"Clean Up Abandoned Uranium Mines – Urgent Message From First Nations"

The poisoning of America: "Throughout the West, particularly on tribal land, abandoned open pit uranium mines continue to emit radiation and toxic heavy metal dust into the air, land and water. These pit mines were created during the cold war frenzy when the Atomic Energy Commission stated that it would buy all of the uranium that could be mined. Corporations such as Kerr-McGee and Atlantic Richfield as well as local ranchers jumped on the chance to make money. When they were done, the pits were left behind with no remediation. The radiation and toxic heavy metals from the mine contaminate the food supply as livestock drink polluted water and plants grown in contaminated soil. People who live near the mines experience many health effects including high rates of cancer deaths and birth defects. You can read more about this in our article, “America’s Secret Fukushima Poisoning the Breadbasket of the World.”. – Margaret Flowers"

American Indian Heritage Month - November 2013

Veterans History Project: http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/ex-war-nativeamericans.html

What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose. http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about/

Full Image of Alabama Indian Land Cessions

 

Indian Land Cessions in the United States, 1784-1894: There are sixty-seven maps
referenced in this volume.

 

Library of Congress, National Archives and other exhibit references. http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/collections/index.html

"Scottsboro Boys" Pardon Date Set for November 21, 2013 in Montgomery

Three of the Scottsboro Defendants are scheduled to be pardoned on November the 21st in Montgomery, Alabama. Scottsboro's Daily Sentinel ( http://thedailysentinel.com/ )  reports in todays paper that three of the defendants are eligible for the parole; those named are "Haywood Patterson, Charley Weems and Andy Wright are to be pardoned in accordance with the Scottsboro Boys Act. " Clarence Norris was pardoned by Gov. George Wallace in 1976. Four of the defendants were exonerated in 1937. (pictured below)

\

Jul 26, 1937- Titled "Enjoying Their Freedom." Byline on reverse of photo reads: Samuel Liebowitz and the 4 youths he defended in the famed Scottsboro case wave farewell as they leave for New York after viewing a movie at Cincinnati. Those freed are Eugene Williams, Roy Wright, Willie Roberson and Olen Montgomery. (original press photo owned  by G. Morgan purchased from Historical Images-Memphis, Tn. May 9, 2012)

"The Scottsboro Boys Petition": http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/assets/pdf/DS213028107.pdf

Clarion's coverage: http://www.theclarion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7210:pardons-granted-to-three-scottsboro-boys&catid=42:clarion-rotation-stories&Itemid=142

"The Scottsboro Boys all eventually left prison, but only one — Clarence Norris — received a pardon in his lifetime...Dan Carter, a professor emeritus at the University of South Carolina who wrote a history of the case in 1970 [titled "Scottsboro, an American Tradgedy"had this to say]...Carter said he had "ambivalent feelings" about the posthumous pardon process. On the one hand, the historian said racial reconciliation was impossible "without facing up to the past." But Carter said unduly focusing on the past can distract from problems of the present." http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/16/scottsboro-boys-pardon/2820449/

NOT ENOUGH! I agree with Mr. Carter, this is not enough! Race Relations Education must be taught in our schools if we are to make definitive strides in ending racism. There is no effort to facilitate a race relations education program. There is no effort to correct the disparity of African Americans in our prisons. It is my opinion that this action was a glory grab by politicians and individuals who were out for self promotion.

Racism is a personal and institutional sickness which many are in denial. White folks and political leaders today cannot wash their hands of the racial injustice that occurred in Jim Crow America. Racism is still alive and well today in Alabama and across our nation. This is why it is vitally important that a comprehensive program of race relations education be implemented within Alabama.

WHITE GUILT? In the eyes of white politicians this is their answer-a PARDON for the deceased defendants, victims of racism and Jim Crow injustice.. I wonder if this pardon is subconsciously an effort to pardon themselves. This pardon process is woefully short of the answer to a growing problem of  racial and sexual discrimination practiced today in our nation, including current Alabama politicians.

