Podcasts about James McCune Smith

Today's episode features: James McCune Smith, Abolitionist and Physician Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠2 Complicated 4 History⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠Primary Source Media⁠

As Manifest Destiny took hold in the national consciousness, what did it mean for African Americans who were excluded from its ambitions for an expanding American empire that would shepherd the Western Hemisphere into a new era of civilization and prosperity?  In The Race for America: Black Internationalism in the Age of Manifest Destiny (UNC Press, 2023), R. J. Boutelle explores how Black intellectuals like Daniel Peterson, James McCune Smith, Mary Ann Shadd, Henry Bibb, and Martin Delany engaged this cultural mythology to theorize and practice Black internationalism. He uncovers how their strategies for challenging Manifest Destiny's white nationalist ideology and expansionist political agenda constituted a form of disidentification—a deconstructing and reassembling of this discourse that marshals Black experiences as racialized subjects to imagine novel geopolitical mythologies and projects to compete with Manifest Destiny. Employing Black internationalist, hemispheric, and diasporic frameworks to examine the emigrationist and solidarity projects that African Americans proposed as alternatives to Manifest Destiny, Boutelle attends to sites integral to US aspirations of hemispheric dominion: Liberia, Nicaragua, Canada, and Cuba. In doing so, Boutelle offers a searing history of how internalized fantasies of American exceptionalism burdened the Black geopolitical imagination that encouraged settler-colonial and imperialist projects in the Americas and West Africa. Omari Averette-Phillips is a doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com.

As Manifest Destiny took hold in the national consciousness, what did it mean for African Americans who were excluded from its ambitions for an expanding American empire that would shepherd the Western Hemisphere into a new era of civilization and prosperity?  In The Race for America: Black Internationalism in the Age of Manifest Destiny (UNC Press, 2023), R. J. Boutelle explores how Black intellectuals like Daniel Peterson, James McCune Smith, Mary Ann Shadd, Henry Bibb, and Martin Delany engaged this cultural mythology to theorize and practice Black internationalism. He uncovers how their strategies for challenging Manifest Destiny's white nationalist ideology and expansionist political agenda constituted a form of disidentification—a deconstructing and reassembling of this discourse that marshals Black experiences as racialized subjects to imagine novel geopolitical mythologies and projects to compete with Manifest Destiny. Employing Black internationalist, hemispheric, and diasporic frameworks to examine the emigrationist and solidarity projects that African Americans proposed as alternatives to Manifest Destiny, Boutelle attends to sites integral to US aspirations of hemispheric dominion: Liberia, Nicaragua, Canada, and Cuba. In doing so, Boutelle offers a searing history of how internalized fantasies of American exceptionalism burdened the Black geopolitical imagination that encouraged settler-colonial and imperialist projects in the Americas and West Africa. Omari Averette-Phillips is a doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

As Manifest Destiny took hold in the national consciousness, what did it mean for African Americans who were excluded from its ambitions for an expanding American empire that would shepherd the Western Hemisphere into a new era of civilization and prosperity?  In The Race for America: Black Internationalism in the Age of Manifest Destiny (UNC Press, 2023), R. J. Boutelle explores how Black intellectuals like Daniel Peterson, James McCune Smith, Mary Ann Shadd, Henry Bibb, and Martin Delany engaged this cultural mythology to theorize and practice Black internationalism. He uncovers how their strategies for challenging Manifest Destiny's white nationalist ideology and expansionist political agenda constituted a form of disidentification—a deconstructing and reassembling of this discourse that marshals Black experiences as racialized subjects to imagine novel geopolitical mythologies and projects to compete with Manifest Destiny. Employing Black internationalist, hemispheric, and diasporic frameworks to examine the emigrationist and solidarity projects that African Americans proposed as alternatives to Manifest Destiny, Boutelle attends to sites integral to US aspirations of hemispheric dominion: Liberia, Nicaragua, Canada, and Cuba. In doing so, Boutelle offers a searing history of how internalized fantasies of American exceptionalism burdened the Black geopolitical imagination that encouraged settler-colonial and imperialist projects in the Americas and West Africa. Omari Averette-Phillips is a doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

As Manifest Destiny took hold in the national consciousness, what did it mean for African Americans who were excluded from its ambitions for an expanding American empire that would shepherd the Western Hemisphere into a new era of civilization and prosperity?  In The Race for America: Black Internationalism in the Age of Manifest Destiny (UNC Press, 2023), R. J. Boutelle explores how Black intellectuals like Daniel Peterson, James McCune Smith, Mary Ann Shadd, Henry Bibb, and Martin Delany engaged this cultural mythology to theorize and practice Black internationalism. He uncovers how their strategies for challenging Manifest Destiny's white nationalist ideology and expansionist political agenda constituted a form of disidentification—a deconstructing and reassembling of this discourse that marshals Black experiences as racialized subjects to imagine novel geopolitical mythologies and projects to compete with Manifest Destiny. Employing Black internationalist, hemispheric, and diasporic frameworks to examine the emigrationist and solidarity projects that African Americans proposed as alternatives to Manifest Destiny, Boutelle attends to sites integral to US aspirations of hemispheric dominion: Liberia, Nicaragua, Canada, and Cuba. In doing so, Boutelle offers a searing history of how internalized fantasies of American exceptionalism burdened the Black geopolitical imagination that encouraged settler-colonial and imperialist projects in the Americas and West Africa. Omari Averette-Phillips is a doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

