Sincerely, Lettie

"The progress is healing the wound that the blow made. And they haven't even begun to pull the knife out, much less heal the wound. They won't even admit the knife is there." - Malcolm X Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925. In this episode Lettie shares a few facts about him, she talks about a newspaper he started in 1960, and Lettie reads a few quotes you need to hear and remember because they are still just as applicable in 2023. Happy birthday to one of the most brilliant and influential revolutionary leaders in history! Book recommendations: The Autobiography of Malcolm X Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X Malcolm X Talks to Young People Other resources: "The Ballot or the Bullet" (read and/or listen to the speech) "Message to the Grassroots" Malcolm X's speech addressing police brutality Join Lettie's Patreon and get access to various history and racial justice education, a book club, live convos and replays, and more (depending on which tier you join)! Follow Lettie on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and the podcast at @historyshowsuspodcast

Yes, an essay written 130 years ago—by a Black woman who was a crusader for justice—is still relevant today as we read and hear about what happened to Jordan Neely on a train in New York earlier this week. In this episode, Lettie reads excerpts from "Lynch Law" (1893) by Ida B. Wells and shows vital connections to not only the killing and lynching of Jordan Neely, but also to the racist systems and institutions in the U.S. as a whole. History always shows us! Become a patron and learn from Lettie. Follow Lettie on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and @historyshowsuspodcast Read more about and from Ida B. Wells: Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells The Light of Truth: Writings of an Anti-Lynching Crusader Southern Horrors: Lynch Law In All Its Phases

Lettie is back!! In this episode she reintroduces herself, provides a few life updates, and reads words from James Baldwin. The year and a half long hiatus of this podcast has Lettie excited to be back behind the mic.

It has been a month and a half sine I dropped a podcast episode, but I'm back! On this episode I answer some questions I received last month and they happen to be perfect for this comeback after my hiatus. A few of these questions allowed me to reflect on this year and I hope it resonates with and encourages you all! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and @historyshowsuspodcast Join my Patreon community to get history education and antiracism content. This can include live Q&As, history lessons, my book club, and more!

The civil rights movement is decorated with well-known names, but one that isn't heard and known enough is Gloria Richardson's. As a pioneer of the civil rights movement in Cambridge, Maryland and leader of the Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee (CNAC), Richardson was a force and unapologetically fought for human rights in the Black freedom struggle. Gloria Richardson passed away on July 15, 2021 and I'm grateful for her incredible legacy. There is a famous picture of her pushing a bayonet, held by a National Guardsman, out of her way as she protests in Cambridge. Her “who do you think you are??” face says it all and it's one of my favorite photos! In this episode, I provide some historical context about Cambridge, Maryland in the 19th and 20th centuries, and discuss Gloria Richardson, CNAC, connections to other civil rights groups, and the contribution to the larger civil rights narrative. Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and @historyshowsuspodcast Learn more history by becoming a member of my Patreon!!

Understanding systemic racism also requires knowledge about the weaponization of whiteness and how it continuously functions. In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Kina Reed and we dive into this, anti-Blackness, the lies surrounding history and whiteness, Kina's perspective on trauma and how it affects humanity, and more. Kina Reed is a DEI consultant and facilitator, researcher, learning strategist, community advocate, and someone who is committed to moving us all closer to the goal line of shared humanity. I met Kina through Instagram early last year and I'm so glad I did. Her spirit, ability to be unapologetically herself, and passion for racial justice is obvious! Follow Kina on Instagram @theantiblacknessreader and @divestingfromwhiteness . Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and @historyshowsuspodcast . Become a member of my Patreon community to get history and antiracism content, too!

Juneteenth is now a federal holiday and, well, I have many thoughts that of course dive into history's context. The U.S. has continuously had an idea of progress that aligns with the same racist system that is at the core of its foundation. This holiday is coming at a time when people are arguing against Critical Race Theory, there is more legislation that needs to be passed for Black lives (like the anti-lynching bill, legislation that would protect Black voters, etc.), reparations are still being argued against, and more. So, what does this holiday mean? Join my Patreon to get access to history and antiracism content! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and follow this podcast @historyshowsuspodcast. Please rate, subscribe, review, and share!

In this episode I talk with my friend Tasha Hunter about the intersections of trauma, race, history, what our bodies hold onto, and Tasha's personal journey which led her to become a licensed clinical social worker. Tasha Hunter specializes in the treatment of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress, and works to eradicate the stigma of mental health through her private practice. Tasha is also the author of What Children Remember (which she discusses in this episode) and the host of her podcast When We Speak. Not only is she a close friend who I am beyond grateful to have in my life, but she is someone with a story that shows an enormous amount of bravery and she has a passion to help others see just how brave they are, too. Follow Tasha on Instagram, listen to her podcast, and get a copy of her book! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie, and follow this podcast on Instagram, too!

The title of this episode is just a fraction of what me and my friend Patricia Taylor discuss in this podcast episode! Patricia and I met through Instagram last year and I immediately noticed that not only was she a Black woman who spoke up about racism and injustice, but she did it while showing the truth about righteousness and what it means to truly embody a spirit of truth and justice. She is also co-host of the Upside Down Podcast and is heavily involved with Be the Bridge. Righteous anger, centering Blackness, what progress really means, and the weaponization of spirituality are just a few things we talk about. Patricia is truly a light and I can't wait for you to learn more about how she is impacting the hearts and minds of many! Follow Patricia: Upside Down Podcast On Instagram: @patricia_a_taylor Her blog: Some Thoughts From Your Black Friend Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and follow this podcast @historyshowsuspodcast

On this episode I am joined by Marcie Alvis-Walker, an incredible writer and the creator of both Black Coffee with White Friends and Mockingbird History Lessons. I love what Marcie had to say about writing as a Black woman, her experiences navigating white spaces, humanizing Blackness through history and storytelling, and the reasons behind the names of both of her social media platforms. Follow Marcie Walker on Instagram at Black Coffee with White Friends and Mockingbird History Lessons. You can also click here for more of Marcie's resources! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and this podcast @historyshowsuspodcast. Join my Patreon to get access to my book club, more history education, antiracism content, live convos, and webinars!

When you think about the civil rights movement and angry white responses, there are probably certain images that come to mind. In this episode I will be going through a brief history of white backlash against Black progress, starting with the Reconstruction era. Last week, the Derek Chauvin trial verdict was read and though there were many Black people who were relieved (and many of us who had mixed emotions), there were even more people who were enraged about Chauvin being convicted because he is "one of their own." This history context is important and I get into it in this episode! Please rate, subscribe, review, and share my podcast. I appreciate it! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and join my Patreon community. Follow the podcast on Instagram @historyshowsuspodcast

In this episode I talk with Frederick Joseph, author of the New York Times best-selling book The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person, and upcoming Patriarchy Blues and Better Than We Found It (2022). I started following Frederick on social media a couple of years ago and connected with him on Instagram last year. He is an unapologetic force this world needs. Frederick Joseph is an activist, philanthropist, and was named to the 2019 Forbes Under 30 list for marketing and advertising. He is the sole creator of the largest GoFundMe campaign in history, the #BlackPantherChallenge, the creator of the largest individual Covid-19 support effort, the #RentRelief campaign, and Frederick consistently writes about marketing, culture, and politics for various outlets. Dismantling the racist and oppressive systems that uphold white supremacy and cause direct harm to Black and brown people are priorities for Frederick, and this is evident in the incredible work he does. In this episode we discuss these systemic issues, patriarchy, cultivating healing in the Black community, accountability, and much more. "Black people, we are legitimately a miracle. On a daily basis, our existence in this stifling, oppressive system, is a miracle." - Frederick Joseph --- Follow Frederick Joseph on Instagram and check out his website to keep up with the amazing work he is doing! Purchase Fred's New York Times best-selling book The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person. Follow Lettie on Instagram @sincerely.lettie. Share thoughts about the episode on social media using the hashtag #historyshowsuspodcast, and follow the podcast on Instagram. ** Don't forget to rate, subscribe, review, and share!