"NEVER TO LATE FOR JUSTICE: Bro. Clarence Norris Jr., son of Scottsboro Boy Clarence Norris Sr., Speaks Out on The Scottsboro Boys' Pardon and Exoneration..."
4/19/2013




A comprehensive report on The Scottsboro Boys Trials 1931-1937 by Professor Douglas Linder  http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm

National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sep 15 - Oct 15, 2013

Department of Defense Hispanic American Heritage Month Poster for 2013

Who are Hispanic Americans?


Reconnecting with ones heritage.

About National Hispanic Heritage Month

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.

PBS Latino Americans
http://www.pbs.org/latino-americans/en/about/

Mi Historia- http://www.pbs.org/latino-americans/en/mi-historia/

Timeline of Important Dates- http://www.pbs.org/latino-americans/en/timeline/

50 Years Ago - The Birmingham News Reports on the Ending of Segregation in Alabama

September 1963 was a pivotal month for the Civil Rights Movement and Alabama. Violence increased and change was knocking at the door. No longer could institutional racism, personal racism and Jim Crow laws be tolerated in the United States of America. President Kennedy activated the Alabama National Guard to enforce integration. Terrorism by racist groups in Alabama threatened our state and nation. Children's lives were lost due to the murderous hatred of white racists.

Gov. George Wallace Stand in the Door Speech: http://www.archives.state.al.us/govs_list/schooldoor.html

The ending of Segregation-1963-Birmingham News Stories: http://topics.al.com/tag/This%20Day%20in%201963/posts.html

 September 1963 Daily News Reports From Alabama
Robert Chambliss, Charles Cagle identified as Birmingham bombing suspects (Sept. 30, 1963)

2 men taken into custody in 16th Street Baptist Church bombing (Sept. 29, 1963)

A.G. Gaston, Arthur Shores: 'We still have faith in Birmingham' (Sept. 28, 1963)

King to Birmingham: Negotiate or demonstrations resume (Sept. 27, 1963)

Teens accused of killing Virgil Ware free on bond; Boutwell cuts short New York trip (Sept. 26, 1963)

2 bombs explode in Birmingham but no injuries reported (Sept. 25, 1963)

Emissaries of JFK arrived in Birmingham; injunction signed against Wallace (Sept. 24, 1963)

8 people indicted for conspiracy to interfere with Birmingham school integration order (Sept. 23, 1963)

Teens told of shooting Virgil Ware; Johnny Robinson laid to rest (Sept. 22, 1963)

Editorials denounced Birmingham bombings; Wallace responded to Yale snub (Sept. 21, 1963)

Yale withdrew Wallace invitation, bombing rumors spread (Sept. 20, 1963)

Wallace donated to West End private school effort; school investigation order reprinted (Sept. 19, 1963)

Bombing reward fund reached $76,000; Birmingham leaders called to White House (Sept. 18, 1963)

Carole Robertson laid to rest; Wallace, NAACP criticize bombing investigation (Sept. 17, 1963)

Bells tolled for city-wide minute of prayer; Kennedy called for justice (Sept. 16, 1963)

4 little girls killed in church bombing, 2 young men shot to death (Sept. 15, 1963)

'Dynamite Bob' Chambliss offered $1,000 reward in stabbing of Birmingham detective's daughter (Sept. 14, 1963)

150 student demonstrators filled Birmingham Mayor Albert Boutwell's office (Sept. 13, 1963)

Woodlawn, Banks high school students pushed away demonstrators (Sept. 12, 1963)

In Midfield, 5,000 protested integration of schools (Sept. 11, 1963)

Kennedy federalized National Guard to integrate Alabama public schools (Sept. 10, 1963)

State troopers turned black students away from Birmingham schools (Sept. 9, 1963)

A.G. Gaston: Bombing of home 'doesn't represent the majority of the citizens' (Sept. 8, 1963)

Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth: 'We have come this far by faith -- not by violence' (Sept. 7, 1963)

Federal appeals court ordered Birmingham schools reopened (Sept. 6, 1963)

Birmingham school board officially closed integrated schools (Sept. 5, 1963)

Riots broke out as Birmingham schools integrate, Shores home bombed again (Sept. 4, 1963)

State troopers arrived in Birmingham; 200 people demanded Birmingham schools close (Sept. 3, 1963)

Wallace denounced integration in Labor Day speeches; troopers surrounded Tuskegee school (Sept. 2, 1963) (video)

Pastors urged peaceful response as Birmingham schools integrate (Sept. 1, 1963)

For more information - The Southern Oral History Project on You Tube, A valuable resource for Race Relations history: http://www.youtube.com/user/southernoralhistory/videos

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have a Dream Speech

50 years ago today, Wednesday, August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream Speech" at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C..

