African American Research Workshop Participants and Friends,
In honor of Black History Month, Fold3 is offering FREE access to African American records. Included are slavery, civil war, reconstruction/Jim Crow, military and civil rights information.
See: http://go.fold3.com/blackhistory/
Judith Collins
“Our Ancestors Will Not Be Forgotten”
When we remember Dr. King and The Dream, we need to also remember the foot soldiers in the Civil Rights Movement – those who organized the marches and the rallies, those who knocked on the doors, those who taught the workshops on non-violence, those who rode the Freedom Buses, those who were beaten and filled the jails, those who wrote, sang and taught the freedom songs. These men and women provided the momentum of the movement and carried on after Dr. King’s death.
All The King’s Men: James Orange
See photos from the Dr. Martin Luther King Day Celebration 2013.
What the literal translation of such a sign results in is the understanding that the owner/management of the business where this sign is displayed, can decide that they don’t like people with blue eyes, and so can refuse to serve them. This would never be you of course, but that other person over there.
I have had managers defend these signs on the basis of being able to refuse to serve someone who is causing a disturbance of some sort. In such a case, no sign is needed as there are already laws about creating public disturbances; a quick call to the police will have the disturber(s) moved along. Anyway, if that was what was really meant, shouldn’t the sign read, “Anyone causing a disturbance will result in our calling the police.” Seriously, who would actually put their hands on another person to remove them from their establishment?
It is well past time to have all such signs removed from businesses in the Spokane area. If we aren’t really racist, it is time for our entire community to stop acting like we are.
Join Us
The Rogues Gallery Presents Emerging Designers event has been a labor of love for the past seven years. It now attracts more than 1000 persons to the live show, and for the second year will be held Sunday, Feb 10th. Doors open at 4pm. Located at Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City, 401 Seventh Ave., across from Madison Square Garden. The fashion forward designers whose collections are selected for inclusion in the RGP group show, are mostly independent businesses who create and sell limited edition lines to stores, have garnered some press and wish to expand their lines into more retail outlets.
This season’s fashion show will feature designs by:
Franklin Rowe, Urban Masala by Sehar Peerzada, Willie Hall, Diane Liston, 7T7 by Tarique Tabani, Corinne Monique, Mikasa La Charles.
Anticipated Celebrity Attendees:
– Syleena Johnson (R&B Divas)
– Erica Dixon (Love & Hip Hop, Atlanta)
– Jamilah Rouse (Real Housewives of Atlanta/Entertainment Host)
– Ariane Davis (Love & Hip Hop, Atlanta)
– Omarosa Manigault (The Apprentice)
– Katrell Mendenhall (Chicagolicious)
– Vaughn Harper (Legendary Radio Host, WBLS)
– Yasmeen Williams (former singer; Sweet Honey In The Rock)
CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS:
Fashion Art Xchange also known as FAX was founded by Gwen Sargeant in 1994 and was created to provide a networking exchange for people of color in fashion and the arts. This includes retail, design, and anyone working within these industries. The organization also provides seminars, educational opportunities and scholarships for deserving students. Fashion Art Xchange will help to create a gallery of fashion history featuring 20 years of F.A.X. Images and video of their past events will be on public display. F.A.X. will also supply high school and college interns to help the Designers with backstage production, front of house, production setup and break down. All F.A.X. members are trained and managed by F.A.X. staff.
FLOSS Magazine is a pop culture, fashion, celebrity and lifestyle based magazine available on Newsstands, and Book Stores. Fashion Designer interviews will be featured in upcoming issues of FLOSS Magazine’s print and online publication. Log onto: http://www.flossmagazine.com Macintosh Smith
Ron Cooke, CEO
ROGUES GALLERY PRESENTS is an organization of fashion professionals dedicated to providing an alternative option to showcase emerging designer collections and providing a “VOICE” for these designers during New York Fashion Week.
RGP will dedicate a special segment in remembrance of the style icons who have emerged throughout black history during New York Fashion Week as a salute to Black History Month.
Rogues Gallery Presents
Ron Cooke
Event Director
608 Ben Bow Drive
Virgina Beach, VA 23464
202-701-7245
www.RoguesGalleryPresents.com
As we enter holiday break this weekend at the Clinton School, we wish everyone a wonderful holiday season! Above is a photo from the Clinton Presidential Center holiday party December 18.
NOTE: Angela Bukenya is a June 2012 masters degree graduate of Eastern Washington University. She attended school, worked in health care, volunteered at the South Hill 7th Day Adventist Church, was involved in national politics, care for the aged and other health concerns in the Spokane area for several years. She is now working toward a second masters degree at the Clinton School Of Public Service, University of Arkansas, and met President Clinton at the Clinton Presidential Center holiday party.
Lorenzo Herman, S.J. is a current student in the Master of Arts program in Transformational Leadership (MATL). We met with Lorenzo recently to learn about his summer trip to Zambia as a part of his internship requirement in the MATL program.
When Lorenzo began the program Fall of 2011, he said that his interest immediately peaked when Dr. Sharon Henderson Callahan, Associate Dean for Academics & Student Life, mentioned in orientation that the internship requirement for the MATL could be fulfilled nationally or internationally through the School’s interdisciplinary options– including through Seattle University’s Nonprofit Leadership, Public Administration, Business and Law programs among others.
For eight weeks this past summer, Lorenzo lived in, explored and researched in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, while traveling to other cities within the country on assignment. Lorenzo was based within the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection in Lusaka, a centre highly respected throughout Africa for its focus on advocacy for social conditions, faith and justice, outreach and economic efforts. Centre founder, Peter Henriot, S.J., has taught on social analysis at Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry over the years, and his social analysis method is used in the Master of Arts programs in Transformational Leadership, Pastoral Studies, and Transforming Spirituality as well as the Master of Divinity program.
The Centre, along with 26 other organizations that make up the Civil Society Constitution Coalition, is working rigorously with the Zambian government on the first draft of their Constitution and meets weekly at the Centre. Prior to his visit, Lorenzo had studied the Constitution at length, and upon his arrival attended meetings with key political figures and stakeholders. In the Constitutional framework, one priority was to include clauses of non-discrimination, including for individuals that have disabilities. The Coalition was finding that the families of individuals with disabilities were directly and indirectly affected by the Constitution, and needed explicit clauses of inclusivity and equality that were monitored and enforced in the community. There were not any representatives from the special needs population or service organizations in the Coalition at that time and some research was needed to further their work on the Constitution.
Lorenzo set out to visit the Ng’ombe compound in Lusaka as a part of this research. Many children throughout Zambia struggle with autism, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, and down syndrome, among other special needs. There is a special needs school within Ng’ombe called Little Assisi Day School, run by an Irish Franciscan sister, Sister Helen Scully, who also has a background in special needs education. The staff at the school do far more than teach–providing extensive support to mothers and special needs children in the community: from teaching, to healthcare, to home visits, to providing basic supplies for the families.
Lorenzo visited the School and spoke extensively with its staff–asking if he might be able to interview the mothers of special needs children to find out more about their experiences of medical and social systems in Zambia to provide recommendations to the Centre and Coalition in their work on the country’s Constitution. Lorenzo then interviewed 18 mothers, with the support of two incredible teachers at Little Assisi: Edith and Paula. Each mother that Lorenzo interviewed worked intermittently while living in the community, had 0-6 years of education, had high hopes for their children, families and community, and all experienced some form of discrimination, shame and guilt from their communities because of their children’s struggle. Some reoccurring themes in their stories included housing needs, the lack of food and medical care, desire for self-empowerment and entrepreneurship, and hopes for employment and better transportation. It took two days for Lorenzo to type out 55 pages of notes from these interviews, which he then presented to colleagues from the Centre for evaluation. After evaluating themes as well as their subtexts/contexts that illuminate further their similarities and differences, Lorenzo drafted a succinct list of recommendations for the Centre and Coalition in their work.
This experience is close to both heart and home for Lorenzo, since his sister Leslie was born with hydrocephaly and cerebral palsy, and has experienced multiple surgeries and medical treatments over her 26 years. She currently participates in integrated educational programs and social programs in the community, while benefiting from disability benefits in the United States. Lorenzo shared throughout his interviews of special needs children’s mothers, he often thought of his own mother and her strength and struggle in supporting his dear sister.
Below are photographs from Lorenzo’s trip.
Lorenzo presented his qualitative research study entitled “The Mothers of Children With Learning Disabilities in Lusaka, Zambia” at the School on Thursday, November 29th, from 4:30-5:30pm. The study’s objective was to use the collected information and to make recommendations to the Jesuit Centre of Theological Reflection and to those local and national disability advocacy groups to facilitate making recommendations to reduce the burden of disability discrimination and stigma in Zambia. The focus of this research study was to learn how mothers who have children with a learning disability are affected by their families, faith communities, medical and social systems.
