Many people do not understand, or don’t care to understand the challenges of poor people. Many middle class or rich people may label poor people as “lazy.” The opinions regarding poverty may extend to political parties. Many conservatives believe poverty is the result of poor choices and behaviors. Many liberals believe that choices may …
There are approximately 26.1 million residents living in poverty in the Appalachian regions in the United States. The per capita income is 23% lower than the U.S. average. One in every three people lives in poverty. The Appalachian Regional Development Act can be traced back to President John F. Kennedy. During his campaign for presidency, …
In 1972, I was eighteen years old and voted in the presidential election. This was my first time voting, and I was excited to use the power of the ballot. I grew up during the civil rights era and Black Power movement. I learned that one of the most important rights of American citizens is …
American women have always been involved in politics. They may have been excluded from party membership, voting, or running for office but they were vocal about political issues and participated in party activities. Women in western territories were voting long before the national woman suffrage amendment of 1920. There were so many great women who …
To prepare for this article, I read a book entitled, Women, Politics, And American Society. The book is the third edition and a collaborative effort written by four female authors, Nancy E. McGlen, Karen O’Conner, Laura van Assendelft and Wendy Gunther-Canada. This edition helps readers fully understand women’s struggles by tracing the efforts, achievements, and …
Women’s History Month- The Early Women’s Movement Read More »
I grew up in the South during legal segregation. My parents were not able to obtain meaningful employment because of racist Jim Crow laws. They worked on farms, picking and chopping cotton. After the cotton season was over, Dad worked as a day laborer and MaDear worked in private homes. They worked whatever odd jobs …
Black History Month is observed every February, but many people are not familiar with how or why it was created. To understand why it was created, we have to look back to Dr. Carter G. Woodson. As the son of formerly enslaved parents and the second Black American to earn a doctorate from Harvard, Woodson …
The nature of slavery is not always understood. At the time the trade developed, both Africans and Europeans had a tradition of slavery, but the traditions were different. African slavery was a domestic institution. It was necessary to do something with captives of war, criminals, and wrong doers. The African answer was to turn them …
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called Birmingham “the most thoroughly segregated big city in the U.S.” In 1962, a federal court ordered the city to integrate its park. Rather than obey the order, the city closed its parks. The city gave up its professional baseball team rather than play with Black players. Like all Southern …
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Read More »
The antebellum period refers to the years after the War of 1812 and before the Civil War. The era was marked by the development of separate northern and southern economies, westward expansion of the nation, and a spirt of reform. During this time, some black people were considered free, but this freedom was not freedom …