Nancy Kendall's life of working with the Underground Railroad is a constant reminder that there are good Samaritans out there who risked their lives as Nancy Kendall and Andrew Kendall did to help others.

They are often lost in the background. I think they are not mentioned, because their lives don't seem dramatic enough. And, because many of them were, and are, Black themselves. 

We all know Harriet Tubman, of course. But, how many of us have heard of Walter White?

Walter White was a Black civil rights leader who helped form the NAACP. He was a white news reporter who let the rest of America, and the world, in on Jim Crow laws, lynchings, "unsolved" murders, and the crimes committed against Black citizens by white America. 

"White Lies: The Double Life of Walter F. White and America's Darkest Secret" by A.J. Baime uncovers the details of a remarkable life - Walter F. White, a Black activist who risked his own life investigating racist murders while passing for white. He was fair skinned with a racially mixed background who passed easily, leading a dangerous double-life, using white privilege to shine a light on the America's darkest crimes. 

In the wake of yet another Black man's death at the hands of those who were supposed to protect and serve, we take courage in the fact that there are those in the past and present who work to change the course of justice in America. Their stories must be told.
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What does the historic passing of the Inflation Reduction Act have to do with our beloved Nancy Kendall, you might ask?  I keep thinking of the climate changes we now experience and how our thinking quickly evolved in such a short period of time.  

Did early settlers in this country think about the long-term negative effects of their land clearing, their coal burning, and farming techniques?  Probably not.  Many people still feel that humans have not contributed much to these changes in the atmosphere and weather patterns and such.  We had not yet gained the knowledge then about the effects of the industrialism that was just beginning in her time. 

Now we are faced with both the scientific evidence and the opportunity to mindfully make changes to improve the health of our planet. Nearly 370 billion dollars in this Act will help us make those changes.  

Communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change. More than half of African Americans in the United States live in the South, an area that is and will continue to see stronger hurricanes and increased flooding due to climate change. 
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Historic segregation means many Black Americans live in less desirable, low-lying and flood prone areas throughout the United States.  Many of these communities are adjacent to power plants, petrochemical plants factories and other sources of pollution. A large number of African Americans and other people of color face living in unhealthy conditions that severely impact their lives.

I applaud this legislation for many reasons, not the least of which is that it addresses racial inequity and fights to change it.  Nancy Kendall would be proud. 

In the "What Were They Thinking?" Category:

For an interesting perspective on climate beliefs of early settlers, scientific thinkers, and propagandists of the era, read "The first American settlers cut down millions of trees to deliberately engineer climate change," by Stephanie Buck.      

June 19, 2022 - A Day of Celebration for All Americans

Enslaved people in Texas did not know they were free for two and a half years. On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his Union troops arrived in Galveston with the news. 

News traveled slowly then, but Texas slave owners knew. And, to get the most out of what they deemed their "property," they didn't tell. June 19 became the symbolic day of freedom for the enslaved. Juneteenth, a combination of "June" and "19th" is now a federal holiday.

This year, Juneteenth is on a Sunday. Communities and homes across the nation will celebrate. Juneteenth has special significance for Black Americans, of course, but it is also a day of celebration, and learning, for all of us. 

As with most American celebrations, food is a big part of the festivities. Many popular dishes and drinks served now have distinct roots in traditional African fare. If you look at a list of delectable dishes and drinks, you'll see such treats as Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole and Chicken and Waffles.

You'll also see some kind of red drink, made with cherries, strawberries, sorrel or other red natural ingredient. It can be made with alcohol or not, but it will be red and it will be on the menu. 

According to Smithsonian, the "red drink" refers to a variety of sweet, berry-citrus, ruby-colored drinks. Historians say the drink's roots go back four centuries to West Africa, where hibiscus flowers and cola nut were the main ingredients. 

As Africans began their forced occupations in lands they didn't choose, the red drink cultural tradition came with them. Not always finding familiar plants in these new regions, the displaced were forced to alter ingredients, but still found a way to keep their culture alive. From the 1920s on, red Kool-Aid, and sodas, like Big Red were sometimes used.  

