The Rant Room

Trump supporter: My husband is being deported Friday

Helen said she voted for President Donald Trump because she supports his immigration policies. She said criminals should be deported, but she didn’t think her husband would face that fate. “Trump did say the good people would not be deported, the good people would be checked,” Helen said.

#TheResistance #TrumpRegrets

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-supporter-my-husband-is-being-deported-friday-193439132.html

"If you had to give Rock 'n' Roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry." - John Lennon

The founding father of rock and roll is gone. Chuck Berry created a sound that was both unique and incredible. 

Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry was guitarist, singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive. Lyrics that focused on teen life, music featuring guitar solos and showmanship, were a major influence on subsequent rock music. 

Berry claimed on The Tonight Show he was influenced primarily by 1940s swing artist Louis Jordan. "The main guy was Louis Jordan. I wanted to sing like Nat Cole, with lyrics like Louis Jordan with the swing of Bennie Goodman with Charlie Christian on guitar, playing Carl Hogan's riffs, with the soul of Muddy Waters."

Berry was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986; he was cited for having laid the groundwork for not only a rock and roll sound but a rock and roll stance.

At his 90th birthday party, last year, announced he was working on a new album--the first one in 38 years. "Chuck," was to debut in 2017 and be dedicated to his wife of 68 years. Here’s what he wrote "My darlin’ I’m growing old! I’ve worked on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes!" ABC asked Chuck Berry was asked to name the favorite songs: "Every one of them is tops with me," he said. "Every one of my children the same way."

Police in St. Charles County, Missouri, were called to Berry's house on March 18, 2017, where he was unresponsive. Berry was pronounced dead at the scene; he was 90.

“Chuck had the swing. There's rock, but it's the roll that counts." - Keith Richards

“Chuck Berry was rock's greatest practitioner, guitarist, and the greatest pure rock 'n' roll writer who ever lived.” - Bruce Springsteen‏

“There’s only one true king of rock ‘n’ roll. His name is Chuck Berry.” - Stevie Wonder

“Rock and Roll grieves tonight as our hero Chuck Berry steps into the next world. We salute you Chuck - the greatest inspiration to us all. With love - Bri” Brian May

"Chuck Berry was the best American songwriter who ever lived. Promised Land is the height of American art, and it will never be surpassed. There will never be anyone as good or as singular as Chuck Berry ever again. He figured out American identity better than any other artist. Tell the folks back home this is the promised land calling, and the poor boy's on the line." - Kaleb Horton

Howard University is celebrating its 150th anniversary today

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Since 1998, the University has produced four Rhodes Scholars, nine Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, over 60 Fulbright Scholars, 22 Pickering Fellows and one Schwarzman Scholar. Howard also produces more on campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. (HU’s www.howard.edu)

I’m So Glad 

I remember my first trip to HU’s campus, staying in Drew Hall, standing in long registration lines, first class, first trip to King’s Dominion, heading to The Quad, dorm parties, mentors like Dr. Addison, first homecoming, the ‘89 protest, when the bookstore wasn't on Georgia Ave, the Punch Out, studying for finals, the nasty cafeteria food, the marching band playing Neck, when the football field was a dust bowl. I could go on but you get my point. 

150 Years of Excellence in Truth & Service 

This year’s Sesquicentennial celebration will recognize the historic milestones, achievements, and the positive impact the University has had since its founding in 1867. The University will use this opportunity to revive Bison spirit by engaging the community, alumni, faculty, students, and University stakeholders. https://150.howard.edu/

Bison Love

Because of Howard University, we all have friendships that will last forever. At HU, strangers from all over the world met and are friends. No -- we're  family. The Mecca united us. Bison Love maintains our bond. I'll always love you, Howard University and Happy Charter Day!

Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus, starting the Montgomery Bus Boycott

As a kid growing up in South Jersey, I remember taking the Speedline to Philadelphia. I also have memories of taking the Greyhound bus from NJ to Baltimore to visit my family. Both were always an adventure. I’d think, “Are we gonna make it in time?” “Will there be enough seats?” “What is that smell?” “Why is that dude talking to himself?” I moved to Maryland in 1996. My second full-time job was in Alexandria, VA off of North Beauregard St. Yes, Beauregard. (Jesus - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._G._T._Beauregard) Anyway, I used to wake up at the butt crack of stupid to catch METRO from MD to VA then hop on a bus to my job. It wasn't that bad. This is of course before METRO became an unreliable joke of a transit system.

