nothing like a hot bowl of soup to warm the soul in the winter, but South Korea’s tteokguk, a dish made of broth, rice cakes, meat, and vegetables, is imperative to the country’s New Year traditions. South Korean New Year, known as Seollal, usually falls in late January or early February, and the soup is believed to bring those who eat it good luck in the new year 8. Italy Cotechino con Lenticchie Italians celebrate New Year's Eve with La Festa di San Silvestro, often commencing with a traditional cotechino con lenticchie, a sausage and lentil stew that is said to bring good luck (the lentils represent money and good fortune) and, in certain households, zampone, a stuffed pig's trotter. Sources: Carole Copeland Thomas and African American Food Traditions CNN: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/new-years-food-traditions/index.html Readers Digest: https://www.rd.com/advice/travel/good-luck-new-years-traditions-world/  By Carole Copeland Thomas From my home to yours, I wish you rich blessings into the New Year. Here is a special article I created about the history of Watch Night Service in the African American community. The tradition predated the importance of the famous 1862 Watch Night Services and originated with the Moravians in Germany many years earlier. The first Methodist church in America to celebrate Watch Night in the 1700s was St. George United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, the home church of Bishop Richard Allen, co-founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. However, it has become particularly important in the Black Church, with its evolution in the early to mid-1800s. The word evolved from “Freedom’s Eve” to “Watch Night” as the freed and enslaved blacks “watched” the clock strike 12 midnight, turning the course of the Civil War and freeing three million slaves in the states of the rebellion. Wishing You The Best in 2020! Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA CDMP, CITM  The History Of Watch Night Services In The Black Church
by Carole Copeland Thomas With the festivities of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa now on full display, there is still time to reflect on the ritual of my ancestors and many other African Americans, whose forefathers sat around campfires and wood stoves in the twilight of December 31, 1862. There they sang spirituals acapella, prayed, and thanked the Good Lord for what was about to happen the next day. In the North, Abolitionists were jubilant that the “peculiar institution” was finally about to get dismantled one plantation at a time. The booklet, Walking Tours of Civil War Boston sites this about this historic event: “On January 1, 1863, large anti-slavery crowds gathered at Boston’s Music Hall and Tremont Temple to await word that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the much-anticipated Emancipation Proclamation (EP). Those present at the Music Hall included Uncle Tom’s Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe, poets Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and John Greenleaf Whittier and essayist, poet and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Also present was Ralph Waldo Emerson, who composed his Boston Hymn to mark the occasion.” Now… Let’s Look Back...157 Years Ago Tonight... It was on January 1, 1863, amidst the cannon fire, gunshots, and burnings at the height of the Civil War that President Abraham Lincoln sealed his own fate and signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It begins with the following decree: Whereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, towit: "That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.” That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States." CAROLE' S TRANSLATION: Effective January 1, 1863, all slaves in the states in rebellion against the Union are free. Technically that is all that President Lincoln could do at the time. He used his wartime powers as Commander in Chief to liberate the "property" of the states in rebellion of the Union. The act did not free the slaves of the Union or border states (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, or West Virginia) or any southern state under Union control (like parts of Virginia). It would take the 13th Amendment (that freed all slaves in 1865), the Union Army winning the Civil War (April 9, 1865), and the assassination of President Lincoln (shot on April 14th and died on April 15, 1865) for all of the slaves to be freed. That included the liberation of the slaves in rebellious Texas on June 19, 1865 (Juneteenth Day) and finally the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 18, 1865, giving all black people freedom and permanently abolishing slavery in the US. So in 1862 on the eve of this great era, the slaves "watched", prayed, and waited. My ancestors, including Bishop Wesley John Gaines of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) (a slave in Georgia freed by the EP) and the other three million slaves, prayed for divine guidance and an empowered Abraham Lincoln to do the right thing. It is as important today as the tradition of black people eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck. Following the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves were freed in stages, based on where they lived, the willingness of the plantation owner to release them and when Union troops began to control their area. Black educator and community activist Booker T. Washington as a boy of 9 in Virginia, remembered the day in early 1865: “As the great day drew nearer, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. Most of the verses of the plantation songs had some reference to freedom. ... Some man who seemed to be a stranger (a United States officer, I presume) made a little speech and then read a rather long paper—the Emancipation Proclamation, I think. After the reading, we were told that we were all free and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children, while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see.” The longest holdouts were the slaves in Texas, who were not freed until June 19, 1865, two months after the Civil War ended. That day is now celebrated as Juneteenth Day around the United States. That is the history of Watch Night in the African American culture. May you and your family enjoy a spirit-filled New Year throughout 2020. Thank you for ALL of your support you have given to me and my business throughout 2019. -Carole  By Carole Copeland Thomas Five international holidays converge onto the scene every December (and early January) to make our schedules hectic, exciting, and pressure-filled. Wrapping gifts while shopping at odd hours of the night either push us into the spirit of happiness OR help us find an escape path until all of the celebrations are over.