Caribbean immigrants used hibiscus flowers to make their red drink. They called it sorrel. Jackie Summers, an African American distiller from Brooklyn who created a liqueur version of sorrel, explains, “Red drink’s got terrific cultural significance because it’s a story of perseverance, of people who refused to die and a culture that refused to die.”

To make a modern, non-alcoholic version of the red drink, follow the recipe below, courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine.

Red Delicious:

1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
1 cup dried sorrel flowers (available in Caribbean markets and online)
1 cup sugar
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced (optional)

Place ingredients with 10 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow to steep overnight. 

Pour mixture through a sieve into a pitcher or glass bottle. Store in refrigerator and serve chilled. Drink within a week for the best taste.

Take a look at more Juneteenth foods you can make yourself at African Bites: 24 Mouth-Watering Juneteenth Recipes.

Juneteenth - a day for all Americans to celebrate freedom. Because when one of us is enslaved, we all are.

A five-year-old in kindergarten used crayons to draw a picture of his family. He used yellow for everyone else, but when it came to drawing his own picture, he chose the brown crayon. That's when he realized his family was different. And, that's when he started forming his own ideas about identity, and what it means.

In his children's book, "I Color Myself Different," Colin Kaepernick takes us on his journey of self-discovery that every child can relate to. Beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Eric Wilkerson, the book is inspiring and thoughtful. 

Read more about Kaepernick's journey, his activism, and his idea that we can all make this world a more equitable place, "Colin Kaepernick says, 'I Color Myself Different' in his first children's book," an article from NPR.

"Judge Jackson a "Harbinger of Hope" - Senator Cory Booker
~ Shelly Michell

Senator Cory Booker praised her “grit and grace” in withstanding the series of attacks from Republicans and spoke emotionally of our history; the Irish immigrants that endured decades of persecution here, the Chinese Americans forced into near slave labor building railroads to connect our country, LGBTQ+ Americans that were rejected and oppressed and died silently with their secrets, the “hidden figure” women who did critical research for our government, yet were never given credit or recognition until portrayed in a Hollywood movie.

He mentioned that throughout our history, America did not love these people, yet they all loved and believed in this country and persevered to make it a better place.

"You are a person that is so much more than your race and gender – you are a Christian, you are a mom, you are an intellect, you love books.  You have earned this spot.  You are worthy.  You are a great American." 

He ended his impassioned speech by saying that Ms. Jackson is “My harbinger of hope that the United States could live up to its promises of freedom and equality and that the United States of America, the greatest country in the world, will be better because of you.” 

All Jokes Aside
~ Kristine Schwartzman
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When I first heard that President Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court, I joked, "Well, at least she won't cry, and tell us how much she likes beer, like Brett Kavanaugh did." I was wrong, at least in part.

After being grilled for several days over supposed "light" sentences for child pornographers, which are, in fact, in the same range as sentences handed down by GOP judicial appointees, defining her views on Critical Race Theory, and fending off Ted Cruz's ridiculous implication that she knows all Black people, especially those he doesn't like, Senator Booker's heartfelt speech of support made her cry. 

She deserved it. She'd taken it all in, handled herself with the utmost aplomb, and shown the world exactly why she is qualified. 

As of this writing, Judge Jackson's confirmation appears likely. If she is confirmed, we will have one of the most qualified judges ever to begin serving on the Supreme Court, white or Black, male or female. 

The question is, why did it take so long?

Nancy Kendall and Abraham Lincoln lived during unbelievably turbulent times. The trauma of those years was etched on Abraham Lincoln’s face.
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​I have asked myself, was Abraham Lincoln really an abolitionist? 

I have asked myself, was slavery endemic to our country’s very core?

I have asked myself, is racism so embedded in our economy and collective thought that it will always be present? Are we capable of evolving from the racism that supported the enslavement of human beings based on the color of their skin?

A recent Smithsonian Magazine article, “Meet the Black Men Who Changed Lincoln’s Mind About Civil Rights,” explores these questions.   

​Author Jonathan W. White*, describes the daring 1862 escape of one of those influential men, Robert Smalls, a 23-year-old slave who commandeered a Confederate steamer, and against extraordinary odds, freed himself, his family and 12 other enslaved people.

