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FEBRUARY 12-18, 2020
INTERNATIONAL
New hurdle for Nigerians seeking visas to settle in the U.S.
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
This Week In Black History
Week of February 12-18 February 12 1793—Congress passes the first Fugitive Slave Law. The law made it easier for a slave owner to re-take con(TriceEdneyWire.com/GIN)—She’s your trol of a slave who had escaped to freedom. Blacks and pediatrician. He’s your surgeon. She’s a their supporters were outraged because the 1793 law only civil engineer. He has a doctorate. She’s required the “word” of a White man before a magistrate to an Emmy Award winner. He was a Chicadeclare any Black person a runaway slave and have him go Bear. or her arrested and placed in bondage. Under the law even They’re Nigerian-Americans who have Blacks who had earned their freedom or had never been set down roots in Dallas, Chicago, Baltislaves were placed in danger. more, Atlanta, Phoenix and Houston—the 1900—Legendary poet James Weldon Johnson (1871latter of which has the largest Nigerian 1938) writes the lyrics to the song “Lift Every Voice and population outside Brazil and Africa. Sing” as part of a birthday tribute to Abraham Lincoln. In They’re the largest group among African JAMES WELDON JOHNSON time, the song would become the Black National Anthem. immigrants in the U.S.—about 327,000. 1909—The NAACP is formally founded by a group of 60 progressive Blacks and They’re a tiny portion of the U.S. populaWhites in New York City. The organization, originally called the National Negro tion, but they rank as the most successful man is an island of his own.” Committee, was the outgrowth of the Niagara ethnic group in the U.S. Omar Jadwat of the ACLU’s Immigrant Movement, which met in Niagara, N.Y., in 1905. The Yet, on the eve of Black History month, Rights Project suggested the ban was NAACP would go on to become, and remains, the the President callously expanded a travel imposed because the excluded countries nation’s largest civil rights organization. ban that effectively bars Nigerians from don’t share enough information so that 1930—The infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Experobtaining visas to immigrate here perma- (we) can vet their citizens when they iment is funded. More than 400 Black men from nently. The new restrictions will not apply arrive. rural parts of Georgia and Alabama are lured into to tourist, business, or other nonimmiThe so-called “Muslim ban,” already the program with the promise that they would be grant travel. But for the large Nigerian affects citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, treated for syphilis. But the program was actually diaspora in the US, the policy will be dev- Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela and North designed to study the effects of untreated syphilis astating to a community with deep family Korea. and cultural ties to their home country. Minister of Information and Culture, TUSKEGEE SYPHILLIS EXPERIMENT on the body. Thus, the men were given fake anti-syphilis medicines as their diseases advanced. Nigerians expressed disbelief and Lai Mohammed, sharply disputed the U.S. The unethical “experiment” went on for 40 years as most of the anger after the Trump administration move. men gradually died. A reporter exposed the study in 1972. Severannounced the policy, which takes effect “In our view, (the ban) was not well Feb. 21. thought out but based largely on negative al government agencies, including the U.S. Public Health Service and Center for Disease Control, were involved. On behalf of the Many Nigerians wondered why they narratives spread by naysayers. I know nation, President Clinton apologized to Charlie Pollard and othspecifically were targeted, when many we are working very well with our neigher surviving members of the racist experiment in 1997. other countries might pose similar securi- bors, the EU and the U.S. to ensure that February 13 ty threats. Amaha Kassa, head of African terrorism is addressed.” 1635—The nation’s first public school is established in Boston, Communities Together, which advocates “Our advice to the U.S. is that it should Mass. It was called the Boston Latin School. Blacks could not for African immigrants and their famhave a rethink on the issue because any attend. ilies, told reporters that at the group’s travel ban is bound to affect investment 1907—Wendell P. Dabney establishes the groundbreaking latest meeting in New York City, dozens of and growth in the country and those who Black newspaper known as The Union, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nigerians were asking one question: “Why will be affected are the most vulnerable The paper’s motto was “For no people can become great without single us out?” people in Nigeria.” WENDELL P. DABNEY Immigrant advocates say it’s based on The decision affects Nigeria Eritrea, Su- being united, for in union there is strength.” February 14 discriminatory motivations. dan, and Tanzania as well as Kyrgyzstan 1760—The great religious leader Richard Allen is born in For Okorafor Chimedu, a 29-year-old