FRESH OFF THE PRESS!
Since we interviewed Lorenzo, he has been elected as President of the National Black Catholic Seminarians Association (NBCSA), which seeks to contribute to the wellbeing of candidates for priesthood and religious life, with an emphasis on Black American, African, Afro-Caribbean, and Afro-Latino candidates preparing to serve the Church in the United States and its territories. The Association is an affiliate of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus. The National Black Catholic Seminarians Association also cooperates with the National Black Sisters Conference.
From the Soweto Market (above and below)
Lorenzo comments on the above photo:
“I was walking home one day when I came upon these two boys in front of me. It was endearing to see the public affection they have for each other. They were inseparable and having a great time. I could not understand what they were saying because they were speaking Nyanja but their body language was endearing, playful, and sincere.”
Lorenzo shares about this photo, above:
“I thanked the wonderful lady next to me who let me help sell her fish for a while. She thought I was weird for asking. — at Soweto Market.”
Good Morning My People –
After watching the final debate the other night, it dawned on me that Obama could actually win this thing. If that happens, there will be a lot of people (some of our co-workers included) who will be afraid that an Obama presidency will usher in the end of days. They’ll be watching us on November 5th (the day after the election) for signs of the end times.
To keep the peace and keep a lot of folks from getting nervous, I think we should develop a list of acceptable celebrations and behaviors we should probably avoid – at least for the first few days:
1. No crying, hugging or shouting “Thank you Lord” – at least not in public
2 No high-fives – at least not unless the area is clear and there are no witnesses
3 No laughing at the McCain/Palin supporters
4 No calling in sick on November 5th. They’ll get nervous if too many of us don’t show up.
5 We’re allowed to give each other knowing winks or nods in passing. Just try to keep from grinning too hard.
6. No singing loudly, We’ve come this Far By Faith (it will be acceptable to hum softly)
7. No bringing of barbeque ribs or fried chicken for lunch in the company lunchroom for at least a week (no chittlings at all) (this may make us seem too ethnic)
8. No leaving kool-aid packages at the water fountain (this might be a sign that poor folks might be getting a break through)
9. No Cupid Shuffle during breaks (this could indicate a little too much excitement)
10. Please no Moving on Up music (we are going to try to remain humble)
11. No doing the George Jefferson dance (unless you’re in your office with the door closed)
12. Please try not to yell—-BOOOO YAH!
13. Just in case you’re wondering, Doing the Running Man, cabbage patch, or a backhand spring on the highway is 100% okay.
If I’ve missed anything feel free to add to the list. I just want to make sure we’re all on the same page when Obama brings this thing home on November 5th.
Now go get your early vote on and let’s make this thing happen=
Date: Thu, 1872-11-07
On this date we recall the birth of George Washington in 1817. He was an African-American farmer, businessman and the founder of the town of Centralia, Washington.
Born a slave in Virginia, George Washington escaped and was raised by a white family in Missouri. Unable to attend school, he was tutored and eventually ran a sawmill in St. Joseph, MO. He struggled under the racial restrictions of that slave-holding state, and in 1850 joined a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. After reaching the northwest, George Washington again entered the lumber business and established a homestead on the Chehalis River. But his farm lay in the path of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
He and the company came to terms and with the settlement he received, Washington planned a new town in 1872. He called it Centerville, and he laid out 2,000 lots, setting aside sites for parks and churches. The town thrived, though the name was changed to Centralia.
George Washington spent the rest of his life there as an honored citizen. When he died in 1905, the town, 30 miles south of Olympia, shut down for a day of mourning. George Washington Park (named after him) is in the heart of Centralia, at Pearl St. and Harrison St.
Reference:
The Encyclopedia of African-American Heritage
by Susan Altman
Copyright 1997, Facts on File, Inc. New York
ISBN 0-8160-3289-0
Laborers International Union of North America Endorses Obama
“President Obama has earned a second term as President,” said Terry O’Sullivan, LIUNA General President. “Despite unprecedented and unrelenting hostility from extremist Republicans determined to see him fail, President Obama has achieved many laudable goals. We think America needs a leader who will fight to create jobs and build a bigger middle class. It’s a no- brainer – Barack Obama is the only choice to lead this country for four more years.”