Smalls met with Abraham Lincoln at the White House after his bold escape, to plant the seeds of emancipation and equality for Black men. Lincoln previously rejected the idea of Black volunteers in his militia, but after this fortuitous meeting of the minds with Smalls, Lincoln embraced the idea of enlisting Black troops, as a way to physically fortify their forces in order to win the war.

However, the newly enlisted Black men were only paid half as much as their white counterparts. They also had the added risk of deadly consequences if captured.     

Other petitioners, Arnold Bertonneau, Jean Baptiste Roudanez and Union Army surgeon, Anderson Ruffin Abbott appealed to Lincoln with the argument that the free Black men who had fought for the North, had “spilled their blood” and deserved to be treated equally with both pay and the unalienable rights they felt they had earned, one of which was the right to vote.

Lincoln agreed that “there was no reason that intelligent Black men should not vote.” He did not feel it was necessary to extend voting rights to those who were poor, uneducated, those who were born into bondage or those “who had not fought gallantly in our ranks.”

The evolution of his thinking had grave personal consequences. On April 11, 1865, John Wilkes Booth grew angry as he listened to Lincoln’s speech publicly calling for educated Black men and those who had served as soldiers to be given the right to vote. Three days later, Booth gunned Lincoln down.

In our history books, Lincoln his often lauded as a great abolitionist whose beliefs were the catalyst that started the conversation and the ensuing struggle for equality for Black Americans. A deeper delve into history, though, shines a light on his emerging enlightenment on this issue.

​For the first 30+ years of his career in public service, he ridiculed the thought of equality for Black men. In his final days, he took the opposite position, but only for the Black men he felt were worthy of those rights by their actions.

While his beliefs were changing with the help of these brave men advocating for full equality for all their brethren, he was not yet willing to grant those rights to all men of color. Some of his earlier held beliefs remained unchanged. Yet, Lincoln opined that he had “labored hard…for the good of the colored race” and “would continue to do so.”

Most of us abhor the notion of racism, and consider ourselves evolved from those views. Yet do we, like Lincoln, still also harbor bits of unconscious bias? It has only been very recently that we have begun to recognize and revise the subtle remnants of racism in the world around us.

Have we all looked within ourselves to examine if our own beliefs truly support equal treatment of all human beings? Are there things we could do better?    

 “Vaccines have the potential to be the equalizer of health disparities, especially around infectious diseases. I could never sleep at night if I developed anything — if any product of my science came out — and it did not equally benefit the people that look like me. Period.” - Kizzmekia Corbett, Immunologist

Kizzmekia Corbett is an immunologist at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is one of the many scientists who worked in collaboration with biotech firm Moderna to develop a COVID-19 vaccine now used around the world.

Her role in developing a vaccine to fight COVID-19 began in early 2020. But, her current challenge in that fight is nearly as important. As a Black scientist, Corbett understands all too well the vaccine hesitancy of people of color.

Medical research consistently exploited Black communities in particular. You only have to look back as recently as the 1970s, when conducting a long-term study that began in the 1930s, doctors withheld syphilis treatment from hundreds of Black men in Tuskegee, Alabama without their knowledge.

Or, look at the massive amounts of research and curatives that resulted from the cells of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman who died of cancer. Neither she, nor her family, were asked permission for her cells to be used in research or received any type of monetary compensation until recent attempts at reparations came forth.

Kizzmekia Corbett is in a unique position to reach out to communities of color. She knows exactly what’s in the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the undeniable history of medical research exploitation. She understands. But, as she says in an interview with Nature.com:

“I have studied health disparities since I was in college. I’m a double major in sociology. I understand the intricate interlacing of science and health, particularly for disparities, and particularly for people of color. So it’s near and dear to my heart. It’s actually the reason vaccine development is important to me, and is where I chose to take my viral-immunology career.”

How does Kizzmekia Corbett see her role now?

“My role is to deliver science in a digestible fashion. When I present a bar chart, I say, “This is the axis, and this is what you’re seeing, and this is how it was tested.” So, the goal is that eventually people see enough of this, and we get to a point where we don’t have to do that anymore.” - Kizzmekia Corbett, interview with Nature.com.