and Myanmar. Additionally, immigrants slavery in Philadelphia, Pa. After being required to sit in the back teacher in Warri, Nigeria, with a univerfrom Sudan and Tanzania will be excludof a White church, Allen would go on to help found and become sity degree and relatives already in the ed from the diversity visa lottery which the first active bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. United States, his chances now to join grants green cards to as many as 50,000 Today, the church, one of the largest predominantly Black denomthem appear slim. people every year. inations in America, has more than 1 million members in the U.S., “I hope the two nations will rectify their In a separate development, China has Canada, the Caribbean and Africa. Allen died in 1831. differences soon so that the ban can be halted the issuance of visas to Nigerians 1817—This is the most likely birth date of abolitionist and lifted,” he said to a reporter. “We need citing their effort to control the spread of orator Frederick Douglass. Douglass purchased his freedom each other to progress in this world. No the coronavirus in the Asian country. in 1845 and went on to become the most influential Black leader of his day. He did most of his work while living in Rochester, N.Y. RICHARD ALLEN But after the Civil War, he moved to Washington, D.C. 1867—One of the nation’s most distinguished institutions of higher learning, Morehouse College, was founded on this day in Augusta, Ga., as the Augusta Institute. It moved to Atlanta in 1879 and became the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. It became “Morehouse” in 1913. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. graduated from Morehouse. 1936—The National Negro Congress is organized on this day at a meeting in Chicago, Ill., attended by more than 800 delegates representing nearly 500 Black organizations. A. Phillip Randolph, head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, is elected president. One of the congress’ chief aims was to generate national support for the “New Deal” legislation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Chicago Defender described the congress as “the most ambitious effort for bringing together members of the Race on any single issue.” Up until this time, most Black voters were Republicans. are largely replacing coal He urged mining compa(TriceEdneyWire.com/ But the National Negro Congress and Roosevelt’s social betterplants due to lower costs, nies to connect the future GIN)—After years of ment programs led to a massive African-American switch to the regulatory challenges and of mining with changing defending dirty extractive Democratic Party. other obstacles stacked industries such as the min- societal values. February 15 against coal generation. “Our challenge is clear; ing of coal, large mining 1804—The New Jersey legislature passes a law leading Norway’s sovereign companies seemed to have we need to find new, safer, to the gradual elimination of slavery in the state. Howwealth fund divested from more sustainable and switched sides and joined all fossil fuel last year, and ever, the process was so gradual that there were still slaves in the Greens, or so it seemed cost-effective ways to supNew Jersey right up to the start of the Civil War in 1860. ply essential raw materials the world’s biggest asset at the African Mining 1851—In an extraordinary bold move for the times, a group of to meet the needs of a rap- manager Blackrock said on Indaba held this week in Jan. 14 it would sell active Black and White abolitionists invade a Boston courtroom and idly growing and urbanizSouth Africa. forcibly free a fugitive slave before he could be sent back to the holdings in companies ing global population for At the Indaba, the conSouth. Shadrach Minkins was hidden from slave catchers and SHADRACH MINKINS generating more than 25 decades to come.” tinent’s biggest gathering he later fled to Canada. percent of revenues from Anglo American is workof one of its most vital 1961—A group of U.S. Blacks and African nationalists disrupt a session of the United thermal coal. ing to transform the comindustries, the companies In Africa, where access to Nations to protest the slaying of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo. Lumumba was one pany’s physical and social appeared less combative of Africa’s bright and shining stars. But his nationalism and socialism frightened some footprint, he said, to have a electricity is still a probthan in years past. Among lem, coal-to-power projects Western nations. It is widely believed that Belgium intelligence and America’s CIA positive effect on the comthe highlights of the conarranged the killing of Lumumba. munities and environment could previously rely on ference was a statement 1965—Great singer and Jazz pianist Nat King Cole dies of lung cancer in Santa support from development where it operates. by Mark Cutifani, head of Monica, Calif. He was only 45. Cole was the first Black entertainer finance institutions. But “This means we are Anglo American, a multiwith his own radio program and later he became the first with a even they are withdrawing listening, recognizing national company based nationally televised TV variety show. under pressure. that we don’t have all the in Johannesburg, South February 16 In November, the African answers,” Cutifani said. Africa and London. 