Category: History Past And Present

Slavery

Sojouner Truth
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Sojourner Truth…Is What They Call Her 2

JusMee

Sojourner Truth 


They called her Sojourner Truth, but in actuality, her name was Isabella Baumfree. She was born in 1797 in Ulster County, New York, to James and Elizabethan Baumfree.

Along with her parents, she spent her life on the Johannesburg estate as a slave.

Sojouner Truth

Dutch was her first language since Dutch people enslaved her.

Despite everything, when she turned nine years old, she was sold away from her family to a man near Kingston, New York, named John Neely; He purchased her and some sheep for one hundred dollars.

For the most part, Sojourner was held by John Neely’s until 1808;

then, he sold her to Martinus Schryver of Port Ewen, New York, where she stayed for only 18 months.

Next, she was sold again to John Dumont of West Park, New York. There she remained his property until 1826. As a result of being sold over and over, she decided to escape.

All the more reasons to escape while at the Dumonts, Sojourner was not liked by John Dumont’s wife Elizabeth, experienced tension and harassment from her, and was raped by John.

What is more, through all of the turmoil, Sojourner met and fell in love with an enslaved man named Robert from a neighboring farm in 1815. Simply put, Robert’s owner beat him to death for meeting her against his wishes.

Sojourner Truth…It was Frightening and Horrific.

Sojourner had the pleasure of meeting another enslaved man named Thomas Years later, she had three children, Peter, Elizabeth, and Sophia, with Thomas.

Besides, before Thomas – her first child, James, died as a child. Her second, Diana, was the child of rape by John Dumont.

Shameful…they were still enslaved until adulthood. That law was useless.

That said, New York State passed a law for the gradual abolition of slavery. After July 4, 1799, children born to enslaved women were, by legal definition, free but required to work for their mother’s owner until they were in their twenties (28 for males and 25 for females).

Meanwhile, according to the law, those born before July 4, 1799, were considered indentured servants. The Truth is, in reality, they continued to be enslaved for life.

John Dumont promised to free Sojourner before the final emancipation date of the 1817 law in which all slaves in the State born before July 4, 1799 would become free on July 4, 1827.

Nonetheless, in 1826, before the date, Dumont had a change of mind. To that end, Sojourner freed herself by running away with her infant daughter Sophia.

She would later work to emancipate Peter after Dumont sold him to someone in Alabama in defiance of the law. Read More

Meanwhile, Isaac and Maria Van Wagenen’s in New Paltz, New York, gave Sojourner and Sophia refuge in their home and paid Dumont $20 for her labor until the emancipation day, July 4, 1827.

Straightaway, while staying with the Van Wagenen’s, Sojourner focused her attention on finding her son Peter; with her hosts’ assistance, she filed a court case for a legal hearing to get her son back to New York.

Amazingly, in 1828 the court ruled in her favor for Peter to get him back home to New York. Afterward, in 1829, she and Peter left New Paltz and moved to New York City.

There, Sojourner found a job as a housekeeper, but once again, there was trouble. She was accused of poisoning and stealing from her employers.

In due time she was acquitted of both charges.

Finally, in 1843, Sojourner became a Methodist, called by God, left the city and “testified across the countryside spreading her Truth; took the name Sojourner Truth; touring the country, speaking against slavery.

In 1844, she moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, and wrote a book, named The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: a Northern Slave, which Garrison published.

Eventually, she bought a house in Northampton. She paid off her home three years later by selling photographs of herself captioned, “I sell the shadow to support the substance.”

At the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron,
in May 1851, she spoke “Ain’t I a Woman?”, one of the most famous lessons on African American and women’s rights.

Sojourner Truth travels the United States speaking on matters relating to African Americans and women’s rights and the right to vote.

During the Civil War, Sojourner recruited African American men for the Union Army.

In 1864, while working at the National Freedmen’s Relief Association in Washington, D.C., she met President Abraham Lincoln; and rode on public streetcars in support of desegregation.

Soujourner Truth African Americans’ needs continued to travel and speak as her health declined. Sadly, She passed away in Battle, Michigan, at her home on November 26, 1883, at 86. She was laid to rest in Battle Creek’s Oak Hill Cemetery.

In her life, she tirelessly advocated for African Americans’ rights, women, and numerous reform causes, including prison reform and against capital punishment.

Source of Information
Sojourner Truth (U.S. National Park Service)

 

Thanks for Reading!

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JFK Assassination Lessons Learned In History 2.

JusMee

JFK ASsassination…the most important lesson people can learn from History?

Jfk“If you’re like me, you’ve always loved History. I mean, who doesn’t love the stories of how things got to be the way they are?

But if you think about it, there are many more interesting lessons people can learn from History than “here’s what happened in this period.” For example: did you know that on November 22nd, 1963: 

  1. A. Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at President John F. Kennedy…JFK; the second and third shots he fired struck the President; the third shot he fired killed the President.
  2. The Commission based its findings primarily upon the testimony of doctors who had treated President John F. Kennedy at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas 
  3. And those that performed his autopsy after he’d been shot on live television during a Democratic National Convention.
  4. Informing the Conclusion, neither the Warren Commission members, nor its staff, nor the doctors who had performed the autopsy, took advantage of the X-rays and photographs of the President (JFK) that were taken during the autopsy. 
  5. The reason for the failure of the Warren Commission to examine these primary materials is that there was a commitment to make public all evidence reviewed by the Commission.
  6.  The Commission was concerned that the publication of the autopsy X-rays and photographs would be an invasion of the privacy of the Kennedy family. 
  7. The Commission’s decision to rely solely on the testimony of Parkland and Bethesda doctors precluded them from making use of an independent review by medical experts.
  8. Skepticism was reinforced by a film taken of the Presidential motorcade at the assassination by an amateur movie photographer.
  9. In the Zapruder film, the President’s head is thrown back as the front right side of the skull appears to explode, suggesting to critics of the Warren Commission’s findings that the President was struck by a bullet that entered the front of the head. 

