'Bread and Roses' strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts

Bread and Roses

As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day,

A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray,

Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,

For the people hear us singing: "Bread and roses! Bread and roses!"

As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men,

For they are women's children, and we mother them again.

Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;

Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses!

As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead

Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.

Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.

Yes, it is bread we fight for -- but we fight for roses, too!

As we come marching, marching, we bring the greater days.

The rising of the women means the rising of the race.

No more the drudge and idler -- ten that toil where one reposes,

But a sharing of life's glories: Bread and roses! Bread and roses!

By James Oppenheim, published in American Magazine in December 1911

The poem above was written as a tribute to the women who conducted a strike in 1911, in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

In 1905 the American Woolen Company built the world's biggest textile plant in Lawrence, hiring Arab, Russian and East European immigrants. By 1911, people of 25 different nationalities lived within a one-mile radius of the mill.

They lived in crowded company-owned tenements. Eight to 10 people from different families shared one living space. Whole families--including children under 14 years old--worked in the mills. The mills were hot and humid. The work was fast paced, with high accident rates.

Rickets were common among children for lack of milk. Nearly half died before they were 6 years old. Over one-third of the mill workers died before age 25, mostly from tuberculosis and other respiratory illnesses.

Jan. 12 was the start of the 1911 'Bread and Roses' strike--one of the most significant struggles in the history of the U.S. working class--in Lawrence, Mass.

A new state law had reduced the work week from 56 to 54 hours. A small gain for workers? Sounds like it. But of course the bosses found a way to gain the advantage. They speeded up the looms and cut the average wage of $6 a week--a last straw for workers living on the edge of starvation.

Some 23,000 people left the mills and poured into the streets in protest.
The Lawrence strike broke new ground in two ways. Women led it. And there was a conscious effort to unite workers of all nationalities. Every union meeting was translated into 25 different languages.

There were four demands: a 15-percent wage increase, a 54- hour work week, double pay for overtime, and rehiring of all strikers without discrimination. The strike drew national and international publicity, and donations began to pour in.

Two months later on March 14, the strikers won a 25-percent raise for the lowest-paid workers and smaller increases for higher-paid workers, time-and-a-quarter pay for overtime, and no discrimination against strikers.

The strikers wanted not only decent pay, but a chance to enjoy the good things of life. They carried signs saying, "We want bread and roses too!"

The women who participated in this strike had the courage to stand up for their rights and their actions made a difference in the future of industrial workers.

They shaped the future of this country and this reinforces for me that notion that if one is aware of injustice then the right thing to do is to speak up against it and let those in power know that it is not acceptable. These women were among the forerunners of equal rights.

The photos above show women of the day working in the factory and also, those on strike being confronted by the National Guard.

During this month we have taken time to celebrate Women's History Month and we give honor to those brave women who have gone before us.

peacesojourner

The NAACP Celebrates 103rd Anniversary Today

1909 - 
On February 12th The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded by a multiracial group of activists, who answered "The Call," in the New York City, NY. They initially called themselves the National Negro Committee.

FOUNDERS
Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villiard, William English Walling led the "Call" to renew the struggle for civil and political liberty.

Here are just a few of the actions taken by the NAACP in the first ten years. I am reminded of the courage that it must have taken to stand up against racism and injustice in those very turbulent times.

1910 - 
In the face of intense adversity, the NAACP begins its legacy of fighting legal battles addressing social injustice with the Pink Franklin case, which involved a Black farmhand, who unknowingly killed a policeman in self-defense when the officer broke into his home at 3 a.m. to arrest him on a civil charge. After losing at the Supreme Court, the following year the renowned NAACP official Joel Spingarn and his brother Arthur start a concerted effort to fight such cases.

1913
- President Woodrow Wilson officially introduces segregation into the Federal Government. Horrified that the President would sanction such a policy, the NAACP launched a public protest.

1915
- The NAACP organizes a nationwide protest D.W. Griffiths racially-inflammatory and bigoted silent film, "Birth of a Nation."

1917 - 
In Buchanan vs. Warley, the Supreme Court has to concede that states can not restrict and officially segregate African Americans into residential districts. Also, the NAACP fights and wins the battle to enable African Americans to be commissioned as officers in World War I. Six hundred officers are commissioned, and 700,000 register for the draft..

1918
- After persistent pressure by the NAACP, President Woodrow Wilson finally makes a public statement against lynching.

1920
- To ensure that everyone, especially the Klan, knew that the NAACP would not be intimidated, the annual conference was held in Atlanta, considered one of the most active Klan areas.

*****

I have highlighted only the first ten years, however, the NAACP was instrumental in

making many, many more changes over the past century.

Today, one hundred and three years later, there are still people who take the time to fight against injustice and who have the courage to stand up for basic human rights.

The National NAACP along with its 1,700 branches nation wide will host anniversary celebrations and observances in their local communities.

I am a proud Life Member of the NAACP and currently attend the Buffalo, New York Branch. I encourage anyone who may be reading this to consider joining.

To contact the organization :www.naacp.org

Thank you to those early organizers who had the courage to stand up and speak out.

*****

peacesojourner

African American History Month - Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth - Abolitionist, Women's Rights Advocate

The following reminiscences were recorded by Frances Gage who was in attendance at The Ohio Women’s rights Convention, Akron Convention, Akron, Ohio, May 1851.
"There were very few women in those days who dared to "speak in meeting"; When, slowly from her seat in the corner she rose. She moved slowly and solemnly to the front, laid her old bonnet at her feet, and turned her great speaking eyes to me - I rose and announced "Sojourner Truth," She stood nearly six feet high, head erect, and eyes piercing the upper air like one in a dream. At her first word there was a profound hush.

Ain’t I a Woman?

That man over there say a woman needs to be helped into carriages

and lifted over ditches and to have the best place everywhere. 


Nobody ever helped me into carriages

or over mud puddles or gives me a best place . . .

And ain’t I a woman? 


Look at me. Look at my arm! I have plowed and planted

and gathered into barns and no man could head me . . .


And ain’t I a woman?


I could work as much and eat as much as a man–


when I could get to it–
and bear the lash as well


And ain’t I a woman?


I have born 13 children and seen most all sold into slavery

and when I cried out a mother’s grief none but Jesus heard me . . .


And ain’t I a woman? 


That little man in black there say a woman can’t have as much rights,

as a man cause Christ wasn’t a woman


Where did your Christ come from?

From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with him!


If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down,

all alone together women ought to be able to turn it
rightside up again.

*****

Sojourner Truth - Born: (c. 1797-1883)

Born one of twelve children, Isabella Baumfree in Ulster County, New York, she was freed by the New York State Emancipation Act of 1827 and lived in New York City for a time.

Around this time she had a life-changing religious experience and became a devout Christian. On June 1, 1843 she took the name Sojourner Truth which she felt God had given her and she assumed the "mission" of spreading "the Truth" across the country. She became famous as an itinerant preacher, drawing huge crowds with her oratory (and some said "mystical gifts") wherever she appeared. She became one of an active group of black women abolitionists, lectured before numerous abolitionist audiences, and was friends with such leading white abolitionists as James and Lucretia Mott and Harriet Beecher Stowe. She also became involved with the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

Some amazing statistics for a woman in the 1800’s – especially a woman of African descent:

- Before freedom she was sold three times: 1806, 1808, 1810

- She had five children -- Diana (c. 1815); Peter (c. 1822); Elizabeth (c. 1825); Sophia (c.1826) and Hannah who died in infancy. (Some controversy came about her ‘Ain’t I a Woman’ speech. In it Sojourner is quoted as having 13 children. Historians today primarily agree on five.)
- She filed and won a lawsuit to secure the return of her son, Peter, who had been illegally sold into slavery in Alabama from New York (1827-28).

- With the outbreak of the Civil War she raised money to purchase gifts for the soldiers, distributing them herself in the camps. She also helped African Americans who had escaped to the North to find habitation and shelter.

- In 1844, she joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in Massachusetts. Founded by abolitionists, the organization supported women's rights and religious tolerance as well as pacifism.

- In 1853 she met with Harriet Beecher Stowe in Andover, Mass.

- She owned three homes in all. Northampton, Mass. (1850), Harmonia village outside Battle Creek, Michigan (1857) and College Street, Battle Creek, Michigan (1867).

- In 1864, Sojourner was employed by the National Freedman's Relief Association in Washington, D.C. She worked diligently to improve conditions for African-Americans.

- In 1865, while working at the Freedman's Hospital in Washington, she rode in the streetcars to help force their desegregation. (90 years before Rosa Parks claimed her seat on the bus.)

- 1871 - Frederick Douglass signed her Book of Life while she was making rounds for freedom in New York.

- In 1872, she returned to Battle Creek and tried to vote in the presidential election, but was turned away at the polling place.

- She actually had an audience with two Presidents of the United States in the White House. Abraham Lincoln (1864) and Ulysses Grant (1870).

Age and ill health caused her to retire from the lecture circuit, and she spent her last days in a sanatorium in Battle Creek, Michigan. When she died on November 26, 1883, her last words were, "Be a follower of Jesus."

She is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, Michigan. Her grandsons, Sammy Banks and William Boyd, and her daughters, Elizabeth Banks Boyd and Diana Corbin are buried in the same plot. Despite her hardships she had managed to keep her family together.

Illiterate all of her life, Sojourner’s courage and candid, homespun way of speaking against the evils of slavery and the denial of women’s rights made her a major presence in her day. She still stands preeminently as the only woman of color who gained a national reputation on the lecture platform in the days before the Civil War.

A woman of courage and tenacity who believed she had God on her side.

Her life is a testimony that she did.

*****

peacesojourner

When Hatred Rears It's Ugly Head - Some Solutions

Hate is like acid. It can damage the vessel in which it is stored as well as destroy the object on which it is poured. - Ann Landers

What can we do about changing racist attitudes? It takes courage to make change in attitudes and guts to be able to stand up to the bullies of the world.

Racism and hatred are usually based on ignorance or lack of understanding. There are so many things that we can do on a daily basis if we become committed to make a change.
Here is a list of suggestions that are quite easy to start with:

1. Knowledge is power – Do you follow a specific religion ? All of the major faiths have statements against hatred of others and racism. Do you know what your sacred book says? (The Holy Bible, Vedas, Koran, Sunnah, Agama, Talmud, Hebrew Bible and the Sutta Pitaka)
Read and learn. If you believe in a higher power then pray for those who are persecuted and those who do the persecuting.

2. Become aware of ethnic stereotypes - Challenge the offensive names, jokes and comments. If someone uses a hurtful name in our presence, we might simply say, "Don't call them that. Call them by their name." If you are the victim, simply say "That kind of joke offends me," or say "You don't like to be called bad names and neither do I". We should become comfortable in pointing out unfairness. Be polite but firm. Ethnic jokes are not innocent humor, they carry the virus of bigotry most of the time.

3. Educate yourself about other cultures - and the history of the Civil Rights Movement and other non-violent struggles for justice. Read what authors from various ethnic backgrounds have written to gain positive insights into other cultures.

4. Speak up - If you should witness an act of hatred let someone know about it. Report it to the authorities if necessary. Be courageous in standing up for what is right. Be supportive of the victim(s).

5. Share your joy - Have you ever invited people other than your cultural group at an occasion of happiness in your family? Whether it's a wedding or the blessing of a newborn baby, expand your next guest list to include those of different backgrounds. Sharing joy is a great way for people of all ethno-cultural groups to bond.

6. Share your sorrow - Have you visited a sick colleague, class fellow or a neighbor of another ethnic group? Have you been to the funeral of one from another culture? Relationships are not only built on the good times, but on the hard ones as well. Visit the sick, attend funerals, and console those who need it, and don't reserve your sympathy to those of the same skin color or country. Learn the meaning of the various traditions and rituals that may be different from your own. You don't have to adopt the customs but it is important to know about them.

7. Break bread with others - It is said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Have you learned to cook the food of other cultures? Have you shared your food with them? Food is a great way to bring people together, and to get to know others. Share food with your neighbors. Learn about which foods are not eaten by certain faiths, for example meat or pork.

8. Who do you smile at? Do you limit your grins to groups you know, especially your ethno-cultural group? Smiles open closed hearts.

9. Teach your children - Make sure that your children are exposed to other cultures. Studies show that children playing and working together toward common goals develop positive attitudes about one another. Raising hate free children is a challenge. Make sure that your children do not absorb the negative attitudes of some who practice discrimination on a regular basis.

10. Welcome strangers - How are you at welcoming strangers in your place of worship? Do you move forward in welcoming, guiding and introducing them to others or do you allow a stranger to remain a stranger while you busily chat with your own cultural group?

11. Watch those expressions and attitudes - Did you see that twist of the mouth, or the raise of that eyebrow? Sometimes, it's not just words, but facial expressions that also indicate ethno-racial degradation and intolerance. It's not enough for us to just avoid verbal jabs. Language is not just about words; it's about body language too.

12. Stand up for justice - Take an active stand against injustices like profiling and discrimination in the workplace or at schools. Speak out in support for someone or a group being paid less because of their national background.

13. Volunteer - Work with other anti-racism groups - Volunteer time to organizations and groups which are working for an anti-racism agenda or for social justice. Put your time and energy to projects that put your beliefs into practice.

14. Overcome your own personal stereotypical beliefs - this is not just for the European culture. This is something that all cultures learn along the way - unlearn some of the things you were taught.

I could write at least 50 or more suggestions but if you practice a few of these you will find that your life has become more enriched.

I have lived in, and travelled to many countries and have always found that there are more similarities than differences with other people. We all want the best for our children, to be able to financially support our families and to be able to have freedom of choice in our faith.

We must stand up for each other - it is the right thing to do.

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi

peacesojourner

African American History Month-Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 27, 1897.

Today is the 114th anniversary of her birth. She was a contralto, perhaps best remembered for her performance on Easter Sunday, 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Anderson joined a junior church choir at the age of six, and applied to an all-white music school after her graduation from high school in 1921, but was turned away because she was black. Later, she debuted with the New York Philharmonic on August 26, 1925 and scored an immediate success with the critics. In 1928, she sang for the first time at Carnegie Hall. Her reputation was further advanced by her tour through Europe in the early 1930s where she did not encounter the racial prejudices she had experienced in America.

Ms. Anderson won the Julius Rosenwald scholarship allowing her to train abroad in England, France, Belgium, Holland, the former Soviet Union and Scandinavia. She toured Europe many times in her career.

In 1939, she was denied the right to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. because the venue owners, The Daughters of the American Revolution enforced a clause in their contract that stated “concerts by whites only.” DAR member Eleanor Roosevelt and several other members resigned in protest.

As an alternative to the Constitution Hall concert, Marian’s representatives arranged for her to perform at the Lincoln Memorial. In attendance were 75,000 people, the largest turnout to date at that time, and heard by millions of listeners on the radio.

Although she was reluctant to view herself as an activist, the Lincoln Memorial concert has been said to be one of the most dramatic events in civil rights history.

Several weeks later, at the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ms. Anderson performed at the White House for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England, making her the first African American to perform at the White House.

In spite of her treatment by the Daughters of the American Revolution Ms. Anderson remained a patriot. She performed in hospitals and bases for the troops in World War II and the Korean War.

In 1957 she toured India and the Far East as a goodwill ambassador through the U.S. State Department and the American National Theater and Academy. She traveled 35,000 miles in 12 weeks, giving 24 concerts.

Upon her return President Eisenhower appointed her as a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. As a member of the United Nations Trusteeship Committee, Ms. Anderson helped oversee the well-being of more than 100 million people living in U.N. trust territories in Africa and the South Pacific.

She sang at the inaugurations of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy.
Most important was her international stardom – she traveled the world extensively and enjoyed more freedom and appreciation abroad than at home.

In 1963 Ms. Anderson also sang at the historic March on Washington. She was alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I was able to see and hear her on that day along with my family and friends who attended the March. That same year she was awarded the American Medal of Freedom.

Ironically, Marion Anderson launched her retirement tour at the very hall where she had been denied so many years before, Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

Marian Anderson passed away on April 8, 1993 at the age of 96, leaving a legacy of excellence and selfless service to a world of adoring fans.

On January 27, 2005, a commemorative U.S. postage stamp honored her as part of the Black Heritage series.

Ms. Anderson was a recipient of the Silver Buffalo Award, the highest adult award given by the Boy Scouts of America.

She symbolized the civil rights movement with dignity and grace; and was the first African-American to be named a permanent member of Metropolitan Opera Company, also, she was a frequent performer at the White House.

Four years ago, while visiting Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to visit the home of Marian Anderson. It was a special experience as we were shown around by her family members. The home has the original furniture, piano, and china just as Ms. Anderson used them when she lived there. Even some of her dresses were on display. I would encourage anyone who is in the area to make an appointment to visit.

While hearing the personal stories of her life, I was, once again, in awe to think of the many experiences that she had and the courage that she exhibited while enduring racism and prejudice by others. She carried herself with dignity and with her head held high.

Her story is an inspiration for everyone.

African American History Month - Muhammad Ali

African American History Month

I first met Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay at the time) when he would visit his friends in Springfield, Massachusetts. He would do his daily workout in Blunt Park and then have breakfast at his friend’s house in Amore village. I lived in the neighborhood and we were always welcomed to attend. He was a pleasure to be around and we all admired him because he was able to speak up for himself publicly in an era when it could have been dangerous to do so.

So why do I, a pacifist, have so much admiration for a pugilist? Here is why. When Muhammad was inducted into the U.S. Armed Forces in 1966 he declared himself a conscientious objector.

At the time the United States was engaged in the Vietnam War. Muhammad stated that "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an." When appearing for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967 in Houston, he refused three times to step forward at the call of his name. He was warned that was committing a felony punishable by five years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Once more, Muhammad refused to budge when his name was called. As a result, on that same day, the New York State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license and stripped him of his title. Other boxing commissions followed suit.

At the trial two months later he was found guilty. After a court of appeals upheld the conviction, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. Later, on June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court reversed his conviction for refusing induction by unanimous decision in Clay v. United States.

Boxing fans adored his courage in the ring and he is widely respected, but I admire the courage he displayed in his personal lifestyle.

I saw him again in 1985 when I was having breakfast with a friend, Susana, at a well-known hotel in London, England. He was walking through the buffet line selecting items for his meal. I was amazed to see the difference in him. He had his forever-present smile on his face but his ambulation was slow and his hands and arms were trembling noticeably. I had heard that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s but was not prepared to see how it was affecting this courageous warrior.

Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., was born January 17 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr., who was named for the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay. He changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to Sunni Islam in 1975 and then Sufism.

Daring to go against political policy to help people in need, Muhammad has made goodwill missions to Afghanistan and North Korea; delivered sorely needed medical supplies to an embargoed Cuba; traveled to Iraq and secured the release of 15 United States hostages during the first Gulf War; and journeyed to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison.

Today, championing the issues in the developing world has become a major focus of his life. He has been instrumental in providing over 232 million meals to the world's hungry. Traveling across continents, he has hand-delivered food and medical supplies to children in Cote D'Ivoire, Indonesia, Mexico, and Morocco among other countries.

In addition to his international efforts, Muhammad is equally devoted to helping charities at home. He has visited countless numbers of soup kitchens and hospitals, and helped such organizations as the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and the Special Olympics.

To me his greatest triumph lies in his legacy as a champion, leader, humanitarian, and artist. His honors and recognitions include: (read this list slowly to allow these thought-provoking words to sink in)

• Sports Illustrated's "Sportsman of the Century"
• BBC's "Sports Personality of the Century"
• GQ magazine's "Athlete of the Century"
• World Sports Award's "World Sportsman of the Century"
• United Nations Messenger of Peace in 1998-2008, for his work with developing nations
• Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, the United States of America's highest civil award
• Amnesty International's Lifetime Achievement Award
• Germany's 2005 Otto Hahn Peace Medal, for his involvement in the U.S. civil rights movement and the United Nations
• International Ambassador of Jubilee 2000, a global organization dedicated to relieving debt in developing nations
• State of Kentucky's "Kentuckian of the Century"
• The Advertising Club of Louisville's "Louisvillian of the Century"
and February 12,2009 - NAACP's President Award

Other honors include an Essence Award, an XNBA Human Spirit Award and recognition from the National Urban League; 100 Black Men; Givat Haviva; the Oleander Foundation; The National Conference of Christians and Jews; TIME magazine and many other.

President Jimmy Carter once cited Muhammad as "Mr. International Friendship."

Muhammad published ‘The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey’ in which he discusses the meaning of religion, forgiveness, and some of the defining moments in his life and career. He is also the co-author of 'Healing: A Journal of Tolerance and Understanding' and 'The Greatest: My Own Story.'

Whether promoting tolerance and understanding, feeding the hungry, studying his religion, or reaching out to children in need, Muhammad Ali is devoted to making the world a better place for all people. No athlete has ever contributed more to the life of his country, or the world, than Muhammad Ali.

Muhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and as a professional, he became the only man to have won the linear heavyweight championship three times. They tried to humiliate him when they stripped him of his title. From being publically disgraced to being the recipient of America's highest civil award the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 is an incredible testimony.

You may have seen him on TV on Inauguration Day. He was walking very slowly with the aid of a walker. He was slouched over and it was obvious that he was concentrating hard on the process of moving forward. My heart went out to him – this man who has always refused to give up. He stood tall when they took away his belt and title, he stood tall when they tried to break his spirit and on this day, in my eyes, he was walking even taller.

He would always say, “I’m the Greatest!”

Yes, Muhammad Ali, indeed you are!

*****

For a great treat copy and paste this website into your computer –For those who remember him when he was Cassius I dare you to try not to laugh!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxczlps5_bg

African American History Month - Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth - Abolitionist, Women's Rights Advocate

The following reminiscences were recorded by Frances Gage who was in attendance at The Ohio Women’s rights Convention, Akron Convention, Akron, Ohio, May 1851.
"There were very few women in those days who dared to "speak in meeting"; When, slowly from her seat in the corner she rose. She moved slowly and solemnly to the front, laid her old bonnet at her feet, and turned her great speaking eyes to me - I rose and announced "Sojourner Truth," She stood nearly six feet high, head erect, and eyes piercing the upper air like one in a dream. At her first word there was a profound hush.

Ain’t I a Woman?

That man over there say a woman needs to be helped into carriages

and lifted over ditches and to have the best place everywhere. 


Nobody ever helped me into carriages

or over mud puddles or gives me a best place . . .

And ain’t I a woman? 


Look at me. Look at my arm! I have plowed and planted

and gathered into barns and no man could head me . . .


And ain’t I a woman?


I could work as much and eat as much as a man–


when I could get to it–
and bear the lash as well


And ain’t I a woman?


I have born 13 children and seen most all sold into slavery

and when I cried out a mother’s grief none but Jesus heard me . . .


And ain’t I a woman? 


That little man in black there say a woman can’t have as much rights,

as a man cause Christ wasn’t a woman


Where did your Christ come from?

From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with him!


If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down,

all alone together women ought to be able to turn it
rightside up again.

*****

Sojourner Truth - Born: (c. 1797-1883)

Born one of twelve children, Isabella Baumfree in Ulster County, New York, she was freed by the New York State Emancipation Act of 1827 and lived in New York City for a time.

Around this time she had a life-changing religious experience and became a devout Christian. On June 1, 1843 she took the name Sojourner Truth which she felt God had given her and she assumed the "mission" of spreading "the Truth" across the country. She became famous as an itinerant preacher, drawing huge crowds with her oratory (and some said "mystical gifts") wherever she appeared. She became one of an active group of black women abolitionists, lectured before numerous abolitionist audiences, and was friends with such leading white abolitionists as James and Lucretia Mott and Harriet Beecher Stowe. She also became involved with the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

Some amazing statistics for a woman in the 1800’s – especially a woman of African descent:

- Before freedom she was sold three times: 1806, 1808, 1810

- She had five children -- Diana (c. 1815); Peter (c. 1822); Elizabeth (c. 1825); Sophia (c.1826) and Hannah who died in infancy. (Some controversy came about her ‘Ain’t I a Woman’ speech. In it Sojourner is quoted as having 13 children. Historians today primarily agree on five.)
- She filed and won a lawsuit to secure the return of her son, Peter, who had been illegally sold into slavery in Alabama from New York (1827-28).

- With the outbreak of the Civil War she raised money to purchase gifts for the soldiers, distributing them herself in the camps. She also helped African Americans who had escaped to the North to find habitation and shelter.

- In 1844, she joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in Massachusetts. Founded by abolitionists, the organization supported women's rights and religious tolerance as well as pacifism.

- In 1853 she met with Harriet Beecher Stowe in Andover, Mass.

- She owned three homes in all. Northampton, Mass. (1850), Harmonia village outside Battle Creek, Michigan (1857) and College Street, Battle Creek, Michigan (1867).

- In 1864, Sojourner was employed by the National Freedman's Relief Association in Washington, D.C. She worked diligently to improve conditions for African-Americans.

- In 1865, while working at the Freedman's Hospital in Washington, she rode in the streetcars to help force their desegregation. (90 years before Rosa Parks claimed her seat on the bus.)

- 1871 - Frederick Douglass signed her Book of Life while she was making rounds for freedom in New York.

- In 1872, she returned to Battle Creek and tried to vote in the presidential election, but was turned away at the polling place.

- She actually had an audience with two Presidents of the United States in the White House. Abraham Lincoln (1864) and Ulysses Grant (1870).

Age and ill health caused her to retire from the lecture circuit, and she spent her last days in a sanatorium in Battle Creek, Michigan. When she died on November 26, 1883, her last words were, "Be a follower of Jesus."

She is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, Michigan. Her grandsons, Sammy Banks and William Boyd, and her daughters, Elizabeth Banks Boyd and Diana Corbin are buried in the same plot. Despite her hardships she had managed to keep her family together.

Illiterate all of her life, Sojourner’s courage and candid, homespun way of speaking against the evils of slavery and the denial of women’s rights made her a major presence in her day. She still stands preeminently as the only woman of color who gained a national reputation on the lecture platform in the days before the Civil War.

A woman of courage and tenacity who believed she had God on her side.

Her life is a testimony that she did.

On This Date In History - December 8th

I was just browsing the web and came across this interesting information about December 8th - thought I would share it with you.

1776 George Washington's retreating army crossed the Delaware River from New Jersey to Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War.

1863 President Abraham Lincoln announced his plan for the Reconstruction of the South.

1886 The American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

1925 Sammy Davis Jr., the American performer famous for his singing, dancing and comedy routines , was born. He died on May 16, 1990.

1941 The United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Japan one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

1980 Rock musician John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by Mark David Chapman. The former Beatle was 40.

1987 Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories began an uprising.

1987 President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty calling for destruction of intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

1991 Russia, Belarus and Ukraine declared the Soviet national government dead, forming a new Commonwealth of Independent States.

1992 Americans saw live TV coverage of U.S. troops landing on the beaches of Somalia as Operation Restore Hope began.

1993 President Bill Clinton signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement.

How much we tend to forget when we are busy with our day to day activities in life. Will today be an important date in history? As they say - "only time will tell."

Hate Rears It's Ugly Head

The Native American grandfather tells his grandson that there are two wolves inside of him, fighting for control. One wolf is the wolf of love, peace, and kindness. The other wolf is a wolf of greed, hatred, and corruption. The grandson asks, "Which wolf will win?" The grandfather replies "Whichever wolf I feed."
Native American proverb

On occasion, I have been witness to the aftermath of a hate crime. One incident remains indelible in my mind when, some years ago, I worked and lived in the International Student’s House in London, England. A young man named Sean, a caring, thoughtful and generous person, lived in the apartment next door to me. One night, at around 2 a.m., there was a knock at my door. I was startled to hear Sean's voice. I opened the door and there he stood with blood all over his face and clothing. When he came into my living room he burst into tears and started telling me what had happened. Sean had just left the London Underground train station and was walking home when 6 Skinheads who beat him up attacked him. His face and body were bruised and bloody. He said that during the beating they called him derogatory names. It seems that they did it because he is gay. I held him as he wept and we tried to get some understanding of the motive of the bullies. We concluded that it just boiled down to ‘hate.’

In his book 'The Psychology of Hate’ Robert J Sternberg (American Psychological Association, APA) states, "After the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis in World War II, the expression "never again" became a familiar refrain. Yet, during the last half of the 20th century and the beginning of the current decade, society has witnessed staggering numbers of brutal and hateful acts. Our news sources are filled with reports of White supremacist groups murdering members of minority groups, religious zealots killing doctors who perform abortions, teenagers violently clashing with their classmates, the genocides in Rwanda and Sudan, the mass killing in Bosnia, and the 9/11 attacks on the United States. These are not random or sudden bursts of irrationality but, rather, orchestrated acts of violence and killing. Underlying these events is a widespread and haz­ardous human emotion: hate. Hate is among the most powerful of human emotions—it has caused great sorrow and suffering—and yet it has been understudied by psychologists".

" Once one begins to see hate in terms of its functions, one can see hate everywhere. That is not always a comfort. Consider the myriad functions of hate:

• Hate is a reliable source of attachment - a substitute for love.
• Hate gives meaning to life.
• Nursing one's hatred provides comfort and satisfaction.
• Acting out one's hate is a source of pleasure, that of domination and control.
• Sadism is the pleasure of hatred. Hatred is a mode of being in the world.