In this week's episode, Lettie shares her thoughts about recent events regarding police brutality, Daunte Wright, and briefly connects the history of the criminalization and the condemnation of Blackness to today. There is always an excuse that justifies Black people losing their lives at the hands of police, and these excuses continue to show the value of Black lives in a country that has yet to acknowledge and reckon with its past. Don't forget to rate, subscribe, review, and share! Follow the podcast on Instagram @historyshowsuspodcast Follow Lettie on Instagram @sincerely.lettie

Lettie talks with Tareq Brown, a co-founder of America Hates US (AHUS). AHUS is a brand that reflects the current political and social landscape and does not hesitate to call out and speak up against racism, white supremacy, oppression, and much, much more. As someone who has lived both in and outside of the United States as a Black man, Tareq's perspectives and experiences are ones we are eager for you to hear, as well as how AHUS was started. Lettie and Tareq became friends on Instagram last year and this episode's candid conversation shows you why.  Where/how to follow and support America Hates Us: https://americahates.us to read more about them, purchase clothing, apparel, and accessories! Follow AHUS on Instagram Support AHUS by becoming a patron on Patreon Follow Lettie on Instagram @sincerely.lettie AND @historyshowsuspodcast Become one of Lettie's Patreon members!

Welcome to the History Shows Us podcast with Lettie, a historian with a passion for educating about history and racial justice. This podcast used to be called Sincerely, Lettie (you can still listen to all of those engaging episodes!), and after almost two years with that title, we decided to change it. In this episode, Lettie takes a few minutes to reintroduce herself and goes into what history does show us, while connecting it all to today. Join Lettie's Patreon Follow Lettie on Instagram

We have a special announcement for this podcast episode! After almost two years of Sincerely, Lettie, a big change is being made. We are changing the name! When the new season starts on April 1, 2021, this podcast will be called History Shows Us. Lettie will still be having the same insightful and eye-opening conversations about history and racial justice, she will be bringing on some amazing people as guests, and the dots will continue to be connected for you to see the bigger picture with history. Lettie is still the historian, educator, truth-teller, and enlightening Black woman so many of you enjoy learning from! If you are already subscribed, don’t worry about doing anything. You’ll see a new thumbnail picture and all of the previous episodes will still be available. This is an exciting change moving forward, and we can’t wait! Follow Lettie on Instagram at @sincerley.lettie.

In this final episode of 2020 and season 4, I reflect on this year and what it has meant for me! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie and join my Patreon community - www.patreon.com/lettieshumate

There's this whole "we are going back to normal" idea going around now after receiving the news about President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris and, y'all, that mentality is dangerous. I talk about that in this episode and Quawan Charles, the 15-year-old Black child who should still be here today. Become a member of my Patreon community! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie

I’ve heard and read many comments from people stating, “Now things can go back to normal,” and “We need to be kind, not divisive.” Have you? Well, I go into why these, and more, are problematic and actually do the opposite of uniting and healing.

Chairwoman of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland, California from 1974-1977, Elaine Brown was a fierce and radical Black woman who saw the revolutionary movement as one that required sacrifice, commitment, and surrender. Learn more about her in this episode! Join my Patreon to access more information and resources, too.

In this episode I discuss the importance of language that humanizes. Enslaved vs. slave is just one example. Listen to learn more!

I’m real on every podcast episode but y’all will see that this one went a step further. I decided to do this podcast Q&A style and answer questions submitted to me on Instagram earlier this week. These were good questions, ranging from cancel culture, “law and order”, my history career, microaggressions, and a lot more.

In this week's episode I read excerpts from a few interviews with James Baldwin. Black power, nonviolence, and the state of America are just a few topics he touches on. Listen and hear beyond just the words he said and recognize how they speak directly to our country today. This month my "Lessons with Lettie" on Patreon dive into the brilliance of James Baldwin and I will be going into depth about his writings and interviews. Join today! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie

It’s easy to think sharing videos of Black people as victims of police brutality is helpful. It’s not. These videos are traumatizing. Ask yourself why you think a video is necessary instead of simply believing Black people when we say this brutality happens because of racism and white supremacy? History shows us that the fight against racism, lynchings, and police brutality continued without access to this “proof.” Also let me add that the system isn’t broken; it is functioning the way it was and is intended to.

In this week's episode I read Kathleen Cleaver's "Women, Power, & Revolution" (1998). Kathleen Cleaver was one of the most influential leaders of the Black Panther Party. Images of the Black Panther Party are largely of Black men, but two-thirds of its members were women, nationally. The intersection of race and gender was at the forefront for women like Cleaver and what she says brings sheds more light on the importance of historical narrative, intersectionality, Black feminism, and dismantling racism. Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie Join my Patreon!