What I never had to encounter was a segregation on public transportation. I was never told to sit anywhere, get off or worse, not let on the bus or train. The treatment of minorities in the U.S. is unbelievable. When I hear the United States of America is the greatest country on the planet. It makes me wonder why did America have to make laws stating discrimination, segregation and violence against minorities were illegal? Shouldn't that have been understood?

Ahhh but I digress.

Okay, though not the first person to say, “Nah!” When told to give her seat to a white man, Rosa Parks was the most famous. Nine months before Rosa Parks, a 15-year-old high school student, named Claudette Colvin, became the first to refuse to give up her seat. The arrest of Rosa Parks in December of 1955 sparked what's no known as the  Montgomery Bus Boycott. Many also regard it as the first large-scale demonstration against segregation in America. Remember, this was 1955. 1955. Amazing.

The boycott of public buses in Montgomery began on the day of Parks’ court hearing and lasted 381 days. Full disclosure: I hate walking. Uber or Lyft didn't exist. Many Blacks and Whites boycotted public transportation for 381 days. Man, I guess for my culture IF Martin Luther King Jr got me some kinda comfort shoes.

On February 1, 1956, Gray filed the case Browder v. Gayle in U.S. District Court. On June 13, 1956, the District Court ruled that "the enforced segregation of black and white passengers on motor buses operating in the City of Montgomery violates the Constitution and laws of the United States," because the conditions deprived people of equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. The court further enjoined the state of Alabama and city of Montgomery from continuing to operate segregated buses.

The case was not completed until it was heard later that year by the US Supreme Court, as the state and city appealed the decision. On November 13, 1956, the Supreme Court upheld the District Court's ruling and ordered the state of Alabama (and Montgomery) to desegregate its buses. One month later on December 20, after Mayor Gayle was handed official written notice by federal marshals, the Montgomery buses were desegregated.

According to Betsy DeVos, school segregation is now synonymous with school choice. Wrong!

"HBCUs are real pioneers when it comes to school choice. They are living proof that when more options are provided to students, they are afforded greater access and greater quality. Their success has shown that more options help students flourish." - Betsy DeVos, Secretary of the Department of Education

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were not created because Black people wanted a choice, Black people were legally NOT allowed to be admitted into institutions of higher learning. This is NOT being a pioneer when it comes to school choice. 

Sidebar: In 1956, The Catholic High School of Baltimore Maryland, an all-girls school, only admitted in 2 Blacks per year. My Mom was one of the students selected her freshman. Her class was comprised of 200 students. She was chosen by the the pastor of their church, St. Francis Xavier, who was an activist. Why is this important? Why is this NOT a school choice? Keep reading.

In 1954, the landmark Brown vs Board of Education case was ruled on. The Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. A unanimous (9–0) decision stated that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." As a result, racial segregation was ruled a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

As you know, HBCUs were established with the intention of offering the African-American community a chance to receive a college education. It’s important to note that HBCUs have always allowed admission to students of all races. Most were created in the aftermath of the Civil War. There are 107 HBCUs including public and private institutions, community and four-year institutions, medical and law schools.

In 2015, a Gallup poll was released showing students at HBCUs had a higher sense of well-being in five areas: purpose, social, financial, community, and physical. This was compared to students who did not attend HBCUs. Black graduates of HBCUs were more than twice as likely than blacks at non-HBCUs to receive all three support measures at school: having at least one professor who made them excited about learning; having professors who cared about them; having a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals. 

Betsy DeVos and the rest of this administration loves to embrace revisionist history. Her statement was disrespectful. She should be ashamed of herself and apologize. She won't.

Sir Sidney Poitier at 90

How can I talk about acts of civil disobedience, especially during civil rights era, during Black History Month, and not mention Sidney Poitier? Ladies and Gentlemen, Sir Sidney Poitier is 90 years-old today. Think about that for a minute. Are you still still thinking? Good. See, there are a handful of people that I consider my icons. They made a difference in my life--even without knowing it. These folks had a significant impact who I am today. Now, am I saying I’m like Sidney Poitier? Hell no. What I’m saying is Sidney Poitier 90th birthday is extremely significant.