As Manifest Destiny took hold in the national consciousness, what did it mean for African Americans who were excluded from its ambitions for an expanding American empire that would shepherd the Western Hemisphere into a new era of civilization and prosperity?  In The Race for America: Black Internationalism in the Age of Manifest Destiny (UNC Press, 2023), R. J. Boutelle explores how Black intellectuals like Daniel Peterson, James McCune Smith, Mary Ann Shadd, Henry Bibb, and Martin Delany engaged this cultural mythology to theorize and practice Black internationalism. He uncovers how their strategies for challenging Manifest Destiny's white nationalist ideology and expansionist political agenda constituted a form of disidentification—a deconstructing and reassembling of this discourse that marshals Black experiences as racialized subjects to imagine novel geopolitical mythologies and projects to compete with Manifest Destiny. Employing Black internationalist, hemispheric, and diasporic frameworks to examine the emigrationist and solidarity projects that African Americans proposed as alternatives to Manifest Destiny, Boutelle attends to sites integral to US aspirations of hemispheric dominion: Liberia, Nicaragua, Canada, and Cuba. In doing so, Boutelle offers a searing history of how internalized fantasies of American exceptionalism burdened the Black geopolitical imagination that encouraged settler-colonial and imperialist projects in the Americas and West Africa. Omari Averette-Phillips is a doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

As Manifest Destiny took hold in the national consciousness, what did it mean for African Americans who were excluded from its ambitions for an expanding American empire that would shepherd the Western Hemisphere into a new era of civilization and prosperity?  In The Race for America: Black Internationalism in the Age of Manifest Destiny (UNC Press, 2023), R. J. Boutelle explores how Black intellectuals like Daniel Peterson, James McCune Smith, Mary Ann Shadd, Henry Bibb, and Martin Delany engaged this cultural mythology to theorize and practice Black internationalism. He uncovers how their strategies for challenging Manifest Destiny's white nationalist ideology and expansionist political agenda constituted a form of disidentification—a deconstructing and reassembling of this discourse that marshals Black experiences as racialized subjects to imagine novel geopolitical mythologies and projects to compete with Manifest Destiny. Employing Black internationalist, hemispheric, and diasporic frameworks to examine the emigrationist and solidarity projects that African Americans proposed as alternatives to Manifest Destiny, Boutelle attends to sites integral to US aspirations of hemispheric dominion: Liberia, Nicaragua, Canada, and Cuba. In doing so, Boutelle offers a searing history of how internalized fantasies of American exceptionalism burdened the Black geopolitical imagination that encouraged settler-colonial and imperialist projects in the Americas and West Africa. Omari Averette-Phillips is a doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode Dr's J and Santhosh celebrate black history month by exploring some notable physicians of the past! Along the way, they cover climate change in Chicago and Los Angeles, James McCune Smith, patient ethics, early applications of silver nitrate, the new field of biostatistics, research slams, debunking census claims, Viviene Thomas and the Blayloch shunt, Good Will Hunting, Crush syndrome, tetralogy of fallot, sickle cell disease, Marilyn Gaston and more! SO sit back and relax as we detail some incredible black physiciansSupport Us spiritually, emotionally or financially here! or on ACAST+travelmedicinepodcast.comX/Twitter: @doctorjcomedy @toshyfroTikotok: DrjtoksmedicineGmail: travelmedicinepodcast@gmail.comSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28uQe3cYGrTLhP6X0zyEhTFacebook: facebook.com/travelmedicinepodcastPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/travelmedicinepodcast Supporting us monthly has all sorts of perks! You get ad free episodes, bonus musical parody, behind the scenes conversations not available to regular folks and more!! Your support helps us to pay for more guest interviews, better equipment, and behind the scenes people who know what they are doing! https://plus.acast.com/s/travelmedicinepodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first African American to earn a medical degree, James McCune Smith was a leader black intellectual, counting friends like Frederick Douglass and Henry Highland Garnet. He was known for both his scientific knowledge and his reformist activities during his lifetime and wrote extensively for Douglass' newspaper. However, today most are unfamiliar with Smith or his accomplishments. So this week, I am focusing on Dr. James McCune Smith. Who was he? And why don't know we know more about him? For transcripts, source material, and ways you can help support the show, please visit the website at www.civicsandcoffee.comSupport the show

Economist Anton Muscatelli discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli has been Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow since 2009. An economist, his research interests are monetary economics, central bank independence, fiscal policy, international finance and macroeconomics. Sir Anton was Chair (2016-21) of the First Minister's Standing Council on Europe, a non-political group providing expert advice to Scottish ministers on Scotland's relationship with the EU. He was a member of the Scottish Government's Council of Economic Advisers 2015-21, and subsequently advised them on the National Strategy for Economic Transformation. He is a member of the advisory group for Sir Paul Nurse's Review of the UK's Research, Development and Innovation Organisational Landscape. From 2017-20 he was Chair of the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities. He has been a special adviser to the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee on fiscal and monetary policy, and he has advised the European Commission and the World Bank. He holds an honorary degree from McGill University in Canada. The life of James McCune Smith https://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH24115&type=P&o=&start=0&max=20&l= The importance of central bank independence https://www.ft.com/content/c233c60e-7d88-465a-9b8b-c35b6a5ca339 (paywall) Cooking with fresh (Apulian) artichokes https://personalpuglia.com/2012/11/27/an-abundance-of-artichokes-food-itlay/ Sostiene Pereira by Antonio Tabucchi https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/nov/21/pereira-maintains-tabucchi-review The game of Maniglia/Manille https://www.pagat.com/manille/mariglia.html Basilica of St Nicholas in Bari https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_di_San_Nicola This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

In honor, recognition, and respect for Black History Month, Jess put together a fascinating episode highlighting the first Black doctors in America. While institutions were structured to maintain the status quo around racial barriers, these two men, Dr. James Durham and Dr. James McCune Smith entered the medical field against all odds and went on to leave an incredible legacy. Send us an email at: malpracticepodcast@gmail.comFollow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter: @malpracticepodcastIf you want to help us grow, subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcast fix!Sources: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/02/21/9-african-american-pioneers-in-medicinehttps://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/james-durham-1762-1802/https://www.mdlinx.com/physiciansense/10-history-making-black-physicians/https://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH24115&type=Phttps://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH24115&type=Phttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_McCune_SmithSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/malpractice)

Helen and Gavin continue their biography themed season by looking at the first black American and British consultant physicians, James McCune Smith and James Samuel Risien Russell. Helen's vocab of the episode looks at a colorful way to describe a messy situation, but not that one.

In the years between the American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War, as legal and cultural understandings of citizenship became more racially restrictive, black writers articulated an expansive, practice-based theory of citizenship. Grounded in political participation, mutual aid, critique and revolution, and the myriad daily interactions between people living in the same spaces, citizenship, they argued, is not defined by who one is but, rather, by what one does. In The Practice of Citizenship, Derrick R. Spires examines the parallel development of early black print culture and legal and cultural understandings of U.S. citizenship, beginning in 1787, with the framing of the federal Constitution and the founding of the Free African Society by Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, and ending in 1861, with the onset of the Civil War. Between these two points he recovers understudied figures such as William J. Wilson, whose 1859 "Afric-American Picture Gallery" appeared in seven installments in The Anglo-African Magazine, and the physician, abolitionist, and essayist James McCune Smith. He places texts such as the proceedings of black state conventions alongside considerations of canonical figures such as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Frederick Douglass. Dr. Derrick R. Spires is Associate Professor of Literatures in English at Cornell University. He specializes in early African American and American print culture, citizenship studies, and African American intellectual history. His first book, The Practice of Citizenship: Black Politics and Print Culture in the Early United States (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019), won the MLA Prize for First Book and the Bibliographical Society/St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize. His work appears or is forthcoming in African American Review, American Literary History, and edited collections on early African American print culture, and the Colored Conventions movement. Dr. Spires was an Albert M. Greenfield Foundation Fellow in African American History at the Library Company in 2008. This chat originally aired at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, February 25, 2021.

Welcome to the Black History Month edition of The Drs. Washington Podcast where we highlight African Americans who have made significant contributions to the field of medicine. This episode features the life and achievements of  Dr. James McCune Smith. He is recognized as the first university trained physician in the United States and the first African American to run a pharmacy in the United States.  Music is from single “Alright” by Mississippi-native, Mike Burton on his album Soulful. All rights reserved.  Available on iTunes. Our views are our own and do not represent those of our employers. The  content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Follow us on social media!Facebook @thedrswashingtonpodcastInstagram @thedrswashingtonTwitter       @drs_washingtonContact us for booking and inquiries at drswashingtonpodcast@gmail.com

Anna Mae Duane shares how two fugitive slave boys, James McCune Smith and Henry Highland Garnet, grew up to inspire abolitionists before the Civil War. Douglas Egerton of Le Moyne College tells the story of the daring escape of an enslaved man, Robert Smalls, and his ensuing successful legislative career.

This week Q the Nurse is back to join Tina in telling the story of Dr. Charles Friedgood. Friedgood was a doctor who spent his whole life manipulating people to get what he wanted. Just when you think he couldn't get any more despicable, he does something else until he finally does something so egregious even he couldn't get away with it. They close the show with the story of Dr. James McCune Smith, who was the first Black man to hold a medical degree in America. This episode is sponsored by Trusted Health. If you're even a little curious about traveling nursing, please go to https://www.trustedhealth.com/goodnurse and see what opportunities are out there! Credits https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcvMdrFdMak https://www.nyhistory.org/web/africanfreeschool/bios/james-mccune-smith.html https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/51/327/2496965/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/28/nyregion/dr-charles-friedgood-dead.html

Two powerful, and badly neglected, forces in our national history around race are featured in Educated for Freedom: The Incredible Story of Two Fugitive Schoolboys Who Grew Up To Change a Nation by author & educator Anna Mae Duane. The 1800's debate between two students of the NY African Free School, James McCune Smith & Henry Highland Garnet, echoes to current issues.