Dr. King's biography from the Nobel Peace Prize web site: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html 

  

TVA COAL ASH and RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Arrowhead Landfill near Uniontown,  Al. (photo - southernstudies.org)

 

TVA COAL ASH and RACIAL DISCRIMINATION: ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental Management) could loose all Federal funding, totaling near $54 million, due to discriminatory acts against minority peoples in the State of Alabama claims environmental groups and their attorneys.

The claim originated as a result of ADEM's refusal to meet with concerned citizens and environmental groups due to the dumping of TVA coal ash which has contaminated local water supplies in Uniontown, Alabama. Other states have refused to accept TVA's coal ash due to high contamination levels of dangerous substances such as Arsenic, Mercury, and other heavy metals.

"Montgomery, Ala. August 16, 2013. Citizens from Uniontown Alabama were denied permission by the Alabama Environmental Management Commission (EMC) to address environmental injustice and threats to their health and welfare resulting from operations of the Arrowhead Landfill located just outside of Uniontown. T...he EMC oversees the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), the state agency responsible for enforcing the permit for the landfill. The EMC also refused to hear from an environmental attorney regarding ADEM’s failure to properly consider civil rights issues in its permitting process that could put all federal funds it receives in jeopardy."

"The Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice, a nonprofit organization from Uniontown, was to present on August 16 the results from testing water samples taken by Samford University faculty from Arrowhead Landfill run-off and from a private well located on property adjacent to the landfill. The tests revealed elevated levels of arsenic and conductivity. Arsenic leaching from coal ash and coal ash dust is a known risk agent for cancer. The landfill has been a site of controversy since toxic coal ash residue from the holding pond failure at TVA’s power plant in Kingston Tennessee was transported to Uniontown in 2009 and 2010 for disposal." Attorneys for the group: David A. Ludder (850-386-5671 or DavidALudder@enviro-lawyer.com )
http://www.enviro-lawyer.com/TitleVICompliance.pdf

TVA presentation concerning the Uniontown Landfill: http://www.tva.com/kingston/roundtable_pics/Arrowhead.pdf

More problems - Landfill goes bankrupt: http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/02/alabama-dump-taking-tvas-spilled-coal-ash-declares-bankruptcy.html

Mad neighbors, destruction and contamination - would you be happy with this mess in your backyard? http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2011/03/hazardous-waste-from-kingston-coal-ash.html

This action is poised to cost Alabama taxpayers and TVA ratepayers an enormous amount of money. Discrimination, mismanagement and corruption does not bring positive results.

Full Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 20, 2013

Contact:
Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice: Ellis Long (334-231-5351 or elong@bellsouth.net)
ADEM Reform Coalition Co-Chairs: Casi Callaway (251-433-4229 or callaway@mobilebaykeeper.org); Michael Mullen (334-807-1365 or chocrivkeeper@gmail.com)
Aggrieved Presenter: David A. Ludder (850-386-5671 or DavidALudder@enviro-lawyer.com )

Citizens Denied Audience Before State Environmental Commission

Montgomery, Ala. August 16, 2013. Citizens from Uniontown Alabama were denied permission by the Alabama Environmental Management Commission (EMC) to address environmental injustice and threats to their health and welfare resulting from operations of the Arrowhead Landfill located just outside of Uniontown. The EMC oversees the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), the state agency responsible for enforcing the permit for the landfill. The EMC also refused to hear from an environmental attorney regarding ADEM’s failure to properly consider civil rights issues in its permitting process that could put all federal funds it receives in jeopardy.

The Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice, a nonprofit organization from Uniontown, was to present on August 16 the results from testing water samples taken by Samford University faculty from Arrowhead Landfill run-off and from a private well located on property adjacent to the landfill. The tests revealed elevated levels of arsenic and conductivity. Arsenic leaching from coal ash and coal ash dust is a known risk agent for cancer. The landfill has been a site of controversy since toxic coal ash residue from the holding pond failure at TVA’s power plant in Kingston Tennessee was transported to Uniontown in 2009 and 2010 for disposal.