He has been in 54 movies dating back to 1950, has directed 9 movies.  He has Won 1 Oscar, in 1964 as the first African-American to win Best Actor for “Lilies of the Field;” has another 25 wins & 40 nominations (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001627/awards?ref_=nm_awd).  In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier among the Greatest Male Stars of classic Hollywood cinema, ranking 22nd on the list of 25.

During the civil rights era, in 1967, Sidney Poitier starred in 3 movies that dealt with race relations: To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.  To me, the movie that really meant the most was 1967’s “In The Heat of the Night.”  From surprise, to scared, to empowered; this man stood up in the face of hatred during an era where it could have cost him his life. 

Here we have Sidney Poitier playing a homicide detective from Philadelphia named Virgil Tibbs. He’s in Mississippi trying to solve the murder of a white businessman. The friendship of a white, prejudiced sheriff Gillespie is both awkward and beautiful.  While working the case they confront a bigoted cotton plantation owner named Endicott. Endicott objects to this Black man’s line of questioning; being considered a murder suspect and “who is this Black man? Why is he asking me anything?” In the original script he slaps Tibbs and Tibbs is to just take it. Sidney Poitier had a meeting with the director and had them add the now famous “Slap Heard Round the World” into the scene. So while Endicott’s slap of Tibbs didn’t really shock audiences, it was Tibbs’ fiercer, harder slap back to Endicott that did. To me this was one of the greatest clips of American cinema.

Sidney Poitier survived the Bowling Green Massacre, the Sweden and Atlanta Terrorist Attacks. More importantly, he survived 2016. This man is amazing. What'd the five fingers say to the face? SLAP!

Happy Birthday to filmmaker, activist, Oscar winner, legend, Sidney Poitier!

March 1989: Howard University students took over the main administration building. We had a list of ten things that we felt our beloved HU needed to address. The most important item, however, was that Lee Atwater was appointed to Howard University's the Board of Trustees. Howard is the nation's most prestigious black educational institution.

You might not know who Lee Atwater is. I didn’t either. Here is Lee Atwater explaining how Republicans can win the vote of Blacks without sounding racist: 

“You start out in 1954 by saying, “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968 you can’t say “nigger”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites. “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “Nigger, nigger.”

Lee Atwater? Really? How in the world did this happen?  His immediate removal was paramount.

Howard University, The Mecca, the nation's largest black university could not sellout for money. Atwater resigned from the board, citing the protest and saying he “feared violence if the demonstrations continued.” We remained inside, citing other unresolved issues. If anyone asked you about irony, tell them this: Howard University’s administration had to threaten us, the students, with force (yes, force) to end a nonviolent, sit-in, a protest. This is the same technique many HU grads used during the civil rights movement. After five days, it was over. We wanted an improved financial aid programs, fixes to campus buildings and that Lee Atwater resign. We won and our lives were changed forever.  

“Howard U Student Protest of 1989: The Takeover, 25 Years Later” by April R. Silver (2014)

Racism Is A Grown-up Disease

There is probably no other story from the Civil Rights movement that moves me quite like Ruby Bridges’ first day of school. Close your eyes and imagine being escorted into school by several armed white men. Imagine being 6 and all you want to do is learn but being told no. Imagine being called every horrible racial epithet and all you want to do is go to class.

Ruby Bridges was born in Tylertown, Mississippi in 1954. Remember, in 1954, the United States Supreme Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students were unconstitutional. A unanimous (9–0) decision stated that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

When Ruby was in kindergarten, she was one of many African-American students in New Orleans who were chosen to take a test on whether or not she could attend a white school. It is said the test was written to be especially difficult so that students would have a hard time passing. In 1960, Ruby’s parents were informed by the NAACP that she was one of only six African-American students to pass the test. On the morning of November 14, 1960, federal marshals drove Ruby and her mother five blocks to her new school. When Ruby and the federal marshals arrived at the school, large crowds of people were gathered in front yelling and throwing objects. Ruby, in her innocence, first believed it was like a Mardi Gras celebration.

Norman Rockwell’s painting depicts her walk to school on the day of school integration in New Orleans. President Barack Obama, Ruby Bridges, and representatives of the Norman Rockwell Museum view Rockwell’s "The Problem We All Live With,” hanging in a West Wing hallway near the Oval Office, July 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

She and her mother were escorted to school every day that year. Federal marshal Charles Burks, one of her escorts, commented with some pride that Ruby showed a lot of courage. She never cried or whimpered, Burks said, "She just marched along like a little soldier."