Here are related links to five holidays with religious and nonreligious implications. You'll learn some interesting facts and figures that will make you scratch your head in amazement. The marathon includes Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. Learn new stuff and pass it on as the merriment continues throughout the holiday season. ========== Links and Resources For The Five Holidays 1 Hanukkah https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/3840625/jewish/13-Hanukkah-Facts-Every-Jew-Should-Know.htm?gclid=CjwKCAiAmO3gBRBBEiwA8d0Q4pDJz2VX1LG1_sN0V5SAZbinichpFp5px9yfA6E7saEpk0daVFLqnRoCncwQAvD_BwE 2 Winter Solstice https://www.farmersalmanac.com/get-ready-for-the-winter-solstice-23294 3 Christmas Parenting Article Written For Kids https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/20-interesting-facts-and-information-about-christmas-for-kids/ Inc Magazine https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/10-weird-facts-about-christmas.html History of the Christmas Tree https://www.historytoday.com/alison-barnes/first-christmas-tree 4 Kwanzaa Official Website: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml PBS Article http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/connect/talk-back/what-is-kwanzaa/ 5 Three Kings Day https://www.newsweek.com/when-three-kings-day-and-how-it-celebrated-epiphany-772690  Here Are Your Zoom Video Instructions:
Topic: Street Smart Skills When Responding To Racism Time: Aug 15, 2019 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/533444608 Or Join By Landline Phone or Cell Phone: One tap mobile +1 646 876-9923, US (New York) +1 669 900-6833,US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 533 444 608 By Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, CDMP, CITM  If we’re not careful, the violence, destruction, and disruption our country is facing will permanently define the quality of life in America for generations to come. Hate crimes are on the rise and have been so since the November 2016 presidential elections. According to a recent article in Forbes Magazine:
“A news report from The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, headquartered at California State University in Santa Barbara, has found that hate crimes rose 9% in 30 major American cities in 2018. That is the steepest rise since 2015, and the total number of hate crimes has now gone up for the fifth consecutive year. That is despite overall U.S. crime rates continuing to fall across the cities included in the report.” This is no illusion. You just have to blink twice before the next mass shooting takes place. And there have been 250 mass shootings in America (where four or more have been killed) since January 1, 2019! The latest guns-blazing tragedy in Dayton, Ohio left nine dead (ten with the shooter) and dozens injured. That’s nine dead in 32 seconds because of a high powered killing rifle. Not to mention a young white supremacist drove more than 650 miles from Dallas, Texas toEl Paso, targeted a Walmart populated by back to school shoppers in a Latino neighborhood, and killed 22, leaving dozens more injured. And don’t even talk about the countless school shootings our country faces each year. They embody the horrors of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018. Enter an ex-student who hated Jews, African Americans, Mexicans and Muslims, who executed 17 students and teachers and wounded 17 more with a semi-automatic rifle he had legally purchased to conduct his killing spree. It would take ten more commentaries to detail the other horrific mass shootings that have happened all too frequently in the last three years. This does not minimize previous shootings and murders that have occurred in America. From the 2015 Emanuel AME Church hate crime murder spree (with nine murdered) to the Columbine High School tragedy of 1999 (15 dead), these incidences are all reminders that violent explosions of rage and hatred symbolize the worst of American people. Jewish Synagogues, Sikh Temples, Muslim Mosques, Yoga Studios, Movie Theaters, Night Clubs, and Hotel Complexes overlooking Country Music Festivals. Just a sampling of where these executions have occurred in recent years. Too many. Too frequently. Too commonly repeated. It’s just hard to ignore that the frequency of these killings is up since 2016. And as a diversity professional, I can’t just stand by and say nothing! I recently posted this self quote on my Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram accounts: "Staying silent when others are mistreated signals your approval of the actions of the oppressor. Speak Up. Speak Out. Use Your Voice!" Now more than ever, it’s up to reasonable and rational Americans to stand up and reject the violence that is ripping our country apart. Too often it’s gun violence manifested through weapons that should remain in the hands of military personnel, not civilians. Gun violence fueled by hateful and misguided citizens who have “drunk the Kool-Aid” of conservative cable propaganda news organizations. And too many misguided young white men who follow the rhetoric of the White House in an