Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #BlackHistoryMonth

Most recents (24)

Darren Rodwell, leader of Barking & Dagenham council, & according to the @guardian "a rising figure in the @UKLabour party" is threatening to evict families if their children do not inform on people who commit knife crime.

I'm no expert, but WTAF?

theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/j…
Rodwell’s threat of eviction presents young people with a horrific & potentially life-threatening dilemma between fear of retribution if they inform, & the risk of their families losing their homes if they don't.

Imho, no child should ever be forced to face this decision.
The council said it would rehouse families if providing evidence placed them at risk. "IF"? And to where? This sounds crazy.

A London-based youth worker said the policy put the emphasis “on vulnerable young people, rather than tackling the inequalities that lead to knife crime”.
Read 5 tweets
🧵Good morning, friends! Today marks the 13th #VisibleWomen event! This will be a thread that goes over the history & basics then we'll get started. Submission instructions also posted here: milkfed.us/events/visible…
What is the #VisibleWomen project? It's a effort to raise the profiles of women in the comic book industry **in order to get them work**. (More on that last part in a bit.)
For the next roughly 8 hours, this feed will signal boost portfolio & CV links of women in comics and related industries. We will then put those names and links on a spreadsheet database that is made available FOR FREE to any hiring professionals in the industry. #VisibleWomen
Read 22 tweets
@FuzzyDanSo @DianeB528 @Rasmussen_Poll Wow

1924 not quite century ago😲

But now you're scraping barrel for straws to clutch by going back to 1919😱🤦‍♂️

Part of what #ScottAdams says is Blacks can't move forward if always focussed on past

And can AND WILL only move forward if #EducateYourself

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1633101…
@FuzzyDanSo @DianeB528 @Rasmussen_Poll Talking of #EducateYourself

#RedSummer of 1919 caused 38 deaths in Chicago & 15 in Washington DC😲

That's a bad weekend in the Hood!😱🤦‍♂️

And partly fueled by elites using Blacks as strikebreakers

Partly by left-wing activists using Blacks as weapon to divide

No change there!
@FuzzyDanSo @DianeB528 @Rasmussen_Poll But hey

If your folks & you find the country that adopted you so horrible

You've got over 200 other countries to choose from

If the US is so bad why not emigrate again to somewhere better

Or are you looking for as good as can be in the circumstances for the time to destroy!😱
Read 16 tweets
Rachel Pringle Polgreen, a free mulatto woman, became infamous during the 1770s to 1780s, as the first woman of color to own a Hotel-Tavern in Bridgetown, Barbados, based on the (sexual) entertainment of transient British Naval Officers.

A historical thread.
Visitors to this hotel included numerous prominent officers and on one occasion, Prince William of England.
Polgreen was born in Barbados in 1753 as Rachel Lauder, the daughter of an enslaved African mother and her owner, William Lauder.
Lauder was a Scottish schoolmaster who fled England in disgrace after he had written and published attacks on the English poet John Milton. When Rachel’s father began to make sexual advances on her and she refused him, he became abusive and whipped her.
Read 12 tweets
#StopWokeAct #BlackAmericaHistoryIsAmericaHistory #policiesmatter

Florida House passes ‘Stop WOKE Act’ to limit talks on race, gender, and discrimination in schools, workplaces
thehill.com/changing-ameri…
@AllenLEllison - A message for Ron DeSantis. White supremacists are jumping on your anti-woke bandwagon because it serves their agenda. You love it and accept it because it serves yours. They are one in the same. #Staywoke #BlackHistoryMonth
Florida has two senators in the United States - govtrack.us/congress/membe…

FLORIDA Senators - flsenate.gov/Senators

Stop WOKE” Act (HB 7) - flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2…

FLORIDA House of Representatives - myfloridahouse.gov/representatives
Read 8 tweets
Did you know that Canada has a history of enslaving Black people?

Although our history gets shadowed by the atrocities committed in the United States, we still have our own history of enslaving Black people.

A 🧵 #BlackHistoryMonth #BLM
In 1689, Slavery was officially passed as legislature in New France by King Louis XIV.

New France was the French Colony of Canada.
In the 1620s the first Black person to be sold into slavery was a 6 year old boy, Olivier Le Jeune from Madagascar.

At 9 years old he told a Jesuite Priest, "you say that by baptism I shall be like you: I am black and you are white, I must have my skin taken off to be like you."
Read 11 tweets
🧵

with Ron DeSantis banning Black history classes, know that the erasure of Black history is a common form of white supremacist violence

so common that Cecil Rhodes, as in Rhodes Scholarship, tried to destroy a medieval African city to hide the truth

#BlackHistoryMonth #BHM
the country, Zimbabwe, is named after the medieval city, Great Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe was made of stone, built by the ancestors of the Shona

when Cecil Rhodes colonized the land in the 1890s, he refused to acknowledge that Black people built the city

#BlackHistoryMonth
Cecil Rhodes hired archeologists to study the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, and each one reported the same answer: Black people built the city

with no scientific support for his racism, Rhodes opted to destroy evidence of the city’s Black origin

#BlackHistoryMonth
Read 9 tweets
It's the last day of #BlackHistoryMonth, let's talk about Ernest Everett Just.

Just's story weaves together good, rigorous science with racism & tragedy.

He was born in 1883 in seaside Charleston, South Carolina.
By age 4, his father & grandfather had died, leaving his teacher mother to raise him & 4 siblings.

At a young age, he was sick w typhoid for 6 weeks. Afterwards, because of resulting brain damage, he had to re-learn how to read & write.
At 16, his mother sent him to a 4 yr prep school in New Hampshire, then she died the following year. He finished in 3 years with the highest grades in the class.
Read 16 tweets
Today is the last day of #BlackHistoryMonth.

#FortBendCounty #Texas is home to a breadth of important Black history—and underrecognized history-makers.

Today, I rise to recognize #BenjaminFranklinWilliams, one of Fort Bend's first Black civic leaders.

(thread) Portrait of State Represent...
Williams (1819–1886) was born into slavery. As part of the slave trade, he was repeatedly uprooted and relocated across the southern United States, until reaching the Texas gulf coast region in 1859.
Here, Williams became involved in politics and quickly ascended as a formidable political leader – not just for his community, but for the entire state.

He served as vice-president of the Loyal Union League, a pro-Lincoln organization that mobilized Blacks and Unionists.
Read 13 tweets
UNIT PROFILE – BLACK SOLDIERS IN THE WAR WITH SPAIN

"They fought their way into the hearts of the American people."
– Lieutenant John J. Pershing

#ArmyHistory #USArmy #TRADOC #BuffaloSoldier #SpanishAmericanWar #BlackHistoryMonth #ArmyHeritage
In the small standing force maintained by the U.S. Army at the start of the War with Spain in 1898, a many Black soldiers served in the Army across four segregated regiments: the 9th and 10th Cav. and the 24th and 25th Inf. (collectively referred to as the Buffalo Soldiers).
The force committed to the land campaign in Cuba during the War with Spain had a total strength of about 15,000 men. Of its 26 regiments, three were composed of U.S. Volunteers while most were Regular Army regiments, including the four Buffalo Soldier regiments.
@USArmy
Read 6 tweets
The US banned Hawaiian language, poisons our water, devastated our universal healthcare, overthrew our country, & illegally occupies Hawaii to this day. My mother's hands were broken for speaking Hawaiian in school. The US is not a beacon, but the destroyer of independence.
As America 'considers' canceling student debt, remember 1800's Hawaii had the world's highest literacy rate, invented submarines when Western sci-fi dreamt them, had first-class rail & hydro powered cities & we had FREE education before the US' treachery and privatization.
Hawaii was the first country in the world with high-quality mass-accessible public education, with over 70 newspapers in a country of less than 1 million. It's no wonder we electrified, provided mass transit, and invented torpedo-proof vessels, leaving the West in the dust.
Read 13 tweets
100 years ago, in 1923, a lie by a white woman that she’d been sexually assaulted by a black man, led to the destruction of the predominantly African American town of Rosewood, Florida, thus the Rosewood Massacre. #BlackHistoryMonth

A THREAD
Rosewood was a quiet, self-sufficient town in Florida. By 1900 the population in Rosewood had become predominantly African-American. Some people farmed or worked in local businesses, including a sawmill in nearby predominantly white town.
A rumour spread by a white woman, Fanny Taylor, sparked a massacre in the predominantly black town. Taylor claimed she was sexually assaulted in her house by a Black man. A group of white men believed her claims that she was raped by Jesse Hunter, a recently escaped convict.
Read 8 tweets
A few years ago, amid civil rights uprisings, I committed to launch a bi-national initiative to transform anti-Black public space discrimination to equitable public space through policy reform. Here’s our first BOLD Policy Project Brief:

windsorlawcities.ca/wp-content/upl…
Huge shout out to my primary collaborator Professor @annekersmit & @WLCitiesCentre, my generous funders @UWGreaterTO (Trustee), @UnitedWayCgy & @TorontoFdn & Professor L. Anders Sandberg for their invaluable support.
Here’s our project webpage, which is a living, dynamic policy transformation toolkit. We’ll be adding evidence-based & practice resources, community engagement info, a municipal policy review report, a survey, etc. over the next year.
windsorlawcities.ca/bold-policy-pr…
Read 4 tweets
For Black History Month @TLM is highlighting Octavia Butler, an incredible visionary. A Black author of science-fiction, Octavia Butler challenged the genre that has historically been written by white men.
Butler opened up readers to alternate futures, challenged both gender and racial stereotypes, and reshaped the genre of science fiction.
The TLM employee who was inspired by Octavia Butler’s work shared, “Butler's books are great as imaginative, futuristic worlds that make insightful connections to our own, in particular with regards to systems of oppression, and resistance to them.”
Read 4 tweets
MUSEUM MONDAY - ARTIFACT HIGHLIGHT - 82nd ABN MUSEUM

The All-Black 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion was Fighting Balloons before the Air Force.

#ArmyHistory #USArmy #TRADOC #AATW #82ndairbornedivision #Armymuseums #BlackHistoryMonth #OperationFirefly @USArmy @TRADOC Image
The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion company headquarters infantry guidon is currently on exhibit at the 82d Museum. The 555th was an African American parachute unit during World War II and was based primarily at Pendleton, Oregon and Chico, California.

@TradocCG @82ndABNDiv
In April 1945, the 555th was sent to US West Coast as smoke jumpers to combat forest fires that Japanese balloons ignited. During “Operation Firefly” from April to October 1945, the 555th made 1,200 jumps and helped suppress thirty-six forest fires. One paratrooper was killed. Image
Read 5 tweets
Monroe. N. Work compiled most of the data on African Americans @TuskegeeUniv starting in 1908 to the 1940s. He was a data pioneer that helped fuel the cause of racial justice with facts. #BlackHistoryMonth /🧵: nightingaledvs.com/monroe-nathan-…
Monroe N. Work was an African American sociologist, scholar, and researcher who spent his life collecting information and helping others to understand it. The highlight of his career, according to Work, was the nine editions of the Negro Year Book between 1912 and 1938.
He collaborated with W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington, positioning him at the intersection of Black leadership and education in the US for most of his life. He started the Dept. of Records and Research at the Tuskegee (@TuskegeeUniv) to collect facts:
Read 10 tweets
1/4 Some say segregation was better as integration didn't work- it worked as it was designed. Let me explain. In a fully equitable integration - POWER, RESOURCES, and RESPONSIBILITIES are shared. The version done was for Blk ppl spending $$$ in whyte establishments while housing
2/4 half ass came later, anyway let's start at Brown vs. Bd of Education another half ass implemented policy Congress did the wink and nod to racists (religion and private schools popped up -white only) public school closed for years so as not to integrate. Still in '23
3/4 continues to lack and now some want to do away with DOE altogether. Next, sports - integration help WHITE sports whose attendance was falling and they got talent from the Negro league which helped THEM however spelled the end of the league. Also, keeping the Blk $$$ within
Read 5 tweets
SOLDIER PROFILE – SERGEANT FIRST CLASS ALWYN C. CASHE, MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT

Born in 1970 SFC Cashe was infantryman who served during 1991’s Operation DESERT STORM and 2003’s Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, earning a posthumous Medal of Honor for his actions in that conflict.
During his third combat tour, SFC Cashe was serving with the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd ID. On the evening of 17 OCT 2005, he was on a patrol when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) struck an IED, crippling the BFV and causing it to burst into flames.
Drenched in fuel, Cashe leapt from the gunner position and ran to BFV’s rear to help soldiers escape. As Cashe braved the flames his fuel-soaked uniform ignited; he persevered despite severe burns, pulling seven soldiers and a translator from the burning BFV.
@TradocCG
Read 5 tweets
As part of #BlackHistoryMonth, we take a lyrical journey from Western Sudan to Naija to reclaim & celebrate our history with #Sankofa by M.anifest.

