Lucille, Ruby, and The Bridges They Built

Lucille Bridges passed away this week, succumbing to cancer at the age of 86. However, the path that she and her courageous family helped build shined brightly in the days which surrounded her final moments. Lucille was born to sharecropper parents in a time when black children rarely finished elementary school. She made it to […]

RBG is Far From Finished

The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg contains a multitude of chapters that far exceed the entire novel of nearly everyone else. There are chapters like the one on her battle to graduate from college, overcoming sexism and tragedies which would have made most people quit. A chapter on her unyielding love for her husband, changing […]

Viola Liuzzo: Unknown Martyr

Viola Liuzzo: she died in the pursuit of justice, equality, and voting rights for others. Her story should be known. With the recent passing of the great John Lewis, much has been made of the 1965 marches in Selma, Alabama, and the attacks of “Bloody Sunday.” It is right that we give this event […]

Making the American Military Look More Like America

On this date in 1948, President Harry Truman issued executive order 9981, desegregating the United States military. It said, “There shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regards to race, color, religion, or national origin.” This was a very impressive move for several reasons: 1. It was […]

Another Birthday Missed by Emmett Till

Emmett Till would have turned 79 today. If you don’t know the story of Emmett Till, you should. It is one of the main catalysts of the civil rights movement. Till was 14 years old, visiting family in Mississippi. He spoke to a white woman in a store. She went home and told her husband. […]

Putting the “All” in “Liberty and Justice For All”

Today is the 30th anniversary of the “Americans with Disabilities Act.” It was signed into law on the White House lawn by President George H.W. Bush on July 24, 1990. Prior to this act, people could be fired from their jobs because of a disability, kids could be kept out of school, and service could […]

Brown Vs. Board’s First Success: 65 Years Ago Today

65 years ago today, an amazing story happened that is known by far too few. Griffin school in Monticello, Kentucky became the first school in the United States to integrate based upon the Supreme Court’s “Brown Vs. Board of Education” ruling the year before. Their school year ran from July to February, so […]

Emmett Till: He Never Got the Chance To Be a Man.

Emmett Till should have turned 78 today. If you don’t know the story of Emmett Till, you should. It is one of the major sparks that set the American civil rights movement. Till was just 14 years old, visiting family in Money, Mississippi. He spoke to a white woman in a grocery store. She went […]

The Black and White T.V. of “The Good Old Days”

In 1957, Frankie Lymon was one of the most exciting and popular singers in America. He had an angelic voice, good looks, and an unteachable charisma. Backed by his band, “The Teenagers”, his song “Why do fools fall in love” had made him a household name the year before. They were five kids from Washington […]

Satchel Paige, The Star That Too Few Got To See Shine

Happy birthday to Satchel Paige, born on July 7, 1906 in Mobile, Alabama. He was one of the most dominant and exciting pitchers in baseball history, unfortunately, he did not make his major league debut until the age of 42. For 24 years, Paige dazzled the semi pro leagues, exhibition games, and the Negro leagues. […]