|
Dear Friends, We made it to the election of 2020. And of course we know the ride isn’t over. But at least, Nov. 3 is upon us. How are you, my friends? Hopeful, I’m sure and exhausted and anxious. We didn’t deserve this treatment. There was a great spot on TV after the virus broke out. It read something like: “Adversity came to town and asked what we were going to do about it.” We looked it in the eye and said, “watch us.” We’ll make it. We are in it together. Our beacon of hope is our vote. I appreciate all of you, my friends. I wanted to share two videos with you, this week, the last week before Election Day. The "1964: The Fight for Right," American Public Broadcasting documentary, reminded me of some things we went through in previous decades. And, we made it. Frontline's "Whose Vote Counts?" I found important because we have a lot of work to when it comes to voter suppression. And, it reminds me of all the brave people who worked, and lived and died in a fight for voting rights. My respect and admiration for these brave heroes knows no bounds. Love, Nancy Jean From Kristine: I share Nancy's heartfelt thoughts about what we're all dealing with at this momentous time in history. The only thing I can add at this point is to please make your voice heard and vote. We can change the course of our nation if we all work together. Let's do this.  Make Your Voice Heard
0 Comments
 Nancy Kendall's description of Mr. McDonald's visit. " ... a man by the name of MC Donald Came Round. Soliciting Subscribers to his Paper Annouced he would Lecture on Freesoilism and some of the Citizens Said if he did they would Egg him. He came on they were there with their basked of Eggs 4 or 5 of them it was Warm Weather. Stoped with Prairy Team. Stoped in front of the door with their Whips in their hand ..." - from the Journal of Nancy Kendall* The Free-Soil Party was a short-lived but influential political party in the pre-Civil War era. The Party opposed extending slavery to the quickly growing western American territories. The party slogan called for "free soil, free speech, free labor and free men." The news of Mr. McDonald's visit caused considerable consternation among Nancy Kendall's neighbors. With whips and eggs in hand, Mr. McDonald's visit could have led to violence. But, as Nancy continues her story, an interesting dynamic occurred. Mr. McDonald arrived at the crowded meeting house and, instead of going inside, he stayed in the doorway so those inside and outside could hear his words. In Nancy's words, "he talked about an hour ther were no Eggs thrown no disturbance of any kind."* The Free-Soil Party held a state convention in Washington, Iowa, as well. Hoping for a modest turnout, attendance reached far beyond expectations. Nancy cooked "dinner and supper" for 17 people. Mr. McDonald gave a presentation and many in attendance subscribed to his newspaper.  Description of the Free Soil Party Convention The head of the Free-Soil Party was Henry Stanton, husband of the suffragette, Susan Cady Stanton. Other well-known abolitionists active in the Free-Soil party included Frederick Douglas, the Beecher family, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Walt Whitman and John Greenleaf Whittier. The Free-Soil Party enjoyed brief revivals in 2014 and gained attention again in 2019.  A Free Soil Party Banner from 1848 *Transcribed from Nancy Kendall's journal with original spellings and punctuation.
 Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1933-2020 "I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability." Ruth Bader Ginsburg lost her battle with cancer Sept. 18, 2020. Nominated to the Supreme Court in 1993, she became a voice for women's rights, gender equality and civil rights. She also became an icon. Affectionately dubbed the Notorious RGB, she was a tireless advocate for justice. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a Supreme Court judge, but she was also a wife and mother. She was already a mother when she attended Harvard Law School. Balancing motherhood and her studies, she faced hostility at Harvard as one of eight women in a class of 500. RBG encountered discrimination not only in school, but also in the workplace after graduation. But, hired she was and, as they say, the rest is history. Ginsburg lost her husband, Martin, in 2010. Their marriage was by all accounts one of deep respect and a partnership of equals. She leaves behind two children, Jane and James. She also leaves a legacy of a life dedicated to justice and equality regardless of gender or sexual preference. Rest in power Justice Ginsburg.  Martin, Ruth, James and Jane on the boat. Note: Nancy Jean is knee-deep in research at the moment, but will continue the story of Nancy Kendall and the Underground Railroad soon. I thank Nancy for asking me to write a guest post about Ruth Bader Ginsburg for her blog in the meantime. I'd be thrilled if you'd check my personal blog out at QuirkyPen.com and sign up for my newsletter. Thank you for reading.
|
Nancy JeanNancy Jean is a woman of several lives and careers, including school teacher, homemaker, parent, amateur musician and writer. Read more... Archives
July 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed