Everyone knows Lewis & Clark, but did you know that there was a black man who was also part of the expedition?
As he was enslaved by William Clark, he participated as a full member of the expedition & was present when the expedition reached the Pacific Ocean.
A THREAD
What’s the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
It was an expedition, led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark, during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, to explore the American Northwest, newly purchased from France. (Louisiana Purchase).
His name was York and thus he became the first black man to cross the North American continent.
York was known for his skill in scouting, hunting, field medicine and manual labor in extreme weather conditions. Lewis had noted in his journal how York had saved him from certain death from a grizzly bear during the expedition.
In 1804, Clark took York when he joined the Lewis and Clark Expedition. York was a large, strong man who shared the duties & risks of the expedition, and was the only black member of the Expedition.
The Native Nations treated York with respect, and he played a key role in diplomatic relations, mainly due to his dark skin.
After the expedition returned, every member received money and land for their services, every member except York. York asked Clark for his freedom based upon his good service during the expedition, and Clark refused.
York pleaded to be reunited with his wife, who was enslaved in Louisville; he even offered to work in Louisville and send Clark all his earnings. Clark still refused, and sold York to a brutal master in 1811, where he remained enslaved at least until 1816.
A statue of York, by sculptor Ed Hamilton, with plaques commemorating the Lewis and Clark Expedition and his participation in it, stands at Louisville's Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, next to the wharf on the Ohio River.
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William O'Neal, an FBI informant, infiltrated the Black Panthers and set up Fred Hampton for $300.
The Chicago police and the FBI assasinated Hampton at just 21 years old and William committed suicide.
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In Illinois, Fred Hampton's hometown, the police constantly harassed black Americans. Access to social goods too was made difficult, if not restricted, in areas with heavy black populations.
The Black Panther party, a creation of Huey Newton and fellow student Bobby Seale, insisted on black nationalist response to racial discrimination. The party’s Illinois chapter was opened in 1967 and Hampton joined in 1968, aged just 20.
In 1781, over 100 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard and drowned so that the slavers could cash in on the insurance of those enslaved.
The Zong Massacre,
A Thread
On September 6, 1781, the slave ship Zong sailed from Africa with around 442 enslaved Africans. Back then, slaves were a valuable ‘commodity’ so they often captured more than the ship could handle to maximize profits.
Ten weeks later, around November 1781, the Zong arrived at Tobago, then proceeded toward St. Elizabeth, but deviated from its route near Haiti. At that stage, water shortages, illness, and fatalities among the crew, combined with poor leadership decisions, caused chaos.
41 years ago today, singer, songwriter and Motown legend, Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father, a day before his birthday.
A THREAD!
On April 1, 1984, Marvin was fatally shot by his father in their Los Angeles home. On the day of the murder, Marvin and Marvin Senior were arguing about a misplaced insurance policy document.
At this point, the relationship between Marvin and his father was as heated as ever- Marvin’s sister had moved out of the house just to avoid the conflict
Patrice Lumumba was the first legally elected prime minister of D.R Congo.
He was assassinated in 1961 following a military coup supported by U.S.A & Belgian imperialism which was admitted by the State Dept in 2013 authorized by president Eisenhower.
A THREAD
For 126 years, the US and Belgium have played key roles in shaping Congo's destiny. In April 1884, seven months before the Berlin Congress, the US became the first country in the world to recognise the claims of King Leopold II of the Belgians to the territories of the Congo.
In the few months prior to his assassination, Lumumba had been the first elected prime minister of the Republic of the Congo, newly founded on June 30, 1960.
A revolutionary nationalist, he was a major leader in the country’s fight for independence from Belgian colonialism.
The British almost eliminated the entire Tasmanian Population of Australia in the 1800s by kidnapping, enslaving, torturing and murdering them.
A THREAD!
Tasmania is an island located about 200 miles off the southeast coast of Australia. Archaeologists estimate that Black indigenous people crossed into the island on an ancient bridge which connected Tasmania to the continent of Australia.
The peace and harmony that they enjoyed for years was disrupted in 1642 when the first Europeans arrived on the Island. A Dutch navigator, named Abel Jansen, was the one who led the expedition
In 1969, when Black Americans were prevented from swimming alongside whites, Mr. Rogers decided to invite officer Clemmons to join him and cool his feet in a pool, breaking a well known color barrier.
Breaking Color Barriers.
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Bill Robinson aka Bojangles wasn't allowed to hold Shirley Temple's hand while filming the stair scene in the movie, "The Little Colonel." She insisted anyway and grabbed his hand during the act becoming the first time where an integrated couple was filmed dancing together.
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Elanor Roosevelt invited Marian Anderson to sing at National Mall in front of thousands and on the radio to millions of listeners after being denied a stage with the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) because she was black.