Civil Rights
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John Miles Lewis Remembered
Congressman and civil rights leader, John Lewis, was remembered today, Thursday, July 30, 2020, at his longtime place of worship, Ebenezer Baptist church. Congressman Lewis, the son of sharecroppers, was born on February 21, 1940 in Pike County, Alabama. Before his service in the House of Representatives, 5th Congressional District of Georgia (1987-2020), he was a civil rights icon. In 1961 Lewis became one of the original Freedom Riders; 13 activists who protested the segregation of interstate transportation facilities, including bus stations, as being unconstitutional. Three former presidents attended Representative Lewis’s funeral; Clinton, Bush and Obama, while President Carter, 95, and his wife, Rosalynn, were unable to attend. The Carter’s…
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Emancipation Proclamation
Juneteenth Emancipation Order June 19, 1865 commemorates the day General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas leading the union occupation force and bringing with them the news of the Emancipation Proclamation. Read more about the holiday of Juneteenth: “Emancipation wasn’t a gift bestowed on the slaves; it was something they took for themselves, …” New York Times Opinion Piece Washington Post Article on George Floyd Protest
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Black History Month
It was Dec. 1, 1955 on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama when Rosa Parks, a NAACP member, bravely refused to allow a white man to have her seat. She refused to be sent to the back of the bus. We find it hard to imagine that one individual in a moment of choice and action can make a difference. We have grown cynical. We have given up before even trying, believing that without wealth, power, and a Super PAC on our team, it is an impossibility that an ordinary person can help facilitate change. And it is true that we are up against an advantaged few that often win…
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Conditions of Hong Kong Reverting to Chinese Rule
Talks began in 1982 between Margaret Thatcher and Deng Xiaoping that would determine the future fate of Hong Kong. Prime Minister Thatcher flew to Peking (Beijing the capital of the People’s Republic of China) in September 1982 in hopes of retaining Hong Kong as British, but she failed in her attempt. Two years later in 1984 the signing between China and Britain of a “Joint Declaration” permitted that China would take back Hong Kong in 1997. Thatcher insisted on the inclusion of certain contingencies, being that during the 50 years following China’s take back of sovereignty, Hong Kong must remain a special administrative region; meaning Hong Kong SAR would be…
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Folk Singer Pete Seeger Dies
Known for such popular hit songs: “If I Had a Hammer,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” and anthem for civil rights, “We Shall Overcome.” has died at the age of 94. Read More