Noticing a need for bringing parents back into the schools to take a more active role in their children's education, Bridges formed the Ruby Bridges Foundation, in 1999. The foundation promotes the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences. It's motto: "Racism is a grown-up disease and we must stop using our children to spread it."

I Am a Man!

Historically, the term “boy” was used as a racist insult towards men of color and slaves, indicating their subservient social status of being less than men. In response, “Am I Not A Man And A Brother?” became a catchphrase used by abolitionists. I Am a Man! is a declaration of civil rights, often used as a personal statement and as a declaration of independence against oppression. the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968 in Tennessee. 

Citing years of poor treatment, discrimination, dangerous working conditions, and the horrifying recent deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker, some 1300 black sanitation workers walked off the job in protest. On a February 23 demonstration, police changed their demands midway through the event, leading to conflict with the protesters. On February 24, black leaders came together to form Community on the Move for Equality (COME). Due to the efforts of COME, the strike grew into a major civil rights struggle, attracting national support and the news media. Local clergy members and community leaders,, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also undertook an active campaign, including boycotts and civil disobedience. 

The strike thus came to represent the broader struggle for equality within Memphis, I Am A Man! emerged as a unifying civil rights theme.

This act of civil disobedience is often referred to as the most influential and significant sit-in of the Civil Rights Movement

At 4:30 pm on February 1, 1960 four black students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, (N.C. A&T), walked into a Woolworth’s store, sat down at a “whites-only” counter and asked for a cup of coffee. They were denied. When the manager asked them to leave, they stayed there until the store closed. They returned the next day with about 20 more students from A&T. HBCU LOVE!

(Photo: Joseph A. McNeil and Franklin E. McCain are joined by William Smith and Clarence Henderson at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.)

 By February 5th, over 300 students joined the protest at Woolworth’s. This paralyzed the lunch counter as well as other other local businesses. TV coverage of the Greensboro sit-ins sparked a sit-in movement. This spread quickly to college towns in the South. Many young black and white kids joined in various forms of peaceful protests against segregation. By March, this spread to 55 cities in 13 states.

By July the Greensboro store had lost nearly $200,000. This lead the manager to ask three black employees to change out of their work clothes and order a meal at the counter. They were the first to be served at a Woolworth's lunch counter. Most stores were soon desegregated. Woolworth's continued to be segregated until around 1965.

(Photo: The former Woolworth's in Greensboro now houses the International Civil Rights Center and Museum. Inside is a restored version of the lunch counter where the Greensboro Four sat)

Bonus: My Mom and my grandmother were out shopping in Baltimore for a semi-formal dress. They went into The Hecht Company and saw a pretty dress hanging outside The Charles Room. Nana asked the clerk if they can please see that dress in Mom’s size. The clerk, looking surprised, turned around and said, “My goodness! This dress is very expensive. It’s from Charles Room.” Nana, who you would never want to mess with, looked at this lady and said, “I’LL BUY CHARLES ROOM! Not let me see that dress.”

They got the dress.

Side note: Let me be honest, I have NO IDEA how it feels and what I would do if someone told me, “we don’t serve your kind here.” The idea of civil rights for all is not negotiable. So when I’m doing this kind research my emotions run the gamut. I was on the phone with my Mom for over 4 hours a weeks after the last election. We talked about many things. I shared my fear that people are being more openly racist. I asked my Mom, “What advice can you give to someone like me who doesn’t know what it’s like to have basic rights?” 

The importance of nonviolent protests and civil disobedience and how helped change civil rights laws in America.

America has changed dramatically over the past few months. We have seen people of all colors, different political afflictions, genders, races and religions come together. Humanity isn't lost. We needed a wake up call. For 2017’s Black History Month, I'd like to focus on various demonstrations, protests, marches and speeches that helped changed laws and had an everlasting impact on Civil Rights in America. 

I’ll probably be posting 2-3 items per week. There are so many brave people and key events that are not mentioned in the history books or on TV shows. It’s amazing. I don’t want to overwhelm or inundate you. My goal is to just spread some knowledge. Hopefully, you'll learn something new after reading about these brave individuals who participated events.