The breakdown

Sankofa
————
Intro
Uhuh, go back…
Go back and reclaim it…
———
The intro is just an interpretation of the title—Sankofa; or more properly "San kɔ fa"—Go back & take. It's from the proverb, "Sɛ wo werɛ fi na wo san kɔ fa a, yɛnkyi"—It's not a taboo or an abomination to go back for something you've forgotten.
Whenever we realise we've made a bad judgement call, we should reverse the process & make the right one, if it's possible. "It encourages learning from the past to inform the future, reaching back to move forward, and lifting as we climb".

adinkrasymbols.org/symbols/sankof…
Read 83 tweets
Today's Black History Month illustration is of Josephine Baker. She was a world famous entertainer, WWII spy, and activist. #BlackHistoryMonth #illustration An illustration of Josephine Baker by Alleanna Harris
Freda Josephine McDonald was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1906. Her parents were both vaudeville performers, but Baker would have to take on odd jobs to help support her family. A black and white photo of Josephine Baker in the 20s
At the age of 15, she ran off and joined a dance troupe from Philadelphia. She also got married, took her husband’s last name, dropped her first name and started going by the name Josephine Baker.
Read 13 tweets
137.01/ Week one-hundred and thirty-seven, February 25-March 3, 2023, thread begins here.

Week 136 below.
137.02/ #MotzeiShabbatMovieNight has turned into watching a live #Mets game with the full booth of Gary, Keith, and Ron. Oh, how I missed this. I should've benched Shehechiyanu. #LGM
137.03/ For your reading pleasure: my wife, Dr. Rebecca Cypess', just published piece in honor of #BlackHistoryMonth about Ignatius Sancho, an Enlightenment era Black composer. Plus bonus @lizzo content!
earlymusicamerica.org/web-articles/2…
Read 7 tweets
Before #BlackHistoryMonth is over, here’s a bit of #BlackHerstory: It's 1988. Dangle earrings & massive wigs have me in a chokehold. I’d recently become the 1st black woman to win an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy so I took my sister, Brenda, to Paris to celebrate.
We were walking in front of the Arc de Triomphe on a gorgeous day and Brenda was being an unbelievable drag. She was begging me to go to Versailles and I couldn’t think of anything that sounded more BORING.

“Go by yourself,” I said. “I don’t need to be bothered with you.” 💅🏾
Well, THAT set her off! She shouted: “You think ‘cause you’re a big Hollywood star you don’t need to act like a decent person or show a goddamn ounce of consideration for somebody else!”

Then she reached out, tore my wig off, and ran away with it.
Read 9 tweets
UNIT PROFILE – 99TH FIGHTER SQUADRON (TUSKEGEE AIRMEN)

Among the most iconic units to fight in WWII were the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of all-Black fighter and bomber units which proved that Black airmen were just as capable as their white counterparts.

#Armyhistory #USArmy
The leading edge of the Tuskegee Airmen was the 99th Fighter Squadron (originally the 99th Pursuit Squadron). The first of the U.S. Army Air Forces units collectively called the Tuskegee Airmen, the men of the 99th began training in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1941.
#TRADOC #WW2
Armed with P-40 Warhawks, the 99th shipped off to the Mediterranean Theater in APR 1943. Under the command of LTC Benjamin O. Davis Jr. (who went on to become the USAF’s first Black general), the 99th provided critical tactical combat support to U.S. Army operations. @TradocCG
Read 8 tweets
SOLDIER PROFILE – BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES YOUNG, FIRST BLACK U.S. ARMY COLONEL

Despite the racism of his time, COL Young forged a stellar career in the late-19th to early-20th century U.S. Army, although promotion to BG was withheld from him for racist reasons.

#Armyhistory
Born into slavery in 1864, Young grew up in Ohio and attended an integrated high school, where he excelled. He attended West Point, becoming the third Black cadet to graduate despite the hostility of many of his peers.
#USArmy #TRADOC #BuffaloSoldier #WWI #IndianWars
Young served in the 9th and 10th Cav. at various western posts, rising to the rank of CPT. He taught military science at Wilberforce University, served two tours in the Philippines, became the first Black superintendent of a national park, and was a foreign military attaché.
Read 6 tweets

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