A dozen citizens made the trip to support the planned request that the EMC instruct ADEM to take enforcement action against the Arrowhead Landfill to prevent more toxic contaminants from migrating from the residue. They want ADEM to exercise supervision and oversight of the landfill’s plan for remediation of the toxic discharge.

While the EMC did not technically disapprove the Black Belt Citizens group’s request to speak, the board voted to postpone the subject until after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes its investigation into charges that ADEM violated EPA requirements to protect the civil rights of citizens. It could be months or years before the civil rights claims are resolved by EPA. The EMC’s decision effectively denied the Uniontown group the opportunity to voice their concerns regarding immediate health threats.

The Black Belt Citizens also wanted to ask that ADEM support finding an alternative site for a spray field for the Uniontown Wastewater Treatment Plant which is currently proposed for a site off Perry County Rd 53. This site is considered unsuitable because of its high water table and proximity to residences and streams. Also, the soil types on the property have severe limitations for land application of wastewater because they will not percolate properly.

The EMC also disapproved the request of environmental attorney David A. Ludder who proposed to make a presentation on EPA’s civil rights requirements and ADEM’s failure to implement those requirements. Ludder’s planned presentation can be found at http://www.enviro-lawyer.com/TitleVICompliance.pdf.

“EMC Chairman H. Lanier Brown, II, a Birmingham attorney, claimed that the planned presentation concerned a matter that is the subject of a complaint being reviewed by EPA,” said Ludder. “Anyone can look at the presentation and see that it was not about any specific site or complaint.”

The Perry County group expected to be heard because the EMC Chairman Brown had previously indicated his approval and in the past the full EMC has followed the recommendation of the chair.  In neither instance did the EMC have a valid reason under its own rules for disapproving the presentations.

“This is a major step backward in one of the few areas where the ADEM Reform Coalition (ARC) has seen progress by ADEM.” stated Casi Callaway, Mobile Baykeeper and co-chair of the ARC, a statewide environmental group that has filed a petition with the EPA to remove ADEM’s permitting authority. “ARC has worked for twelve years to establish better communication between ADEM and citizens. For the EMC to disapprove the request after citizens traveled at their own expense to make the presentation, only to be denied their voice before a public entity, is not only shocking but unacceptable.”

The ARC’s initial response to the action of the EMC was to boycott a meeting with ADEM’s Director and staff scheduled to follow the EMC meeting.

Women's Equality Day - August 26, 2013

2013 Department of Defense poster,

courtesy of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI)

               

"August 26th is the anniversary of national woman suffrage.  Across the seventy-two years between the first major women’s rights conference at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848, and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, thousands of people participated in marches through cities like New York and Washington DC, wrote editorials and pamphlets, gave speeches all over the nation, lobbied political organizations, and held demonstrations with the goal of achieving voting rights for women.  Women also picketed the White House with questions like, “Mr. President, what are you going to do about woman’s suffrage?” “Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?”  This was the first time in history that a group of people picketed the White House." http://www.nwhm.org/blog/celebrate-equality-day/ 

 

Each time a girl opens a book and reads a womanless history,
she learns she is worth less.

– Myra Pollack Sadker

History helps us learn who we are, but when we don’t know our own history, our power and dreams are immediately diminished.

Multicultural American women are overlooked in most mainstream approaches to U.S. history, so the National Women’s History Project champions their accomplishments and leads the drive to write women back into history. http://www.nwhp.org/aboutnwhp/index.php

Race Relations in the United States and the Trayvon Martin Murder Case

UPDATE: Violent racists are terrorists and hate crimes are acts of terrorism: "The Sheriff of Franklin County, Tenn., says he and his investigators have learned a lot about hate groups since they began investigating a March killing...what he has learned about the Aryan Nations and similar groups is not anything he really ever wanted to know." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/apr/24/white-supremacists-still-alive-and-well/