1923—The “Empress of the Blues” Bessie Smith makes her first Development Bank decided “Climate change is one of The mining industry facrecording—“Downhearted Blues”—which immediately sells more against funding a Kenya the defining challenges of es a “crisis of reputation,” than 800,000 copies for Columbia Records and more than 2,000,000 our time. We cannot ignore coal project that was halted Cutifani declared. “The copies by the end of the year. Those were astounding numbers for or underestimate its global by a local environmental industry must do things those days. The Chattanooga, Tenn., born Smith used her sweeping tribunal in June. impact.” differently to find new, and powerful voice to sing songs of Black culture and real life such The continent’s biggest Reports of the inevitable safer, more sustainable and BESSIE SMITH as “Nobody Knows You When You Are Down And Out,” “St. Louis demise of coal were echoed coal producer, South Africa, cost-effective ways to supBlues,” “Give Me A Pig Foot And A Bottle Of Beer” and the controversial “Give Me A is also seeing funding dry repeatedly among some ply the world’s essential Reefer And A Gang Of Gin.” She died in an automobile accident in 1937 in Clarksdale, up. South Africa’s Nedof its strongest advoraw materials, he said. Miss. Early reports that her death was caused by Mississippi medical personnel who bank has stopped funding cates. John Startin, of the “We are still seen as an banking advisors company, coal-related projects, while refused to treat her because she was Black may not be true. industry that takes more February 17 FirstRand cut greenfield Evercore Inc., called the than it gives,” he said. 1902—Opera legend Marian Anderson is born in Philadelthermal coal projects to resource “un-investible.” phia, Pa. Her tremendous operatic talent was revealed at 17 less than 0.5 percent of its Natural gas and renewTHE when she was entered into a New York Philharmonic compeable energy infrastructure lending. NEW PITTSBURGH tition and placed first among 299 entrants. Despite her fame COURIER she suffered from racist rejection. On Easter Sunday 1939, she PUBLISHING COMPANY performed an open air recital at the Lincoln Memorial because the all-White Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow her to sing at Washington, D.C.’s Constitution Hall. Publication No.: USPS 381940 (NOTE: Throughout her life Anderson gave her birth as Feb. 315 East Carson Street 17, 1902. However, newly discovered evidence suggests she was actually born Feb. 27, 1897.) She died April 8, 1993. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 MARIAN ANDERSON 1942—Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton is Phone: 412-481-8302 born. The Panthers were perhaps the most militant Black organization of the 1960s. At Fax: 412-481-1360 its height, it had thousands of members in several major cities. But it was also the target of massive operations by the FBI and local police departments. Dozens of Panthers The would be killed, often under suspicious circumstances. A little known fact, however, New Pittsburgh Courier is that throughout it all Newton, an illiterate high school dropout, taught himself to read and in 1980 earned a PhD in social philosophy from the University of California, is published weekly Santa Cruz. His dissertation was entitled “War Against the Panthers—A Study of Repression in America.” Newton was found shot Periodicals to death on an Oakland, Calif., street in 1989. paid at Pittsburgh, Pa. 1963—Perhaps the greatest player to ever dribble a basketball, Michael Jordan, was born on this day in Brooklyn, N.Y. However, PRICE $1.00 his family moved and he played high school basketball in Wilmington, N.C. (Payable in advance) 1982—The nation’s greatest Jazz pianist and composer Theloni6 Months—$25 ous Monk dies. Born in Rocky Mount, N.C., Monk moved with his family to New York City when he was four. His classic work was 1 Year—$45 “Round Midnight.” TONI MORRISON 2 Years—$85 2006—African-American skater Shani Davis wins the men’s 1,000-meter speed-skating race in Turin, Italy. He thus became the first Black person 9-Month School Rate $35 to win an individual gold medal in the history of the Winter Olympics. February 18 POSTMASTER: Send 1688—The first formal protest against slavery is conducted by a group of Quakers address changes to: in Germantown, Pa. They denounced slavery and the slave trade. The Quakers were perhaps the only religious group in America that never compromised and consistently New Pittsburgh Courier opposed slavery. 1913—The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was incorporated at Howard University. 315 East Carson Street 1931—Author Toni Morrison is born Chloe Anthony Wofford in Lorain, Ohio. She Pittsburgh, PA 15219 won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1993 for her novel “Beloved.”
A ‘Green’ message shakes up the industry at mining confab in South Africa