Guest post by Kristine Collins
​
Eunice Hunton Carter was smart and everyone knew it. But in the early 1900s, smart Black women faced a mountain of obstacles to succeed in any field, let alone in the legal profession. 

Eunice Carter graduated cum laude from Smith College in 1921, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees, and went on to become one of the first Black women to graduate from Fordham Law School in 1932. 

After working for some time as a social worker, New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia appointed her prosecutor in the "women's court," a court that handled the specific prosecution of women, including prostitutes. Eunice Carter saw a link in each of these cases that no one else saw coming. What was going on here?

The women who stood before her on prostitution charges all had two things in common. They each had the same lawyer. And, they had the same bail bondsmen. A small circle of players represented the women, and paid their bail. Who was behind it all? Eunice Carter was about to find out.

Charlie "Lucky" Luciano was a mob boss who'd snuffed out his competition in New York City. He'd taken the brothels over by force. He was the kingpin. Eunice Carter connected the dots. She became the force about to knock him down.

Carter conducted interviews with the prostitutes to help build the case against Luciano. The women were frightened, and out of more than 100 prostitutes arrested, only three ended up testifying. But, that was enough. 
 
Working on special prosecutor Thomas Dewey's team, Eunice was instrumental in establishing the key facts of the case. The evidence she gathered led to the successful prosecution of Luciano. ​

As a Black lawyer and the key investigator into Luciano's crimes, she got little credit. Her work had been meticulous and irrefutable. But, she was Black. She was a woman. Her appearances at the prosecution table during the trial were rare. 
​
Eunice Carter eventually left the District Attorney's office and began a private practice. She was an activist, working with the National Council of Negro Women, the YWCA and within the United Nations. She died in 1970. 

Eunice Carter, was a Black female attorney in the 1930s who brought a mob boss down. Her name should not be forgotten.

Sources:
Eunice Carter - The Mob Museum
Eunice Carter - Fordham School of Law

​Books:
Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America's Most Powerful Mobster by Eunice Carter's grandson, Stephen L. Carter
A Pair of Aces: written by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray - historical fiction based on the events and prosecution of Lucky Luciano by Eunice Carter with the help of prostitute Polly Adler 

Our December 2025 blog post, "Trained to Serve Whites: A Heroes Quiet Legacy,"  told the little known story of Doris "Dorie" Miller, a Black Naval soldier who, despite being relegated to kitchen and laundry duties because of his race became a hero at Pearl Harbor. 

He saved the lives of many that day. He received little recognition for his bravery, certainly none compared to white soldiers at the time, until his story found its way to the press. Unable to ignore it any longer, Miller received the Navy Cross from Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz in May 1942. Miller was the first Black sailor to receive the honor. 

Miller continued to serve, but was killed only months later on November 24, 1942, when a torpedo hit his ship, the USS Liscome Bay. He was 24 years old. 

In 2020, plans were made to honor this Black hero of WWII by naming a fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier after him. Family members attended a plaque unveiling on Martin Luther King Day to commemorate the naming of the future carrier, the USS Doris Miller. It was to be a landmark event - the first commissioned carrier named after an enlisted soldier, and the first named after a Black soldier. 

​But, in recent weeks, a a behind-the-scenes plan by the current administration has come to light. That plan? To rename the ship to the name of the current sitting president of the US. Never before has a sitting president had a military carrier named after him, and, to remove a true Black hero's name is truly a travesty.

Not only is this a slap in the face for Black Americans, Black soldiers and the Doris Miller family, but it's a slap in the face to anyone who has ever truly served the US.

Along with contacting your representatives, here are other ways you can make your voice heard and prevent this outrage:

Care2 Petition: Petition against Trump Officials Pushing to Rename Aircraft Carrier After Trump
ResistBot: ​Keep the USS Doris Miller — Reject This Shameful Renaming

Earlier this year, in an attempt to erase history, the current administration ordered the removal of quotes and factual information from signs and exhibits in parks and monuments nationwide that celebrated the contributions of Black Americans. 

Declaring that the quotes and narratives about Black Americans, including those that honored Black soldiers who fought for this country and any mention of slavery did not align with the government's "preferred" narrative  - an administration that is filled with white supremacists, Christian Nationalists and those with admitted "Nazi" leanings - the president signed an executive order in March 2025 which directed the Interior Department to make changes to parks, monuments and memorials and address any “false revision of history” that the White House said occurred.

On June 12, 2026 U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley, in a decisive rebuff to the administration, ordered reinstallation of exhibits and signs that had been removed nationwide. In her decision, Judge Kelley stated that removing these signs not only undermines “the integrity of the National Parks; it sets a dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization.”

In her ruling Judge Kelley directed the government to restore the signs and exhibits within 21 days, “by the 250th anniversary to properly honor the remarkable achievements of the United States.”

Of course, the decision could be reversed on appeal. Regardless of what happens next, history cannot be erased as long as there are those who use their voices to speak out and fight for the truth. 
​
Source: 
NBC News: Judge orders administration officials to re-install signs and exhibits at national parks on topics like slavery and climate change
PBS News: Judge orders restoration of National Park changes made by the current regime

On May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, a white police officer placed his knee on George Floyd's neck and suffocated him as onlookers screamed "Stop, you're killing him," and recorded video. 

Many Black people viewed the murder as a moment of truth. They thought surely this cold-blooded murder could not be ignored. Change must surely come. But, has it? 

Changes in personnel and police procedures in Minneapolis did occur. Attempts were made to engage the public in administrative decisions as well as on a local level in their own communities. Advanced police training became mandatory, and some improvements did take place.

But, George Floyd's uncle, Selwyn Jones, and aunt, Angela Harrelson told a news station reporter it was not enough. “When we get to the point with all of this, where we don’t have to say the words Black Lives Matter, then that’s when we know we have arrived,” Harrelson said.

The Rise and Remember memorial on May 25, 2026 was not a just a somber remembrance of George Floyd's murder, but it was also a celebration of community and life. It was hope for a future not yet achieved.

 “Today is not just about remembering George Floyd, it is about remembering what his life and his death revealed to the world,” said Ruth Anna Buffalo, president of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, told attendees from the stage. “Years later, many of our communities are still carrying grief, trauma, fear and exhaustion. But we are still, we are still here.”

Yes, change did come after a white police officer callously snuffed out the life of a Black man for all the world to see. But, as the current administration works to erode the civil and human rights of Black citizens as well as other people of color, women and others, there is so much more to do. 

The recently completed Artemis II mission marked the first time since December 1972 that humans flew to the moon.  The history-making journey not only set a record for the farthest distance humans traveled in space, but it also marked the first time a Black astronaut, Victor Glover, Jr., took part in a moon mission. ​

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave NASA a push - choose qualified African American candidates for the astronaut trainee program. A strong proponent of space travel, Kennedy knew that the program would most likely stay white if not pushed. Prodded by the administration, NASA chose Ed Dwight Jr. as the first Black  trainee. 

Unsurprisingly, Dwight was not selected to move on into the elite astronaut program. His selection into the training program, however, garnered national attention and he became not only a symbol of progress, but also a role model for younger generations of aspiring Black astronauts. 

At the time of Dwight's selection, Huntsville, Alabama, the location of NASA's headquarters, was segregated. Black people still couldn't use "white" bathrooms or drinking fountains. So it was no surprise that the first Black trainee didn't make it into the program. It took more than 20 years before a Black astronaut finally went to space. 

NASA astronaut Group 8, formed in 1978, was the first to include women and minorities. Five years later, in August 1983, Guion S. Bluford, Jr., became the first Black astronaut to travel into space. 

Mae Jemison was the first Black woman in space in 1992, and Bernard Harris, Jr. became the first Black astronaut to perform a space walk in 1993. And although, Victor Glover's name is widely known now because of  his latest achievement, he was also the first Black astronaut to do an extended stay on the International Space Station. 

The Artemis II mission was a unifying moment in a country with rare moments of unity of late. It was also a defining moment for not only Black Americans, but a lesson in what we can achieve if we all work together.

Resources:
Victor Glover, Jr.: NASA Astronaut & U.S. Navy Captain official NASA page​
Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture: African American Achievement at NASA 

Jesse Jackson, who died on February 17, 2026, left behind a legacy of firsts.  A civil rights leader who broke boundaries and forced change, he ran for president of the United States twice. He didn't get the nomination either time, but when the photo of Jackson with tears running down his face after Barack Obama was first elected became public, it became an iconic symbol of how much that moment meant to Jackson and those for whom he'd fought. 

Jackson was a flawed human being. So are we. But perhaps his greatest legacy is that throughout his life, he insisted that America meant everyone, not a select few.  He set the tone for what it means to be American throughout his life and taught us how to incorporate those ideals into a political ideology that put social justice at the forefront.

Again, our country is in a struggle with what it means to be American. As a nation of immigrants, most of us are appalled by what's happening right now. Jesse Jackson is gone, but we need to stand up and continue fighting for the marginalized, the disadvantaged, and all of the people in our country who are part of this quilt we call America.

Thank you for your service, Rev. Jesse Jackson. May you rest in peace. 

Resources:
Robert Reich: What you can do now
The ACLU: How to fight back on abuses of power
The RPC: The Rainbow PUSH Coalition: The international human and civil rights organization founded by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. RPC seeks to empower people through the effective use of grassroots advocacy, issue orientation, and connections between the greater community and the disenfranchised.

Guest post by Kristine Collins Schwartzman

On December 7, 1941, Mess Attendant Doris "Dorie" Miller, stationed in Pearl Harbor aboard the USS West Virginia, was taking care of the laundry. 

As a Black man in the Navy, his job, as was the job of any Black man in the Navy at the time, was to "serve" the white officers in support roles, handling the cleaning, laundry and kitchen duties. He received no weapons or combat training. He'd never shot a gun.

But, as the first torpedoes hit the ship and chaos erupted, Miller moved the ship's fatally injured captain off the ship's bridge and into shelter. A white officer ordered him to find ammo so he could use one of two nearby anti-aircraft guns. Miller did so, but he also loaded the second anti-aircraft gun and began firing at enemy aircraft alongside the white officer. He and the officer fired until they ran out of ammo.

Miller then concentrated on getting the wounded to safety. Finally, he and the survivors were forced to abandon ship as it sank into the ocean. Doris Miller, a Black sailor subjugated to a supporting role, saved the lives of many that day. 

No official recognition of Doris Miller's bravery came until months later, when the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper broke the story, identifying Black Messmen Doris Miller as a hero. And then the internal debates began. 

Should the U.S. Navy give the same accolades to a Black sailor they would routinely have given a white one? The story was out. There wasn't much else the military could do.

In May 1942, Miller received the Navy Cross from Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Miller was the first Black sailor to receive the honor. 

The Navy used Miller's image for recruitment posters and recalled Miller to the U.S. to make a war bond tour. His speeches inspired the recruitment of new sailors, particularly within Black communities. 

Doris Miller returned to active duty on the USS Liscome Bay, and on November 24, 1942, a torpedo hit the ship, and Miller was presumed dead. His body was never found. He was 24 years old. 

Miller left behind a legacy that went well beyond his short life. Before the Navy's recognition of his heroism, Black soldiers were not allowed to become officers. After Miller's death, the Navy began a training program for Black officers. The first were commissioned in March 1944.

The Navy remained segregated, but Miller's heroism and subsequent recognition was the first step toward equality that began with the initiation of the Black officers program, followed by the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s and finally, the desegregation of the military. 

Miller began life as a sharecropper's son in Waco, Texas, in 1919. But, his courage in the face of hardship and bigotry, is a lesson for us all.  

“Doris Miller stood for everything that is good about our nation, and his story continues to be remembered and repeated wherever our people continue the watch today.” -- Former Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly

Sources:
Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson, December 6, 2025
The Unforeseen Legacy of Doris Miller

The election on November 4, 2025, was the first test of how voters feel about the current regime's actions and policies since gaining power. In no uncertain terms, voters rejected the racism, sexism and run up to fascism of this administration.

Black women led the charge. They voted for women, Black and white, they voted for progress, and they voted for change. They voted in large numbers. And they made history. 

Detroit voters not only elected their first female mayor, but Mary Sheffield, mayor-elect, is the youngest Black woman ever elected as mayor in a major city. Meanwhile, Syracuse, New York elected its first Black mayor, Sharon Owens. Dorcey Applyrs became Albany's next mayor in a landslide. Black women were also instrumental in electing the first female governors in both Virginia and New Jersey. 

In one of the most polarizing elections of 2025, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim and of South Asian descent, won a stunning victory against the "establishment" to become New York City's mayor. 

Even in small elections, such as those for school board's across the country, Democrats took seats in large numbers. Clearly, voters rejected the current regime's agenda, and the smack down was due in large part to Black women voters. 

Sources:

• Black Women Lead Historic Democratic Sweep in 2025 Election
• Mary Sheffield Makes History
• Black voters are architects of Democratic victories

Dear Readers:

Grandfather's Gift began as a way to tell the true story of Nancy Jean's great-grandmother, Nancy Kendall, and her experiences as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Since then, we have expanded our focus to include much of the history of racial discrimination throughout the years, down to the present day. 

It's no secret that this project is written and administered by two white women. We've done our best to talk about difficult issues of racial discrimination, but we have no illusions that we know what it's like to be Black in America. 

We don't know what it feels like to fear for our lives during a routine traffic stop. We don't know what it means to be sitting in our own homes and then shot. We don't know what it means to be a Black mental health professional who goes to the aid of a white patient, and then is shot by police. It's unfathomable to most of us white Americans, but a fact of life for Black and brown people in this country. 

We can't truly know what it's like for people of color to have to hide in their homes because they fear being pulled into police custody and deported, or watch as their families are ripped apart. We sit in privilege. 

History was made on Saturday, October 18, 2025. The No Kings rally became the largest mass protest ever in the U.S. People protested for a host of different reasons, including the loss of voting and civil rights, the despicable treatment of immigrants, loss of protections for LGBTQIA+ communities, and the undermining of women's autonomy as guardians over their own bodies. Peaceful marchers came out in mass to draw attention to and object to what is happening in America. 

What you did not see in the crowds on Saturday were a lot of people of color. And, with good reason. Black and brown people have targets on their backs. Coming together in large numbers is too risky. ICE is real, police brutality is real. It's one thing to protest and risk arrest if you are white. It's quite another for a person of color. 

So, white Americans - it's up to us. As long as our immigrant, Black and marginalized communities suffer, so do we. We have to stand up and take a stand. Our risk is marginal. We have to be there for others in our communities, and on the larger stage. 

​Here are a few ways to make our voices heard and help those targeted by this administration:
​

• Join marches & protests. Stay peaceful and do not engage with hecklers.
• Encourage others to vote in every single election, including midterms. Local elections are extremely important.
• Protect your neighbors. If you see the police engaging with a person of color, you have a First Amendment Right to record what is happening. Without endangering yourself, get close enough to the situation to hear what is going on. Use your phone to record the incident. If an officer asks what you are doing, tell them you are there to observe and lend support. A watched police encounter is less likely to become volatile, although, we know that's not a given. Several people recorded George Floyd's murder, screamed at the officer to stop, and tried to intervene to no avail. The police officer who murdered Floyd was convicted largely because of those witnesses and recordings, however.
• Place yard signs on your lawn. I have two right now. One says "Hands Off," the other says "No Kings." I live in a small, rural, very red town. People driving by have actually stopped and told me how much they appreciate me putting signs out. They are afraid to do it, but knowing someone else thinks like they do makes them feel less alone.
• Write letters to the editor. Use facts and concise, measured arguments.
• Boycott advertisers who support the current regime. As of this writing, a few examples of companies enabling this administration include Amazon, Home Depot, and Walmart.
• Be there for members of your community. Whatever their political views, when they need help after a job loss, or just to make ends meet, offer help either directly or through local food pantry groups. 
• Donate to groups like the ACLU, and civil rights group that do the legal work, as well as groups that feed the hungry and provide shelter and necessities for those in need.
• Be always ready to respectfully engage when talking to others about what is happening.
• Stay hopeful. And, joyful. If there was one thing about the protests on Saturday that stood out, it was the fact that they were filled with joy. Inflatable costumes - we had a penguin, a pink pig, a lot of bananas, a T. rex, a frog, and others at the event in Erie, PA  - displayed the playful spirit of protestors. There were songs, chants and lots of laughs. 
• Take care of yourself. Don't let the bad stuff take over. Enjoy game night, celebrate the birthdays, live, laugh, and love. 

​Together, we will get through this, and make our country a better place for everyone. 

Thank you for being here!

--Kristine & Nancy Jean

Resources: 
What Should We Do Now? - Robert Reich
10 effective things citizens can do to make change in addition to attending a protest - The Conversation