(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Black Kos, Week In Review [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-09-08
Commentary: Black Scientists, Explorers, Historymakers, and Inventors
By dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor
Henry Ossian Flipper (March 21, 1856 – April 26, 1940) born near Thomasville, Georgia was an American soldier, engineer, former enslaved person and in 1877, who rose to prominence as the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, earning a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.
Flipper was also an author who wrote about scientific topics and his life experiences. Trained as an engineer, Lt. Flipper was known for his design of a drainage system at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (popularly known as Flipper’s Ditch and now a national monument) which minimized malaria by removing standing water.
After Flipper’s military commissioning, he was assigned to one of the all-black regiments in the U.S. Army, which were historically led by white officers. Assigned to 'A' Troop under the command of Captain Nicholas M. Nolan, he became the first nonwhite officer to lead buffalo soldiers of the 10th Cavalry. Flipper served with competency and distinction during the Apache Wars and the Victorio Campaign, but was haunted by rumors alleging improprieties.
Captain Nicholas M. Nolan, the commander of 'A' troop, was the officer assigned to teach him about being a cavalry officer. Nolan was censured by several white officers for allowing Flipper into his quarters for dinner, where his daughter Kate was present. Nolan defended his action by stating that Flipper was an "officer and a gentleman" just like any other officer present.
Eventually, Flipper was court-martialed and dismissed from the U.S. Army. After losing his commission in the Army, Flipper worked throughout Mexico and Latin America as an assistant to the Secretary of the Interior. He retired to Atlanta in 1931 and died of natural causes in 1940.
In 1994, his descendants applied to the U.S. military for a review of Flipper's court-martial and dismissal. A review found the conviction and punishment were "unduly harsh and unjust" and recommended Flipper's dismissal be changed to a good conduct discharge. Shortly afterwards, an application for pardon was filed with the Secretary of the Army, which was forwarded to the Department of Justice. President Bill Clinton posthumously pardoned Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper on February 19, 1999, 118 years after his conviction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
courts are starting to awake to the idea that conservative legistlatures are out of control Slate: Alabama Is Quickly Discovering the Dangers of Defying the Supreme Court
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The district court did not agree. “We are deeply troubled,” it declared on Tuesday, “that the state enacted a map that the state readily admits does not provide the remedy we said federal law requires. We are disturbed by the evidence that the state delayed remedial proceedings but ultimately did not even nurture the ambition to provide the required remedy. And we are struck by the extraordinary circumstance we face.” Never before, the court noted, has a state submitted a revised redistricting plan that, by the state’s own admission, fails to comport with a previous order. Somehow, decades after the racist reign of George Wallace, we are in uncharted waters when it comes to racist voter suppression in Alabama.
Again, Alabama’s chief argument at this stage is that every time the Legislature redraws a map, courts must throw out their prior analysis and restart the case afresh. Moreover, according to the state, courts must permit elections under the challenged plan while mulling each redrawn map. And if a court strikes down a new map, it must put its ruling on hold for any upcoming races. It must also wait for the Legislature to draw a substitute map before imposing its own, even if the Legislature drags its feet in a bid to run out the clock to the next election.
The court found this position not just unpersuasive, but unconstitutional. “The state’s view,” it proclaimed, “is inconsistent with the Article III judicial power because it allows the state to constrain (indeed, to manipulate) the court’s authority to grant equitable relief.” Alabama seeks to create “an endless paradox that only it can break, thereby depriving plaintiffs of the ability to effectively challenge and the courts of the ability to remedy.” States cannot transform voting rights litigation into an “infinity loop” that only they may stop.
Then, just to drive in the ax, the court went ahead and assessed the new map from “ground zero anyway.” It easily concluded that, like the previous plan, these districts violated the Voting Rights Act by denying Black citizens an equal shot at electing their preferred representatives.
There were other digs along the way. Last time around, the court found that the testimony of Alabama’s “expert” witness, Thomas Bryan, was not credible, but rooted in errors, confusion, and “odious” race stereotyping. This time, “it is as though our credibility determination never occurred,” the court wrote. “The state repeatedly cites Mr. Bryan’s opinions but makes no effort to rehabilitate his credibility.” Alabama’s attempt to smear the Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional racism fared no better. The state claimed that protecting Black voters would amount to “affirmative action in redistricting” that violates the equal protection clause. It even suggested that the district court’s own order could run afoul of equal protection by, in essence, overprotecting Black citizens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lawsuit filed Friday alleges that Patriot Front members vandalized businesses and public property in the summer and fall of 2022. Associated press: Civil rights lawsuit in North Dakota accuses a white supremacist group of racial intimidation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two nonprofits have sued a white nationalist hate group in North Dakota, alleging that it committed racial intimidation by defacing businesses and public property around the city of Fargo with the group’s logo and other graffiti.
The lawsuit filed against Patriot Front in federal court on Friday alleges that the group, two of the group’s leaders and 10 others violated the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which the complaint says “was designed to prevent precisely the kind of conspiratorial racist activity that Defendants perpetrated in this case.”
The lawsuit, filed by the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, the Immigrant Development Center and the center’s executive director, says Patriot Front also posted “anti-immigrant propaganda” days after a man of Syrian descent fatally shot a Fargo police officer and wounded two others in July. The suit seeks a jury trial and damages of an amount to be determined at trial, as well as attorneys’ fees and other relief.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The matchup, which began in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday evening and ended after midnight on Wednesday, was the first major quarterfinal between two African-American men in the Open era, which dates to 1968.
“It’s great with two people of color going at it. Obviously a historic moment,” Tiafoe said. “But ultimately, once you get out there, you just want to win.”
It was also the first U.S. Open quarterfinal since 2005 between two men from the host country, which hasn’t claimed a Slam trophy in men’s singles since Andy Roddick won at Flushing Meadows two years prior to that.
The crowd seemed to have a tough time deciding for whom to cheer, prodding both players at various points of the often even matchup.
Shelton will face Novak Djokovic on Friday for a berth in the final. Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, reached his record 47th Grand Slam semifinal, breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most by a man, by defeating Taylor Fritz 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
Ben Shelton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some Black churches in Florida are stepping up to teach Black History saying the state has "watered-down'' versions taught to students. Florida has been a battleground for teachings about race. USA Today: Black churches in Florida buck DeSantis: 'Our churches will teach our own history.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 30 or so people who logged on to hear about the trans-Atlantic slave trade Wednesday night was just what Pastor Kenneth Johnson had hoped for – a sign that his congregation in Fort Pierce, Florida, was interested in learning more about Black history.
The hour-long video class was the first of a series Friendship Missionary Baptist Church plans to host this fall.
“It wasn’t a sermon. It would have passed any muster as a legitimate class,” said Johnson. “We don’t need government approval to teach our history.”
Friendship Missionary is among the more than 200 mostly Black churches in Florida taking steps to teach Black history in part because of what faith leaders call the restricted and “watered-down’’ versions schools must teach under the state’s new policies. Instead, pastors equipped with a new Black history toolkit are teaching unfiltered lessons during Sunday school, Bible Study or as part of sermons.
Faith in Florida, a coalition of churches advocating for social justice causes, created the online toolkit, which includes books, documentaries and videos related to Black history. The project, launched in July, aims to push back against state efforts to regulate Black history lessons. Florida is one of several states where mostly conservative lawmakers are leading movements to restrict some teachings of Black history.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If elected, Amo said he would address “some of the critical needs of this country,” whether it be preventing gun violence, addressing the climate crisis, strengthening Social Security or protecting reproductive freedom. The Grio: Gabe Amo could be first Black congressman in Rhode Island after primary win
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Former White House aide Gabe Amo could become the first person of color to represent Rhode Island in Congress after his win Tuesday in the crowded Democratic primary for the state’s 1st Congressional District special election sent him on to the general election in the heavily Democratic state.
Amo, who grew up in Pawtucket the son of Ghanaian and Liberian immigrants, hopes to succeed former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline, who stepped down earlier this summer to become the president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation.
“This primary election shows that Rhode Islanders believe in a state where one of their sons, the son of two West African immigrants from Ghana and Liberia, could receive the love and investment of a community and go from serving the president of the United States … to being the Democratic nominee for Congress for the 1st Congressional District,” Amo told cheering supporters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told theGrio it is crucial that leaders “step up to fight back and speak out…against these hateful attacks.” The Grio: White House reacts to calls to address anti-Black hate crimes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The White House on Wednesday vowed that President Joe Biden would continue to be “forceful” in speaking out against race-based hate in the aftermath of the recent murders at a Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida, but declined to say whether or not the administration feels it necessary to enact new legislation to address anti-Black hate crimes.
During the week of the funeral services for the victims, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told theGrio it is crucial that leaders “step up to fight back and speak out…against these hateful attacks.”
“He’s going to be incredibly forceful to speak against this type of hate,” said Jean-Pierre at Wednesday’s White House press briefing. “When you’re silent, you’re complicit.”
Last week, during a meeting with civil rights leaders, the president told reporters he had not contacted the victims’ families because one of those families expressed that they did not want to be contacted. “Everyone deals with profound loss in a different way,” said Biden at the time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A common belief is that books are always better than their screen adaptations. But what about when they’re not ― as is the case with, say, “American Psycho,” which turned Bret Easton Ellis’ impenetrable 1991 novel into a gripping big-screen thriller? Or what if the situation is too complicated to describe with a simple either/or comparison?
The latter more aptly applies to “The Other Black Girl,” which was the novel to read two summers ago, when it hit shelves with its intriguing title. The word “other” suggests an unsettling and all-too-relatable question: If one Black woman is the “other,” who’s the first one? And can that positioning change? Can one become the prominent Black girl, “Single White Female”-style, while the other... fades into the background? Those are the conundrums at the core of Zakiya Dalila Harris’ page turner, which begins as a straightforward yet fascinating story about what happens when Nella, the only Black woman at a largely white book publisher, meets Hazel, a Black woman who just started at the company. The narrative starts out with a welcome exhale ― “Oh finally, another Black girl!” ― then descends into something less intimate and decidedly more sinister. But because it’s such a sharp pivot toward the end of the 368-page book, it comes off as a bit clunky. And it just barely recovers from that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When the nonprofit system didn't seem to work for it, Seattle-based Wa Na Wari found another way. NPR Market Place: A Black arts center committed to preserving community ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In 2019, Elisheba Johnson and three other artists decided to rent a home in Seattle’s Central District, the city’s historically Black neighborhood. The house had belonged to a grandmother of one of the artists, who needed to sell some of the six homes in the neighborhood her family once owned. For the artists, renting the house was both an artistic experiment and a way of giving the space back to the Black community. That’s how Wa Na Wari was born. It’s an art space and cultural center that holds exhibitions, throws an annual block party and gives out free weekly meals. But for community-focused spaces, it can be difficult to fully fund operations while staying responsive and connected. For Wa Na Wari, that means operating as a limited liability company with a fiscal sponsorship, which allows the space to accept tax-deductible donations and government grants. “The nonprofit system has not served Black and brown people very well,” Johnson said. “We’re interested in how we can serve the community in ways that they need but also funnel money into the organization.” When a community member has an immediate need, Wa Na Wari can hire someone for an afternoon — say, to clean up the backyard — and put money in their pocket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/8/2191775/-Black-Kos-Week-In-Review
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