In the 1820s, few Americans could imagine a viable future for black children. Even abolitionists saw just two options for African American youth—permanent subjection or exile. Anna Mae Duane’s book “Educated for Freedom: The Incredible Story of Two Fugitive Schoolboys Who Grew Up to Change a Nation” tells the story of James McCune Smith and Henry Highland Garnet, two black children who beat the odds, finding freedom as their country struggled to grow from a slave nation into a free country and forever altering the course of American history in the process. Join us for a discussion of their heroic story with Anna Mae Duane in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

           Anna Mae Duane has written an amazing new book about James McCune Smith and Henry Garnet, two African American boys who met as young students at the New York African Free School on Mulberry street.   Their intertwined, but very different lives of antebellum antislavery activism helped define the possibilities for blacks in American Society.  State historian Walt Woodward interviews UCONN English professor Duane, who talks about Educated for Freedom, and the inspiring and informative example Smith and Garnet provided for their generation, and ours.  Episode recorded by Walt Woodward. Edited, mixed, and assembled by Matt Berky at Massive Productions  

As we head into Black History Month we'll hear stories about Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner and Dr. King. But there are so many other fascinating stories to tell. Today on the Best of Our Knowledge, we'll hear about a remarkable school for young black students in 19th Century New York City. We'll also spend an […]

In 1846, James McCune Smith, an African-American physician, abolitionist and author, told a white friend what had to be done to convince Americans of, as he put it, “the eternal equality of the Human race.” He said, “the hearts of the whites must be changed…thoroughly, entirely, permanently…changed!” In other words, whites had to understand what it was like to be Black…they had to attain a Black heart! However, an assistant professor of history says that simply hasn’t happened. On today’s Perspective, a look at how religion created race, and how that legacy still affects society today. Guest: Katharine Gerbner, an assistant professor of History at the University of Minnesota. Perspective is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Richard Baker, communications professor at Kansas State University. Perspective has been continuously produced for radio stations across the nation by K-State for well over six decades. The program has included interviews with dignitaries, authors and thought leaders from around the world. Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu. K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan.