POLL RESULTS: "A single event can take on great symbolic importance and change people’s perceptions of reality, especially when the media devote nearly constant attention to that event. The big media story of the killing of Trayvon Martin and the trial of George Zimmerman probably does not change the objective economic, social, and political circumstances of blacks and whites in the U.S. But it changed people’s perceptions of race relations." MSNBC/WSJ Poll- http://www.psmag.com/culture/how-the-zimmermanmartin-case-hurt-race-relations-in-the-united-states-63435/

President Obama's Remarks on the Trayvon Martin Case

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/07/19/remarks-president-trayvon-martin

28 COMMON RACIST ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS THAT INDICATE A DETOUR OR WRONG TURN INTO WHITE GUILT, DENIAL OR DEFENSIVENESS
  https://www.stcloudstate.edu/care/resources.aspx

RACE POWER and POLICY, DISMANTLING STRUCTURAL RACISM
http://racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/race_power_policy_workbook.pdf

Asian-Pacific Heritage Month

About Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).
Art above is "Warrior on White Cow"  by Yunnan Sheng (circa 1500?)

Like most commemorative months, Asian-Pacific Heritage Month originated in a congressional bill. In June 1977, Reps. Frank Horton of New York and Norman Y. Mineta of California introduced a House resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week. The following month, senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both were passed. On October 5, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating the annual celebration. Twelve years later, President George H.W. Bush signed an extension making the week-long celebration into a month-long celebration. In 1992, the official designation of May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month was signed into law.  http://asianpacificheritage.gov/

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley Ceremoniously Signs Scottsboro Boys Pardon at the Museum in Scottsboro

The Scottsboro Defendants with their Attorney Samuel Liebowitz. Alabama National Guard flank the defendants on the left and right. University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law presentation of the case which changed American Jurisprudence: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm

 

AP-Video: The Scottsboro Boys Pardon, Decades in the Making

 

 

"The governor officially signed Senate Bill 97, legislation that allows for posthumous pardons, on April 11 so it could meet its deadline. The defendants known as the Scottsboro Boys still have to be officially pardoned by the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. The governor also signed House Joint Resolution 20, a resolution sponsored by Representative John Robinson that formally exonerates the Scottsboro Boys." http://www.theclarion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6082:governor-bentley-signs-legislation-exonderating-the-scottsboro-boys&catid=42:clarion-rotation-stories&Itemid=142

 

Huntsville Times - Al.com:

"SCOTTSBORO, Alabama - Nine boys lined the center aisle of Joyce Chapel United Methodist Church, each waiting his turn to walk to the alter rail.
One-by-one the black youths moved forward, some shuffling their feet, nervous at the thought of speaking in front of so many people, others stepping confidently to the task at hand.
At the rail, each would light one of nine white candles, then turn to the people crowding the pews and announce in whose memory it was lit." http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/04/the_black_and_white_of_the_sco.html

"Clarence Norris Jr. was able to fill in some pieces of his childhood this morning when Gov. Robert Bentley signed historic legislation posthumously exonerating the nine young men known as the Scottsboro Boys, one of whom was Norris' father, a man he never knew." http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/04/post_1132.html

(Fair Use - educational not for profit)"al.com" photo by/Bob Gathnay

Slide Show of event: http://photos.al.com/huntsville-times/2013/04/scottsboro_boys_legislation_1.html

 

Early Scottsboro Boys Museum history photo-video

 

(Photo video by Garry Morgan)

Video of the Pardon Event


(You Tube video by Left in Alabama)

Scottsboro Boys Pardon Likely to be Signed This Week (In Scottsboro?) An Example of "White Guilt" or Republican Grandstanding?

{fair use-Gov Bentley's Face Book photo, cropped)

 

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is likely to sign Scottsboro Boys Pardon this week in Scottsboro sources report.

Update Apr 13, 2013: Scottsboro's Daily Sentinel reports Gov. Bentley will be in Scottsboro Thursday, Apr. 18 to ceremoniously sign the bill. The local paper also reports Jesse Jackson may also be in town for the signing.

 

"Jeremy King, a spokesman for Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, said he expects the bill to be signed this week allowing the posthumous pardons, reversing convictions that became a symbol of racial injustice in a case that led to the end of black exclusion from juries in the South." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-08/alabama-pardons-scottsboro-boys-82-years-after-injustice.html

 

(photo, fair use - http://wowcatherine.tumblr.com/image/44615443692 )

 Director of the Scottsboro Boys Museum, Sheila Washington, announces introduction to the Scottsboro Boys Act at the Alabama Statehouse. Catherine Schreiber Productions blog: http://wowcatherine.tumblr.com/page/2  

 

Dr. Shelby Steele describes "white guilt": "Steele believes that the use of victimization is the greatest hindrance for black Americans. In his view, white Americans see blacks as victims to ease their guilty conscience, while blacks attempt to turn their status as victims into a kind of currency that will purchase nothing of real or lasting value. Therefore, he claims, blacks must stop "buying into this zero-sum game" by adopting a "culture of excellence and achievement" without relying on "set-asides and entitlements.^{" "} Steele, Shelby (2006-05-02). White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era. Harper Collins.  http://www.law.uc.edu/sites/default/files/fcj1.1.steele%20reviewed%20by%20ryan.pdf

About Dr. Steele, from Stanford University: http://www.hoover.org/fellows/10347

 

The question remains, what will the pardon act accomplish; does it create a race relations education program in the state; does it provide adequate criminal indigent defense funding? The answer is no.

http://arklite.blogspot.com/2012/12/watch-for-snakes-particularly-in-our.html

 

Alabama Republicans claim they know what is best for women: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/02/07/1552611/alabama-trap-laws/?mobile=nc

 

Will Alabama Republicans continue their efforts to destroy the Voting Rights Act and Public Education, the great equalizer, in Alabama?

Civil Rights Attorneys file suit to protect Voting Rights: http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/projects/voting_rights/page?id=0073

  

Days of Remembrance

"The United States Congress established the Days of Remembrance as our nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust and created the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a permanent living memorial to the victims. Holocaust Remembrance Day is Monday, April 8, 2013."  http://www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/

2013 Days of Remembrance Theme

Never Again: Heeding the Warning Signs

"Seventy-five years ago, momentous changes were occurring in Central Europe. Few understood the historic significance of the times, and fewer still saw these events as precursors to what would become one of humanity’s darkest hours."

"By 1938 the Nazis had been in power for five years, during which they systematically removed Jews from public life in Germany, stripping them of their rights as citizens and severely limiting their employment opportunities. In that pivotal year, the year before Germany invaded Poland and ignited World War II, the treatment of Jews took a dramatic turn for the worse. With the German Reich’s annexation of Austria in March and its incorporation of the Czech border areas—which the nations of the world failed to prevent at the Munich conference in September—an additional 200,000 Jews fell under Nazi rule and became targets of intense persecution, humiliation, and violence." Learn more at:
http://www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/years/detail.php?content=2013

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Online Exhibitions

These special online exhibitions present new subjects and also extend the reach of Museum public programs and special exhibitions.

• Rescue and Resistance
• Children
• U.S.
• Antisemitism
• Persecution
• Aftermath
• Camps

• Ghettos
• Propaganda
• Documentation and Evidence
• Remembrance/Commemoration/Legacy
• Film
• General Reference

For more information:  http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/

Womens History Month 2013

 

For March 2013, the National Women’s History Project selected the theme, "Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics." It is with great pleasure that we announce the Honorees for National Women’s History Month 2013. The 18 women chosen are all extraordinary visionaries and role models in the STEM fields, where women are still noticeably underrepresented.  http://www.nwhp.org/whm/honorees2012.php

Womens History Month Facts, U.S. Department of the Census

National Women's History Month's roots go back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women's Day was first observed in 1909, but it wasn't until 1981 that Congress established National Women's History Week to be commemorated the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women's History Month, and the President has issued a proclamation.