Doing antiracism work is not a trend. There is also depth to it. It is about taking action, and in this episode I get into what I mean. Racism didn’t just become a problem because you decided to start paying attention. Rate & subscribe my podcast, y'all! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lettieshumate

When Dr. King took the wheel of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth was already trying to start a movement in Birmingham. He was one of the most courageous leaders of the civil rights movement who survived beatings, bombings, and dozens of arrests in his efforts to end segregation in Birmingham, Alabama and throughout the south. Join my Patreon at www.patreon.com/lettieshumate Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie

Some of my thoughts on John Lewis and his legacy. He was a courageous Black man who fought for civil rights and Black lives. What a legacy he left! I’m going to keep finding a way to get in the way. I’m going to keep getting in good trouble.

"I didn't care what happened to me. I was going to be free or continue to be a part of a struggle to fight for the freedom of people of this country." June Johnson was a Black civil rights organizer in Greenwood, Mississippi with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and when she was 16 years old, she was arrested and endured horrific treatment in a jail in Montgomery County, Mississippi. June's name is one that gets overshadowed when discussions about the civil rights movement occur, but she was critical in Mississippi's Freedom Movement. In this episode you will learn about June Johnson, the 1964 Freedom Summer Project, what is was like living in the Mississippi Delta, what happened to June, Fannie Lou Hamer, and others the summer of 1963, SNCC, connections to other well-known civil rights movement events, and why/how this all matters today as we continue to fight for racial justice, protest police brutality, scream "Black Lives Matter", and continue to educate about antiracism's critical role in dismantling racism and white supremacy. Learn more & get extra educational info over on my Patreon! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie

BIG news on this season finale episode! I launched my Patreon, finished my second master's degree, and this podcast will resume in July! There's more and I can't wait for you to hear. Follow me on Instagram: @sincerely.lettie Link to my Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/lettieshumate Link to the webinar on May 22nd: From Master's Wife to Social Influencer - https://the-trinity-academy.square.site

In this week's episode, I read an excerpt from Austin Channing Brown's book I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness and its impact on me and the tie-in with defending Black womanhood, I discuss what happened to Ahmaud Arbery and reiterate for the thousandth time that black lives matter, and share my frustration with COVID-19 protesters. Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie !

My thoughts on Paul Laurence Dunbar's iconic poem "We Wear the Mask" and how it is still applicable today for Black Americans. Follow me @sincerely.lettie Email me: sincerelylettie@gmail.com

It’s Good Friday and even though there is so much going on with COVID-19 right now, I hope my words encourage you.

Racism, power, prejudice, dominant culture, white supremacy, and anti-racism. You've heard these words before but do you really know how they are all connected? In this episode, I go over these words and, yes, I explain how they are all connected. If people are going to oppose racism and actively work to dismantle racist institutions and systems, well, understanding these words is crucial! Books mentioned in this episode: 1) How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal Fleming, 2) This Books Is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie Subscribe, rate, and review my podcast!

Five things to reassure you, help you focus on, and hopefully encourage you, during this social distancing time COVID-19 has brought us. I’ve been doing these this week, too!

In this week's episode, I discuss the popularity of the buzzwords 'diversity' and 'inclusion' and go into how they are not interchangeable. I have a more candid conversation that includes my personal experience with predominately white institutions and organizations with these words, what inclusion really looks like, and what you can do to create an inclusive environment. Follow on Instagram @sincerely.lettie Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review! It is really appreciated!

Alabama executed an innocent Black man last night, Nathaniel Woods. My stream of conscious thoughts are in this episode.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, but much of the history of the women's suffrage movement leaves out the racism and white supremacy that was its foundation. In this episode, I discuss the problem with inclusivity in the 19th amendment, racist rhetoric of well-known white suffragists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Black women suffragists who need to be known, and I connect it all to social issues we see today and the lack of intersectionality. I also talk about the recent negative backlash The Honey Pot received after the Target commercial aired and white women showed all of their white fragility. Get ready! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

In this week's Friday Five episode, I share my five favorite quotes by Nina Simone and provide a little background on her.

I had the opportunity to go on a Legacy Trip this past weekend to visit Montgomery, Alabama and go to The National Memorial for Peace & Justice and the Legacy Museum. In this episode, I discuss this amazing trip, how it moved me in so many ways, and why it is important that everyone also visit to bear witness to this history. Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie

A SOTU speech being ripped up is not the most divisive thing in this country. There are bigger issues.

