National Honor Society Black History Month Celebration
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Black Lives Matter
Raven Joseph 2/18 On July 13, 2013, one of these most influential movements of our time began with just a few simple words. Simple words that motivated the millions of protesters that speak against the violence and systematic racism towards black people as well as highlight issues such as racial profiling, police brutality, and racial inequality in our country. “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” Those were the words that started the Black Lives Matter Movement. Alicia Garza, an Oakland, California native, shared those words with her Facebook friends once she learned that George Zimmerman, the man known for the killing of an innocent teen, was acquitted of all of his charges. Her post then prompted her friend, Patrisse Cullors, to comment the words, “#BlackLivesMatter.” Garza is not only the co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter, but she is the Special Projects Director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the nation’s leading voice for dignity and fairness for millions of domestic workers. She is the director of People Organized to Win Employment Rights. As the director, she proposed and won the fight for youth in the San Francisco Bay Area to use public transportation for free. Her position as a queer woman in her community has pushed her to challenge the misconception that only cisgender black men encounter violence. She has been a powerful voice in the media; her many articles on our country's top epidemics through the lenses of race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity have been published in Time Magazine, The New York Times, and numerous other distinguished sites. Her efforts in her community do not go unnoticed. This month and every other month throughout the year, we thank her for her efforts toward the betterment of our country. Never Forget Her
Mellody Massaquoi 2/18 In our history classes, we learn about our founding fathers, the big world wars, and some of the Civil Rights Movement. But we never hear about African monarchs or powerful women in history. I would like to share with you some history about a very powerful queen. Queen Amina of Zazzau, now known as Nigeria, was born in the year 1533. When she was 16, her mother, Bakwa of Turunku, inherited the throne from her father. She was known for being peaceful but powerful until her untimely death. When her mother died, Amina didn’t get the throne right away. Because she was a woman, the throne instantly went to her brother Karama. While her brother ruled, Amina fought in the military and earned high rankings and respect from her fellow soldiers. When she became queen after her brother’s death, she was not a submissive wife, nor did she just sit on her throne while others fought wars for her. She led her troops into wars with neighboring countries and she began trading with Saudi Arabia and countries all over Africa. Amina died in the year 1610 as a warrior, and a fierce queen. Nigeria will never forget her. But the problem is that in America, we aren’t told stories about fearless African queens. When it comes to Africans or African Americans, the only stories we hear are about the slaves and Martin Luther King, Jr. Black history is slowly being forgotten when it shouldn’t be. We should be embracing our history instead of letting it get swept under the rug. |
America Was Never Great
Destin Williams 1/18 The United States of America. What do we know about it? Government statistics show that there were 8.2 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants in the United States from 2005 to 2015 and that the life expectancy during that time was 78.74 years. We also know that most of the people here proclaim this country to be the best out of the other 194 countries. We also know that this country was built on the oppression of not only Native Americans, but African Americans and immigrants alike. The people who believe America is the best country are doing a great job at hiding these facts from the world, and trying to purport themselves as members of a white, Christian country that hasn’t done anything wrong, ever. If America was like Germany, who constantly apologizes for the happenings of the Holocaust, we would be fine. Pocketing what happened and acting like human zoos, slavery, and the like didn’t happen on this soil is not only saddening, but disgusting. Even our American presidents, such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and especially Andrew Jackson, called for the removal of Indians from their ancestral homelands. In the United States during the 20th century, segregation wasn't unheard of. Many laws (retroactively named Jim Crow laws) were made in various states to ensure the absolute separation of whites and African Americans. United States citizens and leaders believed that any group other than Caucasians were non-citizens and made laws accordingly. How is this any different from the Nazis, who introduced a similar situation in Germany: the Reich Citizenship Law and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor. The Nazis then adopted this ideology, and stripped Jewish Germans of their citizenship, shown in Article 2 of the Reich Citizenship Law: "A citizen of the Reich is that subject only who is of German or kindred blood and who, through his conduct, shows that he is both desirous and fit to serve the German people and Reich faithfully." In addition, the United States was against miscegenation (African American and white couples), and Nazi Germany was too, when they made laws that prohibited Jews from being in any relationship with Germans. We need to remember that slavery and all its ramifications happened way before the Holocaust. Make America Great Again? America was never great. |
Racism is Still Around
Brookelyn Hazelwood 2/18 1954. Brown v. Board decision declared segregation in public schools illegal. 1955. Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus. 1955. The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted for 381 days and ended with the desegregation of the Montgomery, Alabama bus system. 1963. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for for demonstrating the Birmingham campaign without a permit. 1963. King's Letter from Birmingham Jail inspires a growing national civil rights movement.The goal was to end the system of segregation completely in every aspect of public life and in job discrimination. 1963. In Birmingham, a white man is seen placing a box containing a bomb under the steps of the 16th Street Baptist Church, a black congregation. The explosion kills four black girls attending Sunday school. 1964. The years 1964 to 1971 encountered more than 750 riots, killing 228 people and injuring 12,741 others by angered blacks in LA, NJ, Detroit, and other U.S cities. 1964. Congress authorizes the Civil Rights Act to ensure the right to vote, guarantee access to public accommodations, and the withdrawal of federal funds to any program. 1965. Voting Rights Act was passed. 1967. Robert C. Weaver became the first black to hold a Cabinet position in U.S. history. 1967. Massachusetts Republican, Edward Brooke became the first black to serve in the Senate since Reconstruction. 1968. James Earl Ray assassinated Martin Luther King in the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. 1968. Congress authorizes the 1968 Civil Rights Act, providing federal enforcement provisions for discrimination in housing. 2008. Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States. 2012. Trayvon Martin, 17, was fatally shot by a white man, George Zimmerman on a visit to the convenience store to buy a drink and sweets. Zimmerman was not charged at first by the Sanford Police, but later charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter after a public outcry. 2013. Renisha McBride was shot dead by a white male, Theodore Wafer in Detroit after a car accident. 2014. Eric Garner, 43, was killed by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo after being put in a chokehold on the side of the road. 2014. Unarmed teenager Michael Brown was killed by officer Darren Wilson outside of an apartment complex in Ferguson, Missouri. 2015. Freddie Gray runs after seeing police in Baltimore, Maryland. The 25-year-old was arrested for possessing what they describe as an illegal switchblade and after his request for his inhaler are denied, he falls in a coma in the back of a police car. 2016. Diamond Reynolds uses Facebook Live to stream the fallout of her boyfriend Philando Castile being shot by police in Minnesota. He was allegedly shot by a police officer while reaching for his wallet after being pulled over. Now, please remind me again of how this country called America is ‘free’ and ‘great again.' It’s not even close. Information from: http://www.oprah.com/inspiration/timeline-of-race-relations-in-america http://www.ushistory.org/more/timeline.htm Black Excellence
Jayline Torres 2/18 Friday afternoon, your teacher assigns you a task. She says ask whoever you have to ask. Do whatever you have to do. But come Monday morning you’re going to give a speech To the rest of the class telling them Why they MUST respect you. You get shivers when she assigns you your task Because you realize you are tired of coming last. So you dive into your past and your future To ensure you have the best speech possible. Monday morning, it’s a new day and you’re feeling good. You take down your hood because you are no longer hiding from the oppressor. You apply pressure to the seat you take on the bus. You make eye contact with everyone that tries to start up a fuss. They question you, but this time you’re ready. “Why are you sitting there?” And you reply: “Rosa Parks done told you already”…. You get to school and you stand up in front of the class And your past says “I have a dream” And I would appreciate if you’d listen. Your present says “yes... we... can”. Every word you seem to speak resonates in every person's ears You aren’t just doing this for right now. You are doing it for the past, right now, and the soon to come And because of this... Your past hugs you Your future loves you And the present is you. Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Destini Washington 2/18 Aaliyah was young, pretty and talented. She changed the game for R&B and also the minds of girls all around the world. Aaliyah was born on January 16,1979 in Brooklyn, New York U.S. Aaliyah was a singer, actress, model and dancer. Sadly Aaliyah died August 25,2001 at the age of 22 from an airplane crash. The album “Age ain’t nothing but a number” sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Record Industry Association of America. Her second album, “One in a million,” sold three million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. Aaliyah was great because from a early age she found satisfaction in her music. When she didn’t win the youth competition on “star search” as a preteen, she didn’t let it deter her from continuing to sing and to follow her dreams. Aaliyah’s influential after life was amazing. She’s great because even to this day her music gets played and young women want to be like her or remember how she reminded everyone to be themselves. She inspired other singers by the passion they saw she had for her music. For example, Singer Rihanna admired Aaliyah because of the personality in her music videos. Singer Ciara said “Aaliyah was true to who she was and she didn’t seem to care about what others thought.” Rapper and singer Drake said “Aaliyah sang nothing but real lyrics; she showed everyone that it’s okay to be yourself, to show the inner you.” For more Information go to https://www.aaliyah.com/ |