158.3 million
The number of females in the United States in 2011. The number of males was 153.3 million.
Source: Population Estimates: 2011, Table NC_EST2011_01
<http://www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2011/index.html>
At 65 and older, there were 13.3 percent more women than men in 2011. Source: Population Estimates: 2011, Table NC_EST2011_01
<http://www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2011/index.html>

For more census facts about women: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb13-ff04.html

Women in Military Service: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2012/0212_womenshistory/

RACISM - Voting Rights Act Under Attack in Alabama - Supreme Court to Decide Issue

Here we are 47 years after the Voting Rights Act being signed into law and seperatist state rights politicians want to have it stripped: ""The record is replete with evidence to show that you should" continue the act reauthorized by Congress in 2006, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said early in the 75-minute hearing. "There's been a real record to what Alabama has done to earn its place on the list."
Justice Elena Kagan also pointed to Alabama's dark history of racism, noting the state's presence at the tops of various lists for challenges pertaining to sections of the Voting Rights Act." http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/02/us_supreme_court_justices_poin.html

"Once again, race is front and center at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday. And once again, the bull's eye is the 1965 Voting Rights Act, widely viewed as the most effective and successful civil rights legislation in American history. Upheld five times by the court, the law now appears to be on life support." http://www.npr.org/2013/02/27/173012038/supreme-court-weighs-future-of-voting-rights-act

Voting Rights Testimonials

Will the Exoneration of the "Scottsboro Boys" Correct Racial Injustice?

Jul 26, 1937- Titled "Enjoying Their Freedom." Byline on reverse of photo reads: Samuel Liebowitz and the 4 youths he defended in the famed Scottsboro case wave farewell as they leave for New York after viewing a movie at Cincinnati. Those freed are Eugene Williams, Roy Wright, Willie Roberson and Olen Montgomery. (original press photo owned  by G. Morgan purchased from Historical Images-Memphis, Tn. May 9, 2012)

 

There is much being said about the exoneration of the Scottsboro Defendants known as the "Scottsboro Boys." But is it the right thing to do, will it correct the old sickness of racism or right the wrong of 80 years ago?

 No, unless there is an action to correct current injustice and racial discrimination.

I do not believe the legislature has any power to reverse a judicial decision of a court of law in a criminal case. That is called the separation of powers, Alabama Constitution - Article III, Section 43; U.S. Constitution Articles 1,2,3. The governor cannot pardon a dead person according to the Department of Pardons. "State rules don’t allow posthumous pardons by the state parole board."  
http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/02/alabama_lawmakers_seek_pardon.html

Quotes from the above article on al.com: ""It’s past time to right this wrong that was perpetrated back 80 years ago,” said Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, one of the sponsors of the legislation. Historian Wayne Flynt said it is almost universally agreed by people who have studied the case that the nine youths were not guilty."

The wrong of 80 years ago was corrected by the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act and the removal of racist Jim Crow laws from our justice system. In this case politicians and others are seeking publicity from the suffering of the Scottsboro Defendants. Mr. Flynt's comments are true, however "it is almost universally agreed...the nine youths were not guilty" is not a valid reason for a pardon or exoneration.

What does an exoneration for the Scottsboro Defendants do today to correct injustice and facilitate race relations education? Nothing unless:

1) Significant indigent defense funds must be provided for the poor. Currently the large majority of prisoners in Alabama and the United States are minorities. According to Department of Justice statistics http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/p11.pdf (Table 7 of the link pg 7) minority males comprise nearly twice the number of whites in the prison system. When looking at the statistics for the incarceration rates per 100,000 population the racial discrimination is dramatic and revealing (table 8, pg 8 of the DOJ document link); for male minorities (black and hispanic) the incarceration rate is 8.9 times the rate for white incarcerations; for female minorities the incarceration rate is equally dismal at 3.9 times the incarceration rate for white females. To solve this problem adequate defense funds must be provided and race relations education programs addressing discrimination and racism in our schools must be implemented.

2) Funding for race relations education in our school system designed to address the age old disease of racism. The creation of a Race Relations Education position within our school systems to: a)develop a race relations curriculum, and b) teach race relations related subjects for the purpose of ending racism in our state. An example may be found in Seattle, Washington: "The position comes with a broad job description that includes developing a district wide program to train staff, parents and community members on cultural awareness and understanding; devising instructional methods designed to combat institutional racism; and responding to requests for information and support from schools, departments, staff and families. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seattle-Pub...