Hate binds people in a community with others who hate, a community whose intimacy is intensified by the guilty se­cret that all those who hate share: that there is pleasure in destruction.
If one can bear to know all this, then one shall have learned not only some terrible truths about the world but also something about hate that may from time to time allow one to mitigate its effects. Likely this knowledge will not lessen the sheer amount of hate in the world. Nevertheless, knowing of the secret fraternity of those who hate may allow one to intervene in their guilty pleasures and so short-circuit their satisfaction. The price of this inter­vention, which will only infrequently be effective, if history is any guide, is that of a terrible knowledge, one that connects the terrible things nations do with the terrible things that each person has at some point done to another person. That connection is hatred, which like Thanatos, to which it is so closely allied, is a principle that connects individual with world history. It is not a connection of which to be proud".

I first posted this blog in January after the many incidents of hate crimes related to the installation of President Obama. I thought I would print it again because there are still so many hate crimes being acted out around the country and the world. We have to remain vigilant and keep aware of these actions. 

Tomorrow: What can we do to makes some changes in the world?

Holocaust Days of Remembrance - April 21–26, 2009

Remembrance obligates us not only to memorialize those 

who were killed in the Holocaust, but also to reflect on what 

could have been done to save them.

Those who survived tell us that as many faced their horrific deaths, their last words were "Remember us. Tell our story."

Nazi Germany murdered six million Jews in a systematic, persecution 

and extermination now known as the Holocaust.

Holocaust Days of Remembrance - April 21–26, 2009 

The Holocaust

Nazi Germany persecuted, incarcerated and murdered millions of its own citizens, and those of the countries it invaded, on the basis of skin color; disability; sexual orientation; ethnicity; religious belief or political affiliation.

In 1933, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, the Jewish population of Europe stood at over nine million. The Nazi campaign to exclude and persecute Jews, and others, as “life unworthy of life” began. By May 1945 close to two out of every three Jews in Europe had been murdered in the Holocaust.

Although Jews were the primary victims of Nazi racism, others targeted for death included upwards of two hundred thousand Roma and Sinti (Gypsies) and almost quarter of a million mentally or physically disabled people. As Nazi tyranny spread across Europe, millions of people were persecuted and murdered. More than three million Soviet prisoners of war were murdered or died of starvation, disease, or maltreatment. The Nazis killed tens of thousands of Polish intellectual and religious leaders; deported millions of Polish and Soviet citizens for forced labor and persecuted and incarcerated gay men and lesbians.

Millions of lives were lost, or changed beyond recognition. The consequences of this loss and persecution are felt today by Holocaust survivors, their children and grand-children, around the world.

*****

I  CANNOT FORGET

THE ACTION IN THE GHETTO OF ROHATYN, MARCH 1942.

by Alexander Kimel- Holocaust Survivor.

Do I want to remember?

The peaceful ghetto, before the raid:

Children shaking like leaves in the wind.

Mothers searching for a piece of bread.

Shadows, on swollen legs, moving with fear.

No, I don't want to remember, but how can I forget?

Do I want to remember, the creation of hell?

The shouts of the Raiders, enjoying the hunt.

Cries of the wounded, begging for life.

Faces of mothers carved with pain.

Hiding Children, dripping with fear.

No, I don't want to remember, but how can I forget?

Do I want to remember, my fearful return?

Families vanished in the midst of the day.

The mass grave steaming with vapor of blood.

Mothers searching for children in vain.

The pain of the ghetto, cuts like a knife.

No, I don't want to remember, but how can I forget?

Do I want to remember, the wailing of the night?

The doors kicked ajar, ripped feathers floating the air.

The night scented with snow-melting blood.

While the compassionate moon, is showing the way.

For the faceless shadows, searching for kin.

No, I don't want to remember, but I cannot forget.

Do I want to remember this world upside down?

Where the departed are blessed with an instant death.

While the living condemned to a short wretched life,

And a long tortuous journey into unnamed place,

Converting Living Souls, into ashes and gas.

No. I Have to Remember and Never Let You Forget.

*****

Survivors promised that they would tell their stories so that never again would the world stand silent or look the other way. 

NEVER AGAIN 

If you witness an act of injustice - speak up -

 let people know that you do not agree. 

It takes courage to make a change in the world.

What you do (or don't do) matters.