Just five things centered around Black History Month! Follow me @sincerely.lettie

What if when you learned your ABCs, you also learned why slavery was horrible? The Anti-Slavery Alphabet did just that and was published in 1846. In this episode, I discuss what else was happening in America around this time (because, as I always say, history is not isolated) and I read the entire alphabet and what each letter stood for. I also talk about issues with children's books, textbooks, and curriculum that sugarcoat and don't tell the truth about history, and why educating children about slavery today is crucial for a firm foundation of not just our country, but the world we live in. Mentioned in the episode: "The Anti-Slavery Alphabet: Teaching Slavery's Evils in 1846" - from my Sincerely, Lettie blog! "When Are Children Old Enough to Learn About Slavery" - Washington Post article "Slavery, Resistance, and Reparations" - Social Justice Books (WONDERFUL source!! Elementary books all the way to adult!) Follow me on instagram @sincerley.lettie

One of this week's Friday Five is to stop telling Black people how to feel about racism. You want to hear the other four. Trust me! Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie

Happy Friday! If you're saying nothing, you're saying something. The film "Just Mercy." Listening to Black voices and people of color. Appreciating those you have. Challenge yourself to do something different.

Georgia Gilmore played a pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After vowing to never ride the buses again because of racism and segregation, she later started the Club From Nowhere which was a grassroots project to provide food and funds for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., other civil rights leaders, and thousands of other people were fed by Ms. Gilmore, partaking in soul food, fellowship, and a sense of community while being part of the resistance. A meal was much more than staying nourished. It inspired political and social change and, in this case, is more evidence of black resilience in America. Tune in to learn more about this history and how black women like Ms. Gilmore were the unsung heroes of the boycott, the civil rights movement, and continue to be at the forefront of the fight for racial justice. Email: sincerelylettie@gmail.com Instagram: @sincerely.lettie

Friday Five will be a podcast addition that appears each Friday where I take 10-15 minutes to share five things I've come across or thought of during the week. It'll be a little bit of everything! Tune in to this first Friday Five episode to see what I mean!

Happy New Year! In this first episode of 2020, and season 3, I discuss what New Year's Eve and Day meant for enslaved people and why this grim history puts things into perspective. Knowing this history, and the separation of families on a day we now celebrate joyfully, is important when viewing what is currently happening in our country. I also share my two words for this year and why I chose them. Harriet Jacobs book I mention in this episode: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Instagram: @sincerely.lettie Email: sincerelylettie@gmail.com

Public spectacle lynchings. The black body as souvenir. I read lynching accounts and, I warn you, a few of them are graphic. The legacy of lynching as capital punishment. I discuss all of that and more in this episode. It's a heavy one, but oh so necessary. If you haven't listened to part 1 of this episode, please do so! Subscribe, rate, and review! I really appreciate it. Also, please email me at sincerelylettie@gmail.com

In this week's episode, I explain why and how black Americans were victims of racial violence, terror, and lynching. I start with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This is part 1 of 2 and I decided to do it this way because setting the scene and understanding the 'why' is important when looking at the political and social atmosphere of the time. Get ready for all the knowledge in this episode! After the Civil War, black Americans were targets of racial terror and violence because of white supremacy and racism. This happened in both the North and the South, though Southern states were notorious for such evil. The federal government's involvement and complicity, loopholes to amendments in the Constitution, Confederate leaders in public offices, and much more, show how and why racial violence and terror happened, and also why over 4,000 [documented] racial terror lynchings occurred in Southern states between 1877 and 1950, and over 300 racial terror lynchings in other states during this same time. To read more about racial terror lynchings in the United States, the Equal Justice Initiative is a phenomenal source. Follow me on Instagram @sincerely.lettie

This week, I give a glimpse of what activism in Jim Crow America was by discussing Ida B. Wells, W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, the NAACP, and the Harlem Renaissance. Anti-lynching campaigns, black consciousness, black nationalism, and cultural expression were forms of activism and resistance that paved the way for later years of movements for freedom in our country. Follow me on Instagram: @sincerely.lettie Rodney Reed Information Ida B. Wells' "Lynch Law In All Its Phases" W. E. B. Du Bois' Race-Conflict Theory "I, Too" by Langston Hughes