If an Act of the Legislature to provide adequate indigent defense funds and a state wide system of race relations education was created in the name of the Scottsboro Defendants and attached to any bill which would attempt to exonerate the Scottsboro Defendants then the efforts of many would be well worth it. As it stands the current effort to pardon or exonerate the Scottsboro Defendants is nothing more than a charade and feel good effort to facilitate publicity for politicians and glory seekers. The bottom line is this: Race Relations Education is the key to end racial discrimination, "put your money where your mouth is" Legislature and Governor stop the glory seeking on the backs of the Scottsboro Defendants horrendous suffering at the hands of Jim Crow injustice. 

"Let Justice be done though the heavens may fall." Judge James E Horton. Original photo from World Wide Photo's Cleveland Bureau (owned by G. Morgan purchased on Jun 29, 2011 from Historical Images, Memphis, Tn.) Reverse reads:

 

African American History Month 2013

http://nmaahc.si.edu/

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/

On August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. began his speech by declaring, "Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity ... In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check."

In 2013 the country will commemorate two events that changed the course of the nation – the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington. Standing as milestone moments in the grand sweep of American history, these achievements were the culmination of decades of struggles by individuals – both famous and unknown – who believed in the American promise that this nation was dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal." Separated by 100 years, they are linked together in a larger story of freedom and the American experience.

To commemorate these two pivotal achievements, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture will present an exhibition that explores the historical context of these two crucial events, their accomplishments and limitations, and their impact on the generations that followed. The exhibition will be on view from Dec. 14, 2012 through Sept. 15, 2013. http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/changing-america

BLACK HISTORY MONTH - SCOTTSBORO, ALABAMA, Daily Sentinel
James Allen, Boys & Girls Club-Scottsboro "We do our best to keep the kids busy," says Allen. "If they're busy, you don't have to worry about them getting in trouble."  http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_b901f154-5698-11e1-9299-001871e3ce6c.html 

Scottsboro 6th Annual MLK Day Keynote by Doug Williams

RESOLUTION TO EXONERATE THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS
"A press conference is scheduled in Montgomery on Monday, Feb. 4 to announce a resolution calling for the exoneration of the Scottsboro Boys." http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_2fe9d33a-6bcf-11e2-a04f-0019bb2963f4.html

The exoneration effort is a feel good endeavor to bolster politicians and whites who feel guilty about racism. For some white politicians it gives them the opportunity to say: "“It’s important that we right the wrongs as best we can.”"  It does nothing toward ending racism or correcting the historical past. A real impact would be a bill in the legislature which supports and mandates state wide Race Relations education in our school system as part of American and Alabama History.

Another viable suggestion would be an apology to African Americans in the state by the Governor and Legislature for the racist practices of Jim Crow leadership and laws in Alabama with the assurance that such injustice will never occur again. I do not think that will occur; what probably will occur is the attempt to reverse the decision of a court by an unconstitutional act violating the Seperation of Powers of our government. "Two wrongs never make a right."

The current plan to pardon or exonerate will make politicians feel good and support those who are grand standing charlatans, but it does nothing toward ending racism and fostering race relations education.

"ALABAMA CIVIL RIGHTS" How Birmingham changed our nation: http://www.al.com/civil-rights/

BLACK FOLKS AND CASH CROPS


REMEMBERING THE LEGACY - AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE MILITARY
http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2007/BlackHistoryMonth/Index.html

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH IMAGE GALLERY 2013 - LaBonneVivante

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday

(Dr. King poster at left created for Department of Defense)

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. It is also a day of intercultural cooperation, to commemorate the timeless values he taught us, such as courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility, and service. It is held the third Monday of January, shortly after his birthday, Jan. 21, 2013.
Nobel Prize  The King Center  Library of Congress Section   ( http://www.public.navy.mil/BUPERS-NPC/SUPPORT/DIVERSITY/Pages/DiversityObservances.aspx )

"As the boycott gained strength, its impact on Montgomery City Lines bus company was immediately apparent. On 3 January 1956, Montgomery City Lines informed the city commission of the need to double fares in order to keep operating."

"As the most visible leader of the boycott, King was threatened repeatedly over the course of the 13-month boycott. On 30 January 1956, King's house was bombed while he spoke at a mass meeting. His wife and daughter escaped uninjured, and King urged supporters to continue their commitment to nonviolence." http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/

Dr. King discusses his motivations behind his philosophy of non-violent resistance.




Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute