I am not a protestor. I don’t like chanting and I don’t want to carry a sign. I am, however, a historian and have spent a big chunk of my life studying U.S. history. I believe strongly in people’s constitutional right to protest and people need to be reminded that that right was not extended to black people in the U.S. until the 14th amendment passed in 1868, a full 80 years after the U.S. Constitution was ratified. That amendment only passed under duress during Reconstruction.
One of my many projects is my podcast American Anthology, and one of my goals with that project has been to call attention to some of the lesser known chapters in the struggle for Civil Rights in this country. We all know about MLK and Rosa Parks, but for a lot of people that’s where things start to fade out. The struggle has been long, painful and bloody beyond belief, and didn’t end with the Civil War or Civil Rights. It has always been just about being treated the same, about having the same rights as white citizens of this country.
My normal goal on this blog is to give people a break from the news and politics with some beautiful photos, but one of the main goals of my podcast has been to help educate people about American History, and especially some of these lesser known chapters. If you want some easily digestible (though not necessarily pleasant or easy to hear) lessons on the struggle and how things have gotten to where we find ourselves today, I’d like to call your attention to some of the topics I’ve covered:
Episode 5 – N.C. – The Wilmington Insurrection – the only successful Coup d’etat in American History
Episode 7 – S.C. – Briggs vs. Elliott – the struggle for a single bus for black students – became part of Brown vs. The Board of Education
Episode 9 – TN - The Lynching of Ell Persons – 5,000 people showed up to this public lynching advertised in the paper. Sandwiches were sold. Persons was doused in gasoline and lit on fire. No evidence of Persons’ guilt was ever found.
Episode 11 – OH - The killing of peaceful protestors at Kent State – not black history, but the use of force against peaceful protestors.
Episode 13 – KY - The Day Law – forced segregation at happily integrated Berea College
Episode 14 – GA – A look at the history of Stone Mountain and some thoughts on Confederate symbolism
Episode 15 – GA – The Weeping Time – the largest slave auction in U.S. History
Episode 16 – FL – The Groveland 4 – four Florida men wrongfully accused of rape
Episode 17 – FL – The Election of 1876 – effectively ends Reconstruction in the South
Episode 18 – LA – The German Coast Slave Revolt of 1811 – Largest Slave Revolt in U.S. History
Episode 18 – LA – The Baton Rouge Bus Boycott – Where Montgomery and MLK Got the Idea
Episode 19 – LA – Solomon Northup – kidnapped into slavery, later wrote 12 Years a Slave
Episode 20 – AL – Jesse Owens – champion of the 1936 Olympics, got no invite to the White House
Episode 21 – AL – Claudette Colvin – Rosa Parks was a trained activist, but Claudette Colvin was just a teenager who had the courage to keep her seat. The two were friends before Parks’ famous ride.
In addition to these difficult stories I also tell stories of African Americans achieving amazing things against incredible odds. These stories include (with the episode number in parentheses) – Black Civil War Naval Hero Robert Smalls (6), “Peanut” Johnson – the only woman to ever pitch in pro baseball (6), Astronaut Ronald McNair lost in the Challenger (7), James Brown (7), Tina Turner (9), Olympic Runner Wilma Rudolph (9), Toni Morrison (11), Muhammad Ali – his protests make Kaepernick’s knee look incredibly tame (which it was) (12), Jackie Robinson (14), Little Richard (15), Football Legend Jim Brown (15), Fats Domino (16), Football Coaching Legend Eddie Robinson (19), Leadbelly (19), Jesse Owens (20)
You’ll also find stories from women’s history and LGBTQ history, plus stories from the labor movement and against corruption. All of these are important to tell as part of our collective history. Our American history. I haven’t always said or done the right things in my life, and sometimes I said or did things I regret. This is one way I try and make up for that. This is about me doing my part. I’m not a protestor, I’m a historian. This is my part. This is my stand…
To listen to full episodes, either click on the Podcast link above, or search American Anthology wherever you get your podcasts.