OK, movie fans, grab your popcorn and step with me into the Hollywood scene, for just a little while. We love a good movie. Movies aren’t always just for entertainment. I’m always reminding myself of how hugely important and influential, and indeed a good piece of art, or a beautiful song, or a well done movie, or a lovely dance can be to make us think or rock the boat a bit.
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The 93rd Oscar winners were announced on Sunday, April 25. This year, those nominated for Academy Awards represented ethnic groups other than white. Women directors were well represented. And I have to point out that one of the winning actors is 83 years old. The field included a much more diverse group than usual.

I’ve been a movie buff for years. I remember when many of the actors who played Native Americans were white people lacquered up with a lot of dark makeup. It was pretty awful. Not to mention that the ethnic group portrayed was almost always feared – a group hated and inherently bad.

I grew up in the West. So many of the assumed Native American traits, characteristics and practices were grossly inaccurate. No Native American I have known says “How” for hello, or “Me Broken Feather.” In fact, I don’t think that any of my Native American friends even have a name like “Broken Feather.” Good grief.

You’d never know it from many film representations, but not all Native Americans lived in tepees. Some lived in pueblos, some in mounds of earth, and so forth. I’ve often wondered if John Wayne and others ever really looked back on those movies and cringed. Probably.

Brian Young, a Navajo filmmaker talks about the dilemma faced by Native American actors even now. “Why I Won’t Wear Paint and Feathers in a Movie Again” is an eye-opening story.

When I was a young mother with tiny kids, I remember taking my three little ones in our station wagon, to the drive-in to watch "Gone With the Wind." Well, I watched, they slept. The slave portrayals seemed contrived, patronizing and foolishly childlike. But somehow in 1939, Selznick wasn’t found guilty of offensive cultural stereotyping. Not then.

​They barely got away with the handsome Clark Gable saying, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” in 1939. THAT was enough to raise eyebrows in those days. But, not stereotyping. It's only in the clearer light of today that the film is finally being scrutinized.*

Anyway, movie nerd that I am, I am happy my viewing choices are a little more thoughtful, respectful, and humanely portrayed.

It took the Academy of Motion Pictures an awfully long time to wake up. And, it still has a long way to go.

Learn more about Black representation in film and television throughout history in these brief, but informative videos:
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The Evolution of Black Representation in Film

The Portrayal of African Americans In Television and Film

TCM Original Production: Blackface and Hollywood – African American Film History Documentary (12:46)

* Interestingly, Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Academy Award for her portrayal of Mammy in 1939's "Gone with the Wind." Her father was a freed slave.

My great-great-grandmother, Nancy Kendall and her husband, Andrew had eight children. Only six of those children survived to adulthood. We have all read accounts of what it was like in earlier centuries for parents going through the child bearing years. Life spans were short, and losing a child to illness or a mishap was commonplace.

According to my grandfather, Nancy Kendall was a devoted and loving grandmother to all of her grandchildren. Her act of sharing a few stories about her involvement in The Underground Railroad was, for my grandfather as an eight-year-old boy, a precious gift he always cherished.

As a mother, I think of Nancy’s life - bearing and caring for a large family of children of her own, while at the same time doing what she could to help fugitive slaves. But Nancy, as a free woman, had something enslaved persons did not - freedom. She had a home. She knew she might lose a child. But, she also knew she would never have a child ripped from her arms and sold away from her. 

One of the worst tragedies a slave could experience was that of family separation. Many never saw their loved ones again. ​

Losing a child tears at the heart of every parent like no other pain. As with any parent, the fear of losing their children was greater for the enslaved than the physical pain of being whipped or beaten.

In recent times, parents and children experienced child separation at the southern border of our country. Approximately 5,500 families were ripped apart.  Hundreds of families have not been reunited. 

We do not have audio recordings of enslaved families being torn apart. We can, however, hear the haunting voices of children separated from their parents at the border. The language may be different, but the cries are the same.

 
​Next time:  More on the Tragedy of Family Separation​