outrageous display of hatred, bigotry, anti-semitism, anti immigration and xenophobia, all in the name of “Make America Great Again.” I cannot sit by quietly, because it could be my loved one next!! A few weeks ago, it could have been my older daughter. She’s married, has two children, is gainfully employed, a homeowner, is an elected school committee member in her town, and has an earned doctorate in clinical psychology. Yet despite all of that, an older white man drove next to her car in a quiet Connecticut shopping center and blurted out the “n” word directly to her! Unannounced, with no provocation! THAT HAPPENED TO MY CHILD. It could have ended badly. Thank God it didn’t. Who’s next? Who will stand up with me to denounce this madness?? Who has the courage to speak out against these atrocities in a fearless way that can push back on this cancer that has gripped our country? If not you…WHO? The great German theologian and Lutheran pastor, Friedrich Gustav Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) ultimately took a stand against Hitler, even though he initially supported his leadership. It cost him when he was thrown into a concentration camp until the end of World War II. Yet, he still spoke out against the madness of the Third Reich. Niemöller said it this way: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. If we’re not careful, there will be no one left for us to protect and stand up for our rights. Gun violence, hateful white supremacy, and anti-immigration fear-mongering has to stop! If we don’t stand up and speak out, “there will be no one left to speak for me.” ================== Sources Hate Crimes Rising: https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/08/01/report-hate-crime-is-rising-in-30-major-american-cities-infographic/#6f7f7f4bb8d0 The Number of Mass Shootings in 2019: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/251-mass-shootings-in-us/  President John Adams and President Thomas Jefferson Read what happened to them on 1826 in this blog post. May Independence Day bring good fortune and celebration to you wherever you are. As the United States celebrates its birthday, here is a link to other countries with the dates of their Independence Days.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_independence_days
And here are some fun facts of other historical events that have also happened on July 4th. (Source: https://www.onthisday.com/events/july/4) 1636 City of Providence, Rhode Island is formed 1776 According to popular legend the Liberty Bell rings for the Second Continental Congress 1776 US Congress proclaims the Declaration of Independence and independence from Britain 1796 1st Independence Day celebration is held 1802 US Military Academy officially opens (West Point, NY) 1803 The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people by President Thomas Jefferson 1826 Past presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both die on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, President John Quincy Adams calls "visible and palpable remarks of Divine Favor" 1827 Slavery abolished in New York 1831 "America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)" is 1st sung in Boston 1838 Iowa Territory is organized from Wisconsin Territory, lasting until 1846 1840 The Cunard Line's 700-ton wooden paddle steamer RMS Britannia departs from Liverpool bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia on the first transatlantic crossing with a scheduled end 1845 Henry David Thoreau moves into his shack on Walden Pond (Massachusetts) 1845 Texas Congress votes for annexation to US 1862 Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) creates Alice in Wonderland for Alice Liddell on a family boat trip on the river Isis (Thames) in Oxford (England) 1863 General Lee's army withdraws from Gettysburg (Turning point during the Civil War) 1863 Vicksburg, Mississippi surrenders to Union forces 1865 First edition of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll is published 1868 Maori leader Te Kooti and 300 of his followers captured the schooner Rifleman in the Chatham Islands and sail for New Zealand; landing at Whareongaonga six days later 1873 Aquarium opens in Woodward Gardens, San Francisco 1875 White Democrats kill several blacks in terrorist attacks in Vicksburg 1876 1st public exhibition of electric light in San Francisco 1876 Batholdi visits Bedloe Island, future home of his Statue of Liberty 1881 Booker T. Washington establishes Tuskegee Institute (Alabama) 1883 Buffalo Bill Cody presents 1st Wild West Show, North Platte, Nebraska 1884 Statue of Liberty presented to US in Paris 1886 1st scheduled transcontinental passenger train reaches Port Moody, British Columbia 1887 Future founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, begins his studies at Sindh Madressatul Islam University in Karachi 1892 Western Samoa changes the International Date Line, so that year there were 367 days in this country, with two occurrences of Monday, July 4 1894 Republic of Hawaii proclaimed, Sanford B Dole as president 1895 Katherine Lee Bates publishes "America the Beautiful" 1901 William Howard Taft, former Federal judge, is installed as the first governor-general of the Philippines and declares amnesty for all insurgents who take an oath of allegiance 1902 Civil government is established in the Philippines by a proclamation from US President Theodore Roosevelt, who offers a general amnesty to insurgents 1906 Great Britain, France, and Italy declare the independence of Ethiopia (Abyssinia), but all lay claim to their own 'spheres of influence' in that land 1910 "Fight of the Century": African American Jack Johnson beats "The Great White Hope" James J. Jeffries by TKO in 15 in Reno, Nevada to retain his world heavyweight boxing title 1917 Troops of the Russian Provisional Government opened fire on protesters in Petrograd during the 'July Days' of unrest (Russian Revolution) 1918 Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI ascends to the throne. This signaled the end of the Ottoman Empire and the beginning of modern-day Turkey following World War I. 1927 Sukarno and friends form the pro-Indonesian independence party, the PNI (Perserikatan Nasional Indonesia) in Batavia, Dutch East Indies 1934 Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard patents the chain-reaction design for the atomic bomb 1939 Lou Gehrig is first MLB player to have his number (4) retired on his "Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium, makes iconic "luckiest man" speech 1941 Latvia partisans shoot 416 Jews dead during World War II 1941 Howard Florey and Norman Heatley meet for the 1st time, 11 days later they successfully recreate penicillin 1944 1,100 US guns fire 4th of July salute at German lines in Normandy 1944 1st Japanese kamikaze attack, US fleet near Iwo Jima 1946 Anti-Jewish riots in Kielce Poland, 42 die 1946 Philippines gains independence from the US 1946 President Manuel Roxas inaugurated as the 5th President of the Philippines and the first president of the Third Republic at the Independence Grandstand, Manila 1950 Harry Truman signs public law 600 (Puerto Ricans write own constitution) 1950 The first broadcast by Radio Free Europe. 1954 Dr. Sam Sheppard's wife Marilyn is murdered (he is accused of the crime) 1954 Meat and all other food rationings officially end in Britain, nine years after the end of World War II 1959 Island Records founded in Jamaica 1966 Beatles attacked in the Philippines after (unintentionally) insulting Imelda Marcos 1966 President Lyndon B Johnson signs Freedom of Information Act 1975 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Billie Jean King outclasses Evonne Goolagong 6-0, 6-1 for her 6th Wimbledon singles title 1975 Ted Bundy victim Nancy Baird disappears from Layton, Utah 1976 Operation Entebbe - Israel rescues 229 Air France hostage passengers In Uganda (3 hostages die along with Ugandan soldiers and Israeli soldier) 1987 Nazi Klaus Barbie, "Butcher of Lyon" sentenced to life in France 1990 400 New Kids on the Block fans treated for heat exhaustion in Minnesota 1993 Pilar Fort crowned 25th Miss Black America 1994 Rwandese Patriotic Front occupies Kigali 1996 Hot Mail, a free internet E-mail service begins 2003 LA Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant is arrested in Eagle, Colorado for sexual assault, charges eventually dismissed 2004 The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City. (This was largely a symbolic event; actual construction would not start for several weeks) 2006 Richard Branson sells Virgin Mobile to NTL for £962.4 million 2006 Sri Lanka sets new ODI cricket record score 443-9 in a World Cup win over the Netherlands in Amstelveen (Jayasuriya 157, Dilshan 117no) 2009 The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public after 8 years, due to security reasons following the World Trade Center attacks 2017 North Korea tests first successful intercontinental ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan 2018 Hong Kong'stop court rules same-sex couples entitled to equal visa rights in a landmark case 2018 Wildfire in Yolo County, California, grows to 82,700 acres with 2,800 firefighters battling the blaze 2018 Chinese technology company Baidu announces it has begun mass production of self-driving buses, the 14-seat Apolong 
Love Letters from 1915 and 1916 from my maternal grandparents,
​Rev. James A. Charleston (1887-1961) and Mrs. Nora Dean Branch Charleston (1893-1968). They enjoyed a five year courtship before marrying in 1916.
By Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, CDMP, CITM
The road to Black History is paved with genius, talent, hardships, unending tragedy, amazing opportunities and everything in between. This two+-part series will examine the role of the black community in America and why Black History is integral to our past, our present and our future.
Black History IS American History in every sense of the word! Today, as a Valentine’s Day Tribute, we’ll explore the lives of Rev. James and Nora Dean Charleston, my grandparents and their 50-year love affair. Get out your pen and notebook and let’s examine the realities and dreams of black people throughout the land! |
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