Harriet Tubman

Ermeberger. (n.d.). Harriet Tubman in Auburn, NY. 

Retrieved from: https://africandiasporaphd.com/2016/04/22/berry-harriet-tubman-isnt-the-first-black-woman-to-appear-on-currency-in-the-u-s/

Harriet Tubman, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

Ms. Tubman was born Araminta Ross. During her lifetime, Ms. Tubman served as a conductor on the Underground Railroad and led more than 100 people to their freedom. Ms. Tubman also worked as a nurse and a spy during the Civil War and fought for equality for African Americans and women. The U.S. Treasury Department announced in 2016 that it would place Harriet Tubman’s image on the $20.00 bill in the future.

To learn more about Ms. Tubman, visit the sites below or borrow a DVD about the Underground Railroad from the Sullivan University Library.

Harriet Tubman on Biography.com

Harriet Tubman at History Channel 

Washington Post article about Harriet Tubman   

________________________________________

Sources: 

Brown, D.L. (2017, September 1). Whether She’s on the $20 Bill or Not, Harriet Tubman Made Men Pay for Underestimating Her. The Washington Post. Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/09/01/whether-shes-on-the-20-bill-or-not-harriet-tubman-made-men-pay-for-underestimating-her/?utm_term=.48ffd7ee8b4e

Harriet Tubman Biography. (2018, February 13). The Biography.com website. Retrieved from: https://www.biography.com/people/harriet-tubman-9511430

Harriet Tubman Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/harriet_tubman_310306

Thurgood Marshall: Supreme Court Justice

https://i2.wp.com/urbanintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/TMarshallSCOTUS.jpg

“Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.”

Justice Marshall, the first African American justice appointed to the United States Supreme Court, also argued the Brown v. Board of Education case in front of the Supreme Court. Justice Marshall graduated from Lincoln University and graduated top in his class from Howard University’s law school. President Lyndon Johnson appointed Marshall to the post of Solicitor General in 1965, and then in 1967, President Johnson appointed him to the U.S. Supreme Court. As Solicitor General, Justice Marshall participated in the famous Miranda v. Arizona case. When Justice Marshall passed away in 1993, he lay in state in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court.

For more information:

Justice Marshall on Biography.com 

Justice Marshall at History Channel 

Justice Marshall from the Oyez site 

Justice Marshall from U.S. Courts.gov 

Borrow books about Thurgood Marshall from the Sullivan University Library.

________________________

Sources:

Miranda v. Arizona. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1965/759

Thurgood Marshall Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thurgood_marshall_821973

United States Courts. (2018) Justice Thurgood Marshall Profile-Brown v. Board of Education Reenactment. Retrieved from: http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/justice-thurgood-marshall-profile-brown-v-board

Award-Winning Poet: Maya Angelou

Image source: http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poems-and-performance/poets/detail/maya-angelou

“History, despite its wrenching pain, Cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” From On the Pulse of Morning. [1993]

Maya Angelou read these words from her poem “On the Pulse of Morning,” at the inauguration of President William Clinton in 1993. Angelou, the author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, also wrote plays, children’s books, essays, produced documentaries, and created spoken word albums, making her mark on the literary and cultural landscape of the United States and the world. Ms. Angelou won numerous awards during her lifetime including: a Grammy, the Springarn Medal given by the NAACP, the Lincoln Medal, the Presidential Medal of Arts, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. To learn more about this remarkable woman visit the following sites or borrow a book from the Sullivan University Library.

Sites to visit:

Maya Angelou on Biography.com 

The full-text of On the Pulse of Morning from the New York Times.  

_____________________

Sources:

O’Brien, G., (Ed.). (2012). Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 18th ed. New York: Little, Brown and Company. pp. 817.

Wagner-Martin, L. (2016). Maya Angelou: Adventurous Spirit. New York: Bloomsbury.

Malcolm X: Civil Rights Activist

Image source:

https://sites.duke.edu/malcolmx/files/2014/12/421311.jpeg

“I think they [my family] would rather have a father or brother or whatever the situation may be who will take a stand in the face of any kind of reaction from narrow-minded people rather than compromise and later on have to grow up in shame and in disgrace.” From his speech, “After the Bombing.” [February 14, 1965].

Malcolm X, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, spoke the words above after his home was bombed, and a week before he was assassinated on February 21, 1965. Born to Earl and Louise Little, in 1925, Malcolm came from a family that worked for civil rights. Malcolm’s father supported the activist Marcus Garvey and died under suspicious circumstances. Malcolm changed his name to Malcolm X in 1952, because he no longer wanted to bear the name of someone who had enslaved his ancestors.  Today, a museum in New York City exists where visitors can learn more about Malcolm X and his wife, Dr. Betty Shabbaz.

Sites to visit:

The MalcolmX and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center

Malcolm X on Biography.com

The Sullivan University Library has Malcolm X’s biography and you may borrow it if you want.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X (323.119 X1a) by Malcolm X.  

________________________________________

Sources:

Malcolm X. (2010). After the Bombing. In P. Finkelman. (Ed.), Milestone Documents in African American History, v. 4 (pp. 1379-1384). Dallas, Texas: Schlager Group. 

Shabazz, I. (2018). Malcolm X. Retrieved from: http://www.theshabazzcenter.org/www.theshabazzcenter.org/page/malcolm_x.html  

Dr. Condoleezza Rice: A Leader in Education and in Politics

Department of State. (2005, February). Condoleezza Rice. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Condoleezza_Rice_cropped.jpg 

 

“The essence of America - that which really unites us - is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion - it is an idea - and what an idea it is: That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things.”

Dr. Condoleezza Rice made history when she became the first African American woman to be Secretary of State for the United States. She made her mark in both academia and government prior to her government service with President George W. Bush’s administration though. She was the Provost at Stanford University from 1993-1999, and prior to that she taught at the university. Dr. Rice also served with President George H.W. Bush’s administration. Currently, Dr. Rice is a professor at Stanford University, and she is on the board at companies like Dropbox, C3, and Makena Capital. 

You can follow Dr. Rice on Twitter: @CondoleezzaRice and learn more about her here: 

Stanford Faculty Homepage 

Biography.com 

________________________

Sources:
 Condoleezza Rice Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/condoleezza_rice_453866

Stanford University. (2018) Condoleezza Rice, PhD Biography. Retrieved from: https://tec.fsi.stanford.edu/people/condoleezza_rice 

Curtis Mayfield: Influencial Musician

Image source: This Is My Country album art. (1968, November). Retrieved from: http://www.curtismayfield.com/photos.html?ga=15&pg=2

"Some people think we don’t have the right to say it’s my country. Before they give in they’d rather fuss and fight than say it’s my country. I’ve paid three hundred years or more of slave-driving sweat and welts on my back. This is my country.” From This Is My Country. [1968].

When Illinois senator Barack Obama walked on to the stage at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, a Curtis Mayfield song, “Pushing,” ushered him to the stage. Curtis Mayfield made music by writing songs, performing with bands like the Roosters and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, The Impressions, and as a solo artist. According to Mr. Mayfield’s website, his song, “People Get Ready,” has been recorded by over 100 artists. A tragic accident in 1990 paralyzed Mayfield from the neck down, but Mr. Mayfield did not stop. He recorded his final album, “New World Order,” despite his paralysis. Mr. Mayfield passed away in 1999.

To learn more about Mr. Mayfield and his remarkable life, see the following websites:

Curtis Mayfield 

The Impressions, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

_____________________________________

Sources: Curtis Mayfield Estate. (2018). Curtis Mayfield Biography. Retrieved from: http://www.curtismayfield.com/biography.html

O’Brien, G., ed. (2012). Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 18^th ed. New York: Little, Brown and Company. pp. 855.

Nobel Prize Winner: Toni Morrison

Source: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C49oC_bUYAA1iao.jpg

“When you know your name, you should hang on to it, for unless it is noted down and remembered, it will die when you do.” From Song of Solomon. [1977]

Ms. Morrison, the first African American (man or woman) to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, won the prestigious award in 1993. Educated at Howard and Cornell universities, Ms. Morrison published her first novel, The Bluest Eye, in 1970.  She has worked as an editor, professor, and a writer, and she has won several other awards and accolades including: the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved, the National Book Foundation Medal, the National Humanities Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Award.

For additional information about Ms. Morrison, see the following sites:

Biography.com 

Nobel Prize website

The library has several works by Ms. Morrison, and a biography of Ms. Morrison, called, Toni Morrison: A Biography; 813.54 L693t

______________________________

Sources:

Li, S. (2010). Toni Morrison: A Biography. Denver, CO: Greenwood Press.

O’Brien, G., (Ed.). (2012). Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 18th ed. New York: Little, Brown and Company. pp. 830

Congressman John Lewis: Civil Rights Activist

John Lewis addresses students at T.C. Williams High School on Monday, November 16, 2015

“Never give up. Never give in. Never become hostile... Hate is too big a burden to bear.”

