Freedom Facts and Firsts

Linda T Wynn, Jessie Carney Smith

Description

Spanning nearly 400 years from the early abolitionists to the present, Freedom Facts and Firsts: 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience profiles more than 400 people, places, and events that have shaped the history of the black struggle for freedom.

Covering such mainstay figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks as well as delving into how lesser known figures contributed to and shaped the history of civil rights, Freedom Facts and Firsts chronicles the breadth and passion of an entire people's quest for freedom. Among the inspiring stories found in this comprehensive resource are:

How the Housewives' League of Detroit started a nationwide movement to support black businesses, helping many to survive the Great Depression.

What effect the sports journalist Samuel Harold Lacy had on Jackie Robinson's historic entrance into the major leagues.

How the 9th and 10th Calvary and the 24th and 25th Infantry became known as the Buffalo Soldiers, a term of respect and endearment.

How Whoopi Goldberg survived poverty, drug addiction, single parenthood, and a welfare income and used her personal history to take a satirical look at social issues.

How world champion bicyclist Marshall “Major” Taylor was the first American-born black champion in any sport.

How in 1890 John Mercer Langston became the first black U.S. congressman elected from his native state of Virginia.

This inspiring resource offers an encouraging look at the historic struggles and triumphs of black men and women in politics, arts, music, journalism, law, social work and sports, the authors chart a full and inspiring history of African American activism!

Sujets

• Ethnic Studies
• Black Studies
• Civil Rights
• Social Science
• Cultural
• HISTORY
• POLITICAL SCIENCE
• Sociologie, société et politique
• African-American history
• Black History Month
• Suffix (name)
• Civil and political rights
• Underground Railroad
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• African American
• American
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• Chemin de fer clandestin
• JR
• Mois de l'histoire des Noirs
• Malcolm X
• Martin Luther King

Informations

• Publié par: Visible Ink Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781578592319
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

400Years oftheAfricanAmerican Civil Rights Experience J E S S I E C A R N E Y S M I T H L I N D A T. W Y N N

About the Editors

Jessie Carney Smithis University Librarian and William and Camille Cosby Profes- sor in the Humanities at Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee. As scholar, researcher, editor, and writer, she has published over 20 books. Her works include Black Firsts,2nd ed., andBlack Heroes,both published by Visible Ink Pre ss; other works includeNotable Black American Women(Books 1- 3),Notable Black American Men(Books 1 and 2), Encyclopedia of African American Business(two volumes),Epic Lives, Powerful Black Women,and Black Genealogy. Her numerous honors include being the recipient of the Women’s National Book Association Award, the Candace Awards in Education,Sagemagazine’s Anna J. Cooper Award, Black Women in the Academy’s Distin- guished Service and Leadership Award, Bennett College for Women’s Bell Ringer Award, and the ACRL/Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Award. A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Dr. Smith is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, Michigan State University, and Vanderbilt University; she received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois.

Linda T. Wynnis the assistant director for state programs for the Tennessee Historical Commission and a fac- ulty member in the his- tory department at Fisk University. A graduate of Tennessee State Uni- versity, she also earned M.S. degrees in history and in public administration from that institu- tion. Devoted to teaching on the topic of civil rights, she helped to design the module “Civil Rights Movement in Nashville” forThe Beloved Community: Then and Now,a collaboration course among American Baptist College, Fisk University’s Department of History, and Lip- scomb University. She editedJourney to Our Past: A Guide to African-American Markers in Ten- nesseeand co-editedProfiles of African Americans in Tennessee. Other works include contributions to theTennessee Encyclopedia of Culture and His- tory, Tennessee Women: Their Lives and Times, Notable Black American Men(Book 2),African American National Biography, The History of African Americans in Tennessee: Trials and Tri- umphs,andAfrican American Almanac.Wynn also served as a consultant and contributor for theEncyclopedia of African American Business.

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Also from Visible Ink Press

Black Firsts, ISBN 978-1-57859-142-8 Black Heroes, ISBN 978-1-57859-136-7 The Handy History Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-170-1

For a complete list of titles, please visit us at visibleink.com.

