Vol. 90
Inside this Edition...
Read about the Dance City troupe on page 6.
Counting down to our 90th Anniversary
February 1 - 7, 2024
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BLACKNESS:
Our Perspective
lackness: Our Perspective recognizes the question of Blackness among Blacks from around the globe is a personal and complex one. Since the forced migration of African captives to North American shores in 1619, people of African descent have been confronted with the issue of self-identification, irrespective of their varying shades of Blackness. This perpetual reflection on what Blackness means is a focal point of our Black History Month coverage. We consider it important to hear from a diverse range of voices - African Americans, Africans, and individuals throughout the Diaspora – to gain a better understanding of this topic. We invite you to share what Blackness signifies to you through a 200-or-less-word submission on our website. By doing so, you can contribute to a rich and multifaceted conversation about the significance of Black identity.
SKIN COLOR AND THE ONE-DROP PHILOSOPHY By Vickie Evans-Nash Contributing Writer
an eight-year-old boy, was killed in a sewage treatment plant that was poorly mainn “The Souls of Black Folks,” tained. Gary Crooks MemoW.E.B. Du Bois writes of the rial Center was born out of 20th Century, “I still think the protest that followed his today as yesterday that the death. It included a cultural art color line is a great problem of center. this century.” Yohuru Williams, “My dad was a music inPh.D., a professor of history at structor in that program,” WilSt. Thomas University, says it is unclear when this color line came into existence. What is clear is the intent behind it. Determining who was free and who would be enslaved could easily be categorized by skin color, and the one-drop rule was the philosophy that justified chattel slavery in America. Williams grew up during the 1970s in Bridgeport, Con- liams says. “This [was a] space necticut, to parents interested where young Black kids were in the Black Power and Civil exposed to music, art, history, Rights movements. When Wil- dance, and African American liams was young, Gary Crooks, culture and history. That’s
Dexter Scott King, son of civil rights giant Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., dies at 62 By Al Brown Assignment Editor
Dexter was a prominent fig- tirelessly to carry forth his ure in his own right. His family father’s legacy of civil rights remembered him as a creative activism and social justice. As exter King, the and innovative soul, and a man the chairman of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonthird of four chil- of great vision and strategy. dren of Dr. Martin violent Social Change, he was Luther King, Jr. and instrumental in promoting his Coretta Scott King, passed father’s teachings and ensuraway on Monday, Jan. 22, at ing that his vision continued to his residence in Malibu, Caliinspire and guide future genfornia, according to reports. erations. His death comes just a week His contributions to adafter the nation celebrated his vancing the causes of equalfather’s holiday. ity and justice will be rememCalling it one of the hardbered and cherished by many. The loss of Dexter King is est things she’d ever done, deeply felt, and his enduring Bernice A. King reflected on her brother’s passing in a impact on the global commupress conference via The King nity will be remembered for Center. Bernice King said her years to come. brother passed away “after a Dexter King was 62 years three-and-a-half-year battle old, dying just eight days beunderstanding of how the with prostate cancer; he tried fore his 63rd birthday. He became an attorney difference in skin color is pro- with everything in him to deduced—while advocating for feat it—fought to the very last and followed in the footsteps Al Brown welcomes reader of his renowned parents. comments to abrown@spokesabolition. “Whether the black minute.” Born on January 30, 1961, Throughout his life, he worked man-recorder.com. ■ See SKIN COLOR on page 5 where my love of history awakened and where I got my interest in the marriage between history and civil rights and social activism.” In Notes on the State of Virginia, Williams explains, Thomas Jefferson wrestles with the idea that dark skin denotes inferiority—even without a clear
“The problem of the 21st Century remains the problem of the color line.”
Our children’s education is our responsibility
Taskforce formed to offset Florida’s attack on teaching Black history By Rev. Dr. RB Holmes, Jr. “I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X We have launched a statewide task force in conjunction with the Florida General Bap- Rev. Dr. RB Holmes Jr. recently spoke at Bethel Missionary tist Convention, Inc., Reverend Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Fla, urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to Dr. Carl Johnson, President, to change course on rejecting African American Studies courses. demand that the governor of Photo by Chasity Maynard Florida and the State Department of Education, teach Black History.” Carter G. Woodson, to the government, a comprehistory accurately, factually, the founder of Negro History hensive curriculum that corand forthrightly. In the spirit of Week, encouraged us to not sit rectly and effectively teaches Dr. King, in the State of Flori- idly by and allow this system to African and African American history to students in Florida’s da, we organized a task force “mis”-educate Black people. Our Task Force will present ■ See EDUCATION on page 5 labeled, “Teaching Our Own
His contributions to advancing the causes of equality and justice will be remembered and cherished by many.