Congressman John Lewis heard Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak on the radio about the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and decided to get involved with the civil rights movement. Congressman Lewis participated in sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, was chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and co-led the walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL, in 1965. Congressman Lewis has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1986. March: Book Three, a graphic novel about the Civil Rights movement written by Congressman Lewis, Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, won several awards last year. http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/march-book-three/945

To find out more about Congressman Lewis:
Congressman John Lewis’s official site
____________________________
Sources:
John Lewis Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_lewis_810320

Lewis, J. (2018). John Lewis. Retrieved from: https://johnlewis.house.gov/john-lewis

Image Source:  John Lewis addresses students at T.C. Williams High School on Monday, November 16, 2015. Retrieved from: https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_1484w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2015/11/16/Local/Images/04lewis1117A1447698851.jpg?uuid=o6C72IyQEeWTTKNpyAgiwg

-------------

Amanda Gorman, First National Youth Poet Laureate



Image from: YoungArts. (2016, March 7). Amanda Gorman, Writing/Selection from Novel & Short Story: 2016 YoungArts Los Angeles.   Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/zM4En012IJo


“I did a lot of sitting back and thinking about what I wanted for myself and what I wanted for my country: more unity, more support for the arts and more opportunities for young writers from marginalized groups.” From New York Times article, “How Amanda Gorman Became the Nation’s First Youth Poet Laureate.” (2017, November 3).


Ms. Gorman, a sophomore at Harvard University, became the first National Youth Poet Laureate in April 2017. She served as the Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate in 2014 and the Youth Poet Laureate of the West before being named to the National Youth Poet Laureate post. She also heads up an organization for student writers known as One Pen One Page.

Visit the sites below to find out more about Ms. Gorman and the National Youth Poet Laureate program.

AmandaGorman, Inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate 

AmandaGorman Named National Youth Poet Laureate

How AmandaGorman Became the Nation’s First Youth Poet Laureate    

NationalYouth Poet Laureate 

_________________________________________

Sources: Hawgood, A. (2017, November 3). How Amanda Gorman Became the Nation’s First Youth Poet Laureate. New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/style/amanda-gorman-first-youth-poet-laureate.html

Holmes, A. (2017, July 25). Amanda Gorman, Inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate [web log post]. From the Catbird Seat: Poetry & Literature at the Library of Congress. Retrieved from: https://blogs.loc.gov/catbird/2017/07/amanda-gorman-inaugural-national-youth-poet-laureate/

Black History Month: President Barack Obama

We Are One People

Image source: C-SPAN. (2004, July 27). Senator Barack Obama 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Speech. Retrieved from: https://www.c-span.org/video/?182718-3/senator-barack-obama-2004-democratic-national-convention-keynote-speech 

 “We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.” –From keynote address at Democratic National Convention. [2004]

Four years before he was elected President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama spoke these impactful words. President Obama was the first African American elected to be the President of the United States. Prior to serving as President, Mr. Obama was an Illinois state senator from 1997-2004, and a United States Senator from 2004-2008. Mr. Obama was also the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review.

Want to know more about President Obama?

PresidentBarack Obama’s official White House page 

SenatorBarack Obama’s official Senate page 

Barack ObamaKeynote Speech at 2004 Democratic National Convention 

Black History Month: Mildred Taylor

Image source: https://melinmidlothian.blogspot.com/2014/04/t-is-fortolstoy.html

“Baby, we have no choice of what color we’re born or who our parents are or whether we’re rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we’re here.” From Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, 1976.

The book, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, written by Ms. Mildred Taylor and from which this quote came, won the John Newbery Medal for distinguished children’s literature in 1977. In addition to the Newbery Medal, Ms. Taylor has won four Coretta Scott King Awards and a Boston-Globe-Horn Book Award. Ms. Taylor continues to write and lives in Colorado with her family.  

Visit the websites below to learn more about Ms. Mildred Taylor.

MildredTaylor’s author page 

Mississippi Writer’s Page

The SU Lexington library has this edition of the book:

Black History Month: Eric Holder, Jr.

Graythen, C. (2012, June 28). Attorney General Eric Holder addresses the media following a vote in the House of Representatives at the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Louisiana office in New Orleans, LA. Retrieved from: http://ktla.com/2017/01/04/bracing-for-trump-california-taps-ex-u-s-atty-gen-eric-holder-as-lead-litigator/

 

“Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. Though race related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion . . . we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race.” - Remarks at the Department of Justice African American History Month Program, February 18, 2009.

Mr. Eric Holder, a former Attorney General of the United States from 2009-2015, and the first African American to hold the positions of Deputy Attorney General and Attorney General, spoke the words above almost nine years ago. His words continue to be relevant today.

To learn more about Mr. Holder, or if you want to read the entirety of the speech he gave on February 18, 2009, check out the following websites: 

Department of Justice

Biography.com

Speech given at the Department of JusticeAfrican American History Month Program, February 18, 2009.

Black History month: Words Matter

Black Words Matter

Words matter. Words can inspire and encourage. To celebrate Black History Month, the Sullivan University Library in Lexington has a display of quotes written or spoken by African American men and women. While the words in these quotes come from different periods in U.S. history, they all reflect these common themes: justice, dignity, and awareness.

In addition to the library’s display, the librarians plan to post quotes from African Americans on our blog each school day.

We invite you to the library to see the display.