The Importance of African American history: Believe in fairy tales! Hi and welcome to the Wiki History lecture series called History is Power! Produced by rememberinghistory.com where history is power. Today, we’re going to discuss the importance of knowing African American history. We begin by asking why is history important? Great question. Perhaps the answer can be found in this famous journal entry, which says, Next time I go to a movie and see a picture of a little ordinary girl become a great star, I’ll believe it. And whenever I hear someone read fairy tales to my little boy, I’ll listen.  I know that dreams do come true.  I know because I am now playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the big leagues!  I always dreamed about playing for the Dodgers, but honestly, I always had my doubts. I used to tell myself: “Something will happen. It just isn’t in the books for you to play in the majors. You’re a Negro. Negroes haven’t been in the big leagues. Some day they will be. But you won’t be the lucky guy. Can you guess who wrote this entry? Jackie Robinson. In 1947--following his first major league game with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson was the first Black person to play major league baseball. He made history. And he went on to win the league’s MVP award in 1949. During his career, he would play in 6 World Series. He concluded this entry by saying, Being up here is absolutely wonderful. That’s why I’m a believer in fairy tales now. You see, it actually happened to me! It was said that Jackie Robinson endured more racial insults and threats of violence than anyone in American history. But we know that Jackie Robinson made history. And history is power. Yes, we can learn a lot from history—that can inspire AND empower US, too. With this inspiration and empowerment, WE can make history. And THAT is our goal at rememberinghistory.com. We are remembering history AND we’re MAKING it. You’re gonna hear about many African Americans that made great accomplishments, contributions and changes in every field—law, medicine, art, literature, science, engineering, the environment, sports, American society and even the world! We will learn that they faced lots of obstacles, problems, rejections and sometimes even violence. But most importantly we will learn that—despite all of their challenges-- they still made history. Nothing came easy for Jackie Robinson or any of the other African Americans that you’re gonna hear about. Yet through their resolve, perseverance, focus, determination and hard work, they made a difference for themselves and for others. They MADE history. You see, just like Jackie Robinson said: fairy tales can come true. It happened for him. And it can happen for you, too. History teaches that it can happen. History also teaches HOW things happened and why. And that nothing ever had to happen in the way that it did. So we need to know the African Americans who came before us; what happened before us—the successes, the defeats, the victories and the challenges. We need to know the African Americans who helped to build and transform the United States and, indeed, who helped to shape our world. Some names will be unfamiliar from the past: Dr. Carter G. Woodson who wrote the Negro National Anthem later called the African American National Anthem (yes, there is one!) and who founded Black History Month. Ida B. Wells who fought against the horrible (but at-the-time common) practice of lynching. And, of course, the mathematical genius, Benjamin Banneker, who made great discoveries in astronomy and developed theories about relativity. Did I mention that Benjamin Banneker was born in 1731, a descendant of enslaved parents? And, like Jackie Robinson, the road was not easy yet they endured. Others did too. There was James McCune Smith, who moved to Scotland to earn his medical degree because no American universities would accept a Black man. He graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1837 becoming the first African American to receive a medical degree. Dr. Smith then returned to the U.S. where he had a distinguished medical career in private practice, opened two pharmacies, and trained young Black doctors. And there is Marcelite Harris who, in 1997, became the first woman to achieve the rank of major general in the US Air Force. Yes, she became the highest ranking woman in the United States Air Force and the country’s highest ranking African American woman in the Department of Defense! However, she had to apply THREE TIMES before her application for training was accepted. And did you know that Michael Jordan was cut from the basketball team in his sophomore year?! Most of us know what he went on to achieve! You see; nothing came easy for any of them. But these people were not afraid to be first. Or to stand out. Or even to stand alone. They weren’t afraid to fail. They never gave up. Neither should we. We can learn a lot from them. We can begin by asking ourselves: What was it like to be alive during their time? What it was like to walk in their shoes? What motivated them? What were they afraid of? What didn’t they know?   But remember that history is not just the study of the past. It is interesting because nobody ever lived in the past. People have only lived in the present. Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman didn’t think of themselves as living in the past. They were living in the present. The difference is that it was THEIR present. Not ours. They were caught up in the living moment exactly as we are today. They didn’t know how things would turn out. Neither do we today. Jackie Robinson didn’t know what would happen when he joined the Dodgers and stepped on the field that day in 1947. Dr. Smith did not know what would happen when he moved to Scotland to study medicine or when he returned to America in 1837. And Major General Marcelite Harris never knew if she would ever be accepted into the Air Force or that she would receive so many medals and honors but she kept trying. But we can use their stories and strength (their fairy tales) to be empowered, inspired, and moved to make our own fairy tales. We know the history. And history is power. History teaches us that we can believe in fairy tales. And that we can make history. This website will span 400 years of the African American experience: from slavery to freedom to equality to justice. The stories and lessons will empower and inspire you. We will learn about Black explorers, educators, civil rights, the Black experience in the military, Black holidays and celebrations, the struggle for equality through marches and protests and many more fascinating subjects. Take a look at rememberinghistory.com for the complete schedule. We’ll also discuss CURRENT events and TODAY’S heroes and history makers. That’s gonna keep us busy and intrigued as well but we MUST recognize and honor them too. People like Marva Collins, a great educator who founded an elementary school for Black kids who were labeled as “uneducatable”. But she developed a school and system to help these children to learn and become successful adults. Another current hero is Mae Jamison who is an engineer, physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first African American woman to travel in space. Did I mention that she also speaks four languages?! You’ll have to listen to the podcast show to find out which ones! She has been described as one of the most impressive people that you’ll ever meet. And, we absolutely cannot forget Colin Kaepernick, who was a skilled and talented quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers taking them to the Superbowl and NFC championships. He has not been signed to ANY NFL team since he started the “take a knee” movement, which focuses police violence and racial injustice against African Americans. He is a brave and committed role model and leader that deserves our respect. All of these people are deserve our respect because they fought and defeated the odds and lots of obstacles. They are making a difference and making history.   You see, these are great stories and there are so many of them to listen to, enjoy and learn from. So, we hope that you will join us at rememberinghistory.com. And that you will read our newsletter called Making History Today where you can learn how to make a difference in your community and even the world! And we do hope that you will make comments, ask questions and join this wonderful community of history lovers and aspiring history makers on the website or on Facebook. Or both! No limits! Keep believing in fairy tales! They do happen. We hope to see you soon at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it. Every day. Bye for now!    

  The Importance of African American history: Believe in fairy tales!   Hi and welcome to the Wiki History lecture series called History is Power! Produced by robinlofton.com where history is power. Today, we begin our 5-minute lecture series about the importance of knowing African American history.  We begin by asking why is history important? Great question. Perhaps the answer can be found in this famous journal entry, which says,   Next time I go to a movie and see a picture of a little ordinary girl become a great star, I’ll believe it.   And whenever I hear someone read fairy tales to my little boy, I’ll listen.   I know that dreams do come true.   I know because I am now playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the big leagues!   I always dreamed about playing for the Dodgers, but honestly, I always had my doubts. I used to tell myself: “Something will happen. It just isn’t in the books for you to play in the majors. You’re a Negro. Negroes haven’t been in the big leagues. Some day they will be. But you won’t be the lucky guy.   Can you guess who wrote this entry?  Jackie Robinson. In 1947--following his first major league game with the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Jackie Robinson was the first Black person to play major league baseball. He made history. And he went on to win the leagues MVP award in 1949. During his career, he would play in 6 World Series. He concluded this entry by saying, Being up here is absolutely wonderful. That’s why I’m a believer in fairy tales now. You see, it actually happened to me!   It was said that Jackie Robinson endured more racial insults and threats of violence than anyone in history. But we know that Jackie Robinson made history. And history is power.   We can learn a lot from history—and that can empower us, too. We’ll hear about many African Americans that made great accomplishments. We will learn that they faced lots of obstacles, problems, and rejections. And most importantly we will learn that they still made history.  You see, just like Jackie Robinson said: fairy tales are real. They happened to him. And they can happen to you, too.   But we need to know the African Americans who came before us; what happened before us—the successes, the defeats, the victories and the challenges. We need to know the African Americans who helped to build the United States and, indeed, who helped to shape the world. Some names will be unfamiliar from the past: Dr. Carter G. Woodson who wrote the Negro National Anthem (yes, we have one!) and who founded Black History Month. Ida B. Wells who fought against the horrible (but at-the-time accepted) practice of lynching. And, of course, the mathematical genius, Benjamin Banneker, who made great discoveries in astronomy and developed theories about relativity. Did I mention that Benjamin Banneker was born in 1731, a descendant of slaves?   And, like Jackie Robinson, the road was not easy yet they endured. Others did too. There was James McCune Smith, who moved to Scotland to earn his medical degree because no American universities would accept a Black man. He graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1837 becoming the first African American to receive a medical degree. Dr. Smith then returned to the U.S. where he had a distinguished medical career in private practice, opened two pharmacies, and trained young doctors.   And there is Marcelite Harris who is the first Black woman to become a brigadier general in the US Air Force. However, she had to apply three times before her application for training was accepted.   And did you know that Michael Jordan was cut from the basketball team in his sophomore year?!   You see; nothing came easy for any of them. But these people were not afraid to be first. Or to stand out. Or even to stand alone. They weren’t afraid to fail. They never gave up. Neither should we.   We can learn a lot from them. We can begin by asking ourselves: What was it like to be alive during their time? What it was like to walk in their shoes? What motivated them? What were they afraid of? What didn’t they know?    But remember that history is not just the study of the past. It is interesting because nobody ever lived in the past.  People have only lived in the present. Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman didn’t think of themselves as living in the past. They were living in the present. The difference is that it was their present.  They were caught up in the living moment exactly as we are today. They didn’t know how things would turn out. Neither do we.  Jackie Robinson didn’t know what would happen when he joined the Dodgers and stepped on the field that day.  Dr. Smith did not know what would happen when he moved to Scotland to study medicine. But we can use their stories and strength (their fairy tales) to be empowered, inspired, and moved to make our own fairy tales.     We know the history. And history is power.   History teaches us that we can believe in fairy tales.   This 3-part series will span 400 years of the African American experience: from freedom to equality to justice.  And the conclusion will empower and inspire you. Please look at my website, robinlofton.com for the complete schedule.   Part I will discuss slavery and the fight to abolish that terrible institution. Part II will present the civil rights movement and the struggle for equality. Part III is about racial violence and the fight for justice.   Don’t worry. Each part will only last around 5 minutes!  Remember this is called Wiki history!   Join me for Part I of the History is Power! series on Thursday, November 6 when we will officially begin our “fairy tale” journey.   Moving on, October is dedicated to learning about Black explorers—those who stepped boldly into the unknown and gave us stars to steer by. You will learn about the contributions and courage of these explorers (some of whom were born during slavery) and even learn about the first Black woman to climb Mount Everest!   You can find more even more fun and fascinating facts as well as more “fairy tales” on robinlofton.com, especially on my bodacious Blog.  And remember to subscribe.   See you there and, keep believing in fairy tales! They can happen to you, too.  

Digging up our roots seems to be the thing these days.  There are a host of genealogy resources available for anyone who cares to (re)discover their familial past.  Still, in the Americas people of African descent who want to take part in this digging encounter barriers; often there are gaps in the family histories of those whose members were bought and sold on a whim.   As she takes readers on a remarkable historical journey, Carla Peterson, author of Black Gotham:  A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City (Yale University Press, 2011), illuminates the challenges of (re)discovering family histories and along the way, readers glean much about US national history. Armed with determination, patience beyond measure, and with several doses of serendipity, Peterson, Professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park, takes her desire to return and find elements of her past to the archives of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.  Her persistence reveals to readers a new view of nineteenth century Gotham, as Washington Irving called the city of New York.  For example, Black Gothamprovides support for social historians who would argue that the New Negro movement–often solely associated with the Harlem Renaissance–began in the ante-bellum era.  And, those interested in the education of free African Americans pre-1865 may find it fascinating that many of the 19th century’s black elite were a part of New York’s African Free School system–the Mulberry Street School, in particular.  Celebrated alumni include James McCune Smith, Alexander Crummell, Henry Highland Garnet, George Downing, the Reason brothers–Charles and Patrick–as well as Peterson’s great-great grandfather, Peter Guignon, and her great-grandfather, Philip White.  As Peterson rediscovers her paternal family’s New York history, she at times laments the obscurity to which the women in her family were relegated; she does her best to remedy this, however, as she uses facts and imagination to piece together their lives. While the book divulges new perspectives on freedom–or the lack thereof–for black New Yorkers in the nineteenth century, it also is instructive with regards to methods of research for those who seek to dress up the scraps of memory mothers, fathers, grand-aunts or grand-uncles choose to share. Needless to say, the acts of both forgetting and remembering are found not only in personal narratives of history; the journey upon which Peterson embarks also forces readers to consider how and whom institutions choose to forget and/or remember–indeed, how the nation selectively forgets and remembers. Sankofa is an Adinkra symbol of West Africa’s Akan people that means “to go back and take it.”  It describes one impetus for Dr. Carla Peterson’s journey for she indeed goes back to see; Black Gotham:  A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City attests to the fact that her insistence pays off significantly–both for her personally, and for lovers of history alike.  Read alongside a virtual archive http://archive.blackgothamarchive.org/ wherein one can find documents and images of New York’s black elite of the nineteenth century, the narrative moves one steadily along, inspiring new critical questions and intrigue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digging up our roots seems to be the thing these days.  There are a host of genealogy resources available for anyone who cares to (re)discover their familial past.  Still, in the Americas people of African descent who want to take part in this digging encounter barriers; often there are gaps in the family histories of those whose members were bought and sold on a whim.   As she takes readers on a remarkable historical journey, Carla Peterson, author of Black Gotham:  A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City (Yale University Press, 2011), illuminates the challenges of (re)discovering family histories and along the way, readers glean much about US national history. Armed with determination, patience beyond measure, and with several doses of serendipity, Peterson, Professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park, takes her desire to return and find elements of her past to the archives of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.  Her persistence reveals to readers a new view of nineteenth century Gotham, as Washington Irving called the city of New York.  For example, Black Gothamprovides support for social historians who would argue that the New Negro movement–often solely associated with the Harlem Renaissance–began in the ante-bellum era.  And, those interested in the education of free African Americans pre-1865 may find it fascinating that many of the 19th century's black elite were a part of New York's African Free School system–the Mulberry Street School, in particular.  Celebrated alumni include James McCune Smith, Alexander Crummell, Henry Highland Garnet, George Downing, the Reason brothers–Charles and Patrick–as well as Peterson's great-great grandfather, Peter Guignon, and her great-grandfather, Philip White.  As Peterson rediscovers her paternal family's New York history, she at times laments the obscurity to which the women in her family were relegated; she does her best to remedy this, however, as she uses facts and imagination to piece together their lives. While the book divulges new perspectives on freedom–or the lack thereof–for black New Yorkers in the nineteenth century, it also is instructive with regards to methods of research for those who seek to dress up the scraps of memory mothers, fathers, grand-aunts or grand-uncles choose to share. Needless to say, the acts of both forgetting and remembering are found not only in personal narratives of history; the journey upon which Peterson embarks also forces readers to consider how and whom institutions choose to forget and/or remember–indeed, how the nation selectively forgets and remembers. Sankofa is an Adinkra symbol of West Africa's Akan people that means “to go back and take it.”  It describes one impetus for Dr. Carla Peterson's journey for she indeed goes back to see; Black Gotham:  A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City attests to the fact that her insistence pays off significantly–both for her personally, and for lovers of history alike.  Read alongside a virtual archive http://archive.blackgothamarchive.org/ wherein one can find documents and images of New York's black elite of the nineteenth century, the narrative moves one steadily along, inspiring new critical questions and intrigue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Digging up our roots seems to be the thing these days.  There are a host of genealogy resources available for anyone who cares to (re)discover their familial past.  Still, in the Americas people of African descent who want to take part in this digging encounter barriers; often there are gaps in the family histories of those whose members were bought and sold on a whim.   As she takes readers on a remarkable historical journey, Carla Peterson, author of Black Gotham:  A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City (Yale University Press, 2011), illuminates the challenges of (re)discovering family histories and along the way, readers glean much about US national history. Armed with determination, patience beyond measure, and with several doses of serendipity, Peterson, Professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park, takes her desire to return and find elements of her past to the archives of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.  Her persistence reveals to readers a new view of nineteenth century Gotham, as Washington Irving called the city of New York.  For example, Black Gothamprovides support for social historians who would argue that the New Negro movement–often solely associated with the Harlem Renaissance–began in the ante-bellum era.  And, those interested in the education of free African Americans pre-1865 may find it fascinating that many of the 19th century’s black elite were a part of New York’s African Free School system–the Mulberry Street School, in particular.  Celebrated alumni include James McCune Smith, Alexander Crummell, Henry Highland Garnet, George Downing, the Reason brothers–Charles and Patrick–as well as Peterson’s great-great grandfather, Peter Guignon, and her great-grandfather, Philip White.  As Peterson rediscovers her paternal family’s New York history, she at times laments the obscurity to which the women in her family were relegated; she does her best to remedy this, however, as she uses facts and imagination to piece together their lives. While the book divulges new perspectives on freedom–or the lack thereof–for black New Yorkers in the nineteenth century, it also is instructive with regards to methods of research for those who seek to dress up the scraps of memory mothers, fathers, grand-aunts or grand-uncles choose to share. Needless to say, the acts of both forgetting and remembering are found not only in personal narratives of history; the journey upon which Peterson embarks also forces readers to consider how and whom institutions choose to forget and/or remember–indeed, how the nation selectively forgets and remembers. Sankofa is an Adinkra symbol of West Africa’s Akan people that means “to go back and take it.”  It describes one impetus for Dr. Carla Peterson’s journey for she indeed goes back to see; Black Gotham:  A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City attests to the fact that her insistence pays off significantly–both for her personally, and for lovers of history alike.  Read alongside a virtual archive http://archive.blackgothamarchive.org/ wherein one can find documents and images of New York’s black elite of the nineteenth century, the narrative moves one steadily along, inspiring new critical questions and intrigue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digging up our roots seems to be the thing these days.  There are a host of genealogy resources available for anyone who cares to (re)discover their familial past.  Still, in the Americas people of African descent who want to take part in this digging encounter barriers; often there are gaps in the family histories of those whose members were bought and sold on a whim.   As she takes readers on a remarkable historical journey, Carla Peterson, author of Black Gotham:  A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City (Yale University Press, 2011), illuminates the challenges of (re)discovering family histories and along the way, readers glean much about US national history. Armed with determination, patience beyond measure, and with several doses of serendipity, Peterson, Professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park, takes her desire to return and find elements of her past to the archives of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.  Her persistence reveals to readers a new view of nineteenth century Gotham, as Washington Irving called the city of New York.  For example, Black Gothamprovides support for social historians who would argue that the New Negro movement–often solely associated with the Harlem Renaissance–began in the ante-bellum era.  And, those interested in the education of free African Americans pre-1865 may find it fascinating that many of the 19th century’s black elite were a part of New York’s African Free School system–the Mulberry Street School, in particular.  Celebrated alumni include James McCune Smith, Alexander Crummell, Henry Highland Garnet, George Downing, the Reason brothers–Charles and Patrick–as well as Peterson’s great-great grandfather, Peter Guignon, and her great-grandfather, Philip White.  As Peterson rediscovers her paternal family’s New York history, she at times laments the obscurity to which the women in her family were relegated; she does her best to remedy this, however, as she uses facts and imagination to piece together their lives. While the book divulges new perspectives on freedom–or the lack thereof–for black New Yorkers in the nineteenth century, it also is instructive with regards to methods of research for those who seek to dress up the scraps of memory mothers, fathers, grand-aunts or grand-uncles choose to share. Needless to say, the acts of both forgetting and remembering are found not only in personal narratives of history; the journey upon which Peterson embarks also forces readers to consider how and whom institutions choose to forget and/or remember–indeed, how the nation selectively forgets and remembers. Sankofa is an Adinkra symbol of West Africa’s Akan people that means “to go back and take it.”  It describes one impetus for Dr. Carla Peterson’s journey for she indeed goes back to see; Black Gotham:  A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City attests to the fact that her insistence pays off significantly–both for her personally, and for lovers of history alike.  Read alongside a virtual archive http://archive.blackgothamarchive.org/ wherein one can find documents and images of New York’s black elite of the nineteenth century, the narrative moves one steadily along, inspiring new critical questions and intrigue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Examining the heightening of tensions in the 1850s in the lead up to the Civil War. The passage of the Fugitive Slave Act with the Compromise of 1850 saw African American liberty reach an all-time low. Not only were all African Americans now vulnerable to slave catchers, but protecting them from kidnapping was deemed illegal. The Dred Scot v. Sandford Supreme Court decision in 1857 further reduced African American rights, as all slaves were deemed to be property, not people. Institutions such as the Committee of Thirteen, a group set up to oppose the Fugitive Slave Act; state conventions; and public meetings that sought to defend the rights of black New Yorkers to ride the streetcars. In a series of cases foreshadowing the Montgomery Bus Boycotts of the 20th century, Elizabeth Jennings, Sarah Adams, and Reverend J. W. C. Pennington refused to get down from segregated streetcars, eventually forcing the desegregation of the streetcars through a New York State Supreme Court case in 1858. However, the difficulties of this decade forced a return to the argument for a back-to-Africa approach, and coinciding with the independence of Liberia in 1847, many were willing to give emigration a second chance. Thus the ‘African heritage’ side of the debate finally re-emerged in the political sphere as the Liberian Agriculture and Emigration Society was founded, Henry Highland Garnet endorsed Liberian emigration, and a national movement by Martin Delany to immigrate to Africa was established. Tensions between Garnet and the anti-emigrationists James McCune Smith, Frederick Douglass, and George Downing dominated the debates of the late 1850s. Here again, in response to continued and persistent oppression in America,  ‘what emerged from these conflicts was the Black community’s determination to stay in the United States and agitate for its rights’  http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/770

93 West Broadway In 1824, the aged Revolutionary War hero General Lafayette returned to America for a tour of the nation he had helped to forge.

93 West Broadway In 1824, the aged Revolutionary War hero General Lafayette returned to America for a tour of the nation he had helped to forge.