In any event…the most important lesson people learn from History in the assassination of President Kennedy is not to repeat the same mistake. No other President was assassinated.

JFK history has always fascinated me.

For me, History is like a long story that you never get bored of because there are always new chapters every day. Plus, it teaches us about the past, so we don’t make mistakes again.

Also, History is full of lessons that are always worth learning. The most important lesson people can learn from History is the importance of not allowing yourself to be controlled by your past. 

History is full of lessons that people tend to forget in their own lives. It’s essential to look back at History and realize what not to do or how things have changed over time. 

For example, it was once illegal for women in the United States to vote. Now, this country has a woman running for President!

We’ve come so far from having no female presidents at all just 100 years ago because of one brave person who refused to give up her right to vote even when she was denied many times. 

It’s often said that those who don’t know their History are doomed to repeat it, but this doesn’t have to be the case; you can choose instead to make sure you never allow your mistakes or other people’s influence to dictate your future again. 

In Conclusion…the most important lesson people can learn from History is that it keeps repeating itself.

The decisions we make today will shape our tomorrow. If you want to be successful, remember what has worked before and capitalized on these insights when planning your future endeavors. 

Follow me if you like reading about lessons learned from History!Read more

Thanks for reading,

JusMee Talkin (aka SE)

Black History Facts You May Not Know!

 

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Mae Mallory

JusMee

Mae MalloryMae Mallory (June 9, 1927 – 2007)

Mae Mallory was a civil rights activist known for her support of armed self-defense and school integration.

Most of all, She was the founder of the “Harlem 9,” a group of nine Black mothers formed to protest the inferior conditions of schools in New York City during the 1950’s.

More importantly, Mallory argued that despite the ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education, the zoning policies of the NYC Board of Education, essentially ensured that segregation in the city was still very much in place.

The Harlem  Nine

Formed in 1956, the Harlem 9’s goal was “open transfer” for their children, which would allow them to attend integrated schools outside of their district .

One that did not suffer from overcrowding, poor building conditions, and inexperienced teachers.

The work of the Harlem 9 included legal action against the city and state of New York, boycotts, and public protests.

Mae Mallory and the Harlem 9 eventually secured the right to transfer their children to integrated schools with a victory in the courts in 1960.

Which included the concession of the NYC Board of Education that they had indeed perpetuated “de facto” segregation in their boroughs.

She also supported numerous other civil rights initiatives.

Which included work with Robert F. Williams and the NAACP during the Freedom Rides in 1961.

There she hosted SNCC student riders who were participating in Monroe, North Carolina.

Accusations of kidnapping 

Despite having actually let the couple stay in her home to avoid any danger from armed protesters, who had gathered in response to the Freedom Riders;

Mallory was accused of kidnapping the white couple.

Consequently, Fear of retaliation from the KKK, Mallory fled to Cleveland, Ohio, from  North Carolin where she was eventually captured after six weeks in hiding.

Conversely, while in prison, she worked to publicize her case ; as well as shed light on the experiences of Black women in America;

nd advocate for separatism, socialism and self defense through speeches, letters, and press releases.

She was extradited back to North Carolina to stand trial for the kidnapping charge in 1964.

The all-white jury sentenced her to 16-20 years in prison; but she was later exonerated in 1965 due to racial discrimination during the jury selection.

Mae Mallory continued her activism until her death in 2007. Throughout her life Mae Mallory consistently called for self-defense, liberation;

And  that Black people be masters of their own fate – militant forms of Black Power often associated with men.

She participated in demonstrations against the Vietnam War, the U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic.

To That end, she was a persistent advocate for self-defense and the voices of working-class black women in the fight for civil rights.

Social Networks and Archival Context – Mae Mallory

https://jusmeetwo.com/baby-tinslee-and-life-support/

Rose in black and white
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First Black Woman Aviator in America

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In 1915, at 23 years old, Coleman moved to Chicago, where she lived with her brothers and worked as a manicurist. Not long after her move to Chicago, she began listening to and reading stories of World War I pilots, which sparked her interest in aviation.

first African American avaitor
Bessie Coleman Photo: A+E Networks

First Black Woman Aviator—Bessie Coleman

In 1922, a time of both gender and racial discrimination, Coleman broke barriers and became the world’s first black woman to earn a pilot’s license. Because flying schools in the United States denied her entry, she took it upon herself to learn French and move to France to achieve her goal. After only seven months, Coleman earned her license from France’s well known Caudron Brother’s School of Aviation. 

Though she wanted to start a flying school for African Americans when she returned to the U.S., Coleman specialized in stunt flying and parachuting and earned a living barnstorming and performing aerial tricks. In 1922, she became the first African American woman in America to make a public flight.—biography.com

First black woman aviator
Photo: National Air and Space Museum (Great Images in NASA Description) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons