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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

First Lady Shirley Chisholm Targets the White House

Long before the presidential aspirations of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Carol Moseley Braun, Alan Keyes, Barack Obama, and others, there was Shirley Chisholm.

Shirley St. Hill Chisholm, (1924-2005), was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968.

She was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1924.  Shirley was the first African American woman elected to Congress, and the first black to wage a serious campaign for the 1972 Democratic nomination for president.

Chisholm retired from Congress in 1982.

Listen to Congresswoman Chisholm’s historic 2 minute announcement for her candidacy for President of the United States, recorded 36 years ago, in 1972, outside of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.

What remarkable parallels can you hear between Chisholm’s diplomatic words and so many similar voices of the candidates of today?

Chisholm is truly a black history pioneer in American politics.

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Posted by Hugh Smith on 01/30 at 06:00 PM
Audio • Civil Rights • Government • History • Politics • (0) Comments • Permalink

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

The Best Way to Discover Black History

Today, everyone seems to receive their 15 minutes of fame, whether they deserve it or not.  Our memories are short, so it’s good to be reminded from time to time about true originals who created their own models for success.

For this reason alone, the information that circulates during Black History Month is well worth keeping in front of global audiences.

Do you know someone who lacks a depth of knowledge about African American contributions?

I certainly do, that’s why we all can benefit from the focused stories about black history people during the month long February celebration.

I remember taking Asian/African history as an elective while a senior in high school, a course quite rare at the time.  Lerone Bennett Jr.’s book, Before the Mayflower, one of the main textbooks in the course, opened up a new world inside of my sixteen year old mind.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is now the first major city in the USA requiring a course in black history as a graduation requirement for all high school students.

Here’s a not so surprising revelation: some of the teachers in Philly observe that they are learning more than they think they’ve taught (about significant African American contributions) to their students.

The Philadelphia initiative is not without controversy, as debate continues about the value of segmenting black history into a box, at the expense of a multicultural approach.

All cultures can benefit from the experiences of others, we just have to respect what others bring to the table too.

Expanding our approach to consuming black history breaks apart what I call the one dimensional mold - that of viewing the center of past African American history as just social crusades by select individuals against discrimination.

So how do you soak in more stimulating ideas from diverse history makers while relaxing stress free at the same time?  How do most people do it?  How do you do it?  For some, it’s reading.  For others, it’s listening, For most, it’s watching - because all of our senses are activated when the visual eye is in the lead.

Take a look at the following information about a black history video DVD presentation we’ve created that comes highly recommended.

Watch the very short video clip, then reflect on another interesting Black History Month 2007 that comes quickly to a close today.

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Posted by Hugh Smith on 02/28 at 01:05 AM
Audio • Commentary • Education • Video • (0) Comments • Permalink

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Joe Louis Boxing Gloves K.O. Smithsonian

On Wednesday, January 31, 2007, Joe Louis‘ famous boxing gloves were donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

Listen to the BlackHistoryPeople.com production of Joe Louis’ historic second fight with Max Schmeling.

A Windsor, Ontario Canada collector donated the gloves (worn in the first Louis - Schmeling encounter, which Louis lost).

The family making the donation had the gloves in their possession for over 70 years!

The Smithsonian already had the towel tossed in the ring to end the June 1938 rematch, along with other related items.

As a special Black History Month treat, listen to our special production featuring my narration and hear how Joe Louis made boxing history.

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Posted by Hugh Smith on 02/01 at 08:45 PM
Audio • History • Sports • (0) Comments • Permalink