Freedom Facts and Firsts 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience

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Freedom Facts and Firsts: 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience

Jessie Carney Smith and Linda T. Wynn

Copyright © 2009 by Visible Ink Press®

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Cover photos: Maya Angelou, AP Photo/Charles Dharapak; Eleanor Holmes Norton, AP Photo/Adrian Keating; Barack Obama, AP Photo/Rick Bowmer,File; Angela Davis, AP Photo/Jeff Zelevansky; all others, AP Photo.

Library of Congress CataloguinginPublication Data

Smith, Jessie Carney. Freedom facts and firsts : 400 years of the African American civil rights experience / Jessie Carney Smith and Linda T. Wynn. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-57859-192-3 (pbk.) — ISBN 978-1-57859-243-2 (ebook) 1. African Americans—Civil rights—History. 2. United States—Race rela- tions—History. 3. Civil rights workers—United States—Biography. 4. African American civil rights workers—Biography. 5. African Ameri- cans—Biography. I. Wynn, Linda T. II. Title.

E185.61.S636 2009

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

323.1196’073—dc22 2008041503

Freedom Facts and Firsts 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience

Jessie Carney Smith and Linda T. Wynn, Editors

Detroit

Contributors

Crystal Anne deGregoryis a doctoral stu- dent in history at Vanderbilt University. She has contributed articles toAfrican American National Biography, Encyclopedia of African American Busi- ness,andNotable Black American Men(Book 2).

Rebecca Dixonis assistant professor in the Department of Languages, Literature, and His- tory at Tennessee State University. Her concen- trations are in American, African American, and Caribbean literature. She has contributed arti- cles to theEncyclopedia of African American Business.

Cheryl Jones Hambergis assistant librarian for Technical Services at Fisk University and retired chief librarian from Meharry Medical College. Her writings are included inEncyclope- dia of African American BusinessandNotable Black American Men(Book 2).

Mary N. Hernandezis a volunteer in the Fisk University Library and a retired librarian from the District of Columbia Public Library. She has contributed toCollege and Research LibrariesandRacial and Ethnic Diversity in Aca- demic Libraries: Multicultural Issues.

Helen R. Houstonis professor of English at Tennessee State University. Her publications includeThe Afro-American Novel, 1965–1975

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and articles inEncyclopedia of African American Business, Notable Black American Women(Books 1 and 2),Notable Black American Men,and the Oxford Companion to African American Literature.

Fletcher F. Moonis assistant professor and head reference librarian at Tennessee State Uni- versity. He is active in research, editing, music/ministry, and in other areas, and has pub- lished articles inEncyclopedia of African Ameri- can BusinessandNotable Black American Men (Book 2).

Victor Simmonsserves as curator of Fisk University Galleries, adjunct art history instruc- tor at Fisk, and as a commissioner for the Met- ropolitan Nashville Arts Commission. His work was recently included in the exhibition “Fragile Species: New Nashville Artists” at the Frist Cen- ter for the Visual Arts. Simmons co-authored Building Your Future: Using Architecture in the Classroom.

Frederick D. Smithis an information resource support specialist for the State of Ten- nessee, owner of the digital design company DigiDox, and a consultant in technology. He has contributed articles toEncyclopedia of African American Business,andNotable Black American Men(Books 1 and 2).

Contents

Introduction ix … Acknowledgments xiii … Foreword xv

Arts and Entertainment 1 Movements … Artists … Entertainers Filmmakers … Films … Music … Music Entrepreneur … Singers … Literature … Writers Civil Rights 23 Cities and Towns … Freedom Celebrations Protests … Race Consciousness … Speeches Education 81 Colleges and Universities … Integration of Colleges and Universities … Curriculum Educators … School Desegregation Protest Training School Journalism 119 Journalists … Magazines … News Services Newspapers

Law and Government 139 Attorneys … Civil Rights Commission Civil Rights Laws and Cases … Executive Order Federal Commission … Federal Officials and Intervention … The Military Prisons … Resolutions

Organizations 195 Groups … Leaders

Political Activists 237 Abolitionists … Civil Rights Activists Lynching Victim … Protest Letter

Religion 287 Churches … Leaders … Religious Education Sports 315 Automobile Racing … Baseball … Basketball Bowling … Boxing … Cycling … Football Golf … Horse Racing … Olympics Tennis … Sports Writers

Bibliography 349 … Index 369

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