Community Learning Laboratory Enrichment Program Needed

There is a serious need to set up a network of interested individuals from rural and suburban America to help their neighbors in inner city/urban America without regard to labels, such as Democrat, Republican, Conservative, or Liberal. These neighbors are often deficient in getting information and resources to help them acquire skills leading to self-sufficiency. They don’t care about the labels of those who can help; they just want the help!

The history of the development of this program:

Most African ex-slaves who developed into African Americans were conditioned to depend upon Anglo Americans for their very existence. When they wanted better for themselves and their children, they were often denied opportunities and resources. This condition has been inherited by later generations who continue to trail immigrants (legal and illegal) who often wonder why today’s African Americans cannot improve their economic conditions, but often depend on others for their basic survival.

To appease the African Americans’ desire for better, those with resources conditioned those African Americans to look for better after death, or in the “sweet bye and bye.”

Those who rejected the philosophy of waiting for better after death became bitter and rebellious and saw that the use of force had caused many Anglo Americans to have better. Thus, slave riots and work slow-downs became weapons for getting better for many African Americans.

Since the philosophy for better for African Americans was tied to serving God and obeying the dictates of Anglo Americans, rejection of God, Jesus and Heaven began to develop more and more for enlightened slaves, and continued even into the 20th century. Even in today’s work force, many African Americans, especially men, will only work as hard as they must to get a paycheck. Many used to work harder, but when they observed those African Americans ahead of them being passed over for promotions, they became discouraged, feeling that Anglo Americans would never change.

When laws were passed to assist African Americans get better education, better housing, and better jobs, there were Anglo Americans who used information to get around those laws and continue to stifle the economic opportunities for African Americans. When that no longer worked, many Anglo Americans encouraged immigrants to come to America by the millions. When these immigrants hit the shores of America, they were often met by relatives, friends, or sponsors who would help them get the information necessary for housing, employment, education, and health care. African Americans have watched this scenario played out for generations and have watched their employment numbers go down, while employment number for immigrants steadily increase. For the past 50 years, African Americans have noticed the increase of immigrants from Europe, while also noticing Anglo Americans reaching out to Asians, Hispanics, and even to a few Africans.

After visible slavery ended, economic and mental control slavery of African Americans continued. However, some good-hearted Anglo Americans believed they had an obligation to help former slaves and their descendants. Some helped African Americans return to Africa. However, many of the newly-transplanted African Americans were not “pure” Africans and had difficulty being accepted by “true” Africans. Other Anglo Americans helped, even giving their fortunes and often, their lives, to help African Americans succeed. These “enlightened” people shared resources and information that caused some African Americans to excel. However, the masses of African Americans were now conditioned to look to the government, supported by new laws, and the military, as their way for better. For the past several decades, many African American youth believe that only excelling in sports or entertainment will help them achieve their dreams. Of course, some African American youth, as well as some youth from other cultures, have settled for just taking what they wanted, including lives.

Since the champions for better for Africans Americans was often voiced by the Republicans Party before the Civil War, many African Americans joined forces with the Republican Party. Others joined because they just liked the planks of the platform of the Republican Party. Or, they had friendships within the Republican Party and those friendships went further than just signing up another African American to join.

Unfortunately, members of the Democratic Party, mostly in the South, threatened the Republican Party leadership after the Civil War with further economic and government stress if they didn’t pull the troops and forget about “Reconstruction”.

In order to get the help of the Democratic leadership to help rebuild the country after a costly Civil War, the Republican Party caved in to the demands of the Democratic Party concerning help they were giving African Americans. Such demands of the Democratic Party included allowing the white Democrats in the South to take back control of their political and economic fortunes. This resulted in depriving many African Americans of their gains through Reconstruction. In order to have more control over African Americans in the South, white Democrats threatened African Americans who had joined the Republican Party. In this void, southern Democrats forced many African Americans to join the Democratic Party---or suffer severe consequences.

When the Republican Party pulled the federal troops out of the South to avoid a political bottleneck and further economic woes of the country, African Americans were left at the mercy and control of Southern Democrats. During this time, around 1863-1877, murder and mayhem was heaped upon African Americans. This worked so well in taking power from African Americans, that such fear tactics have continued into the 21st century. Groups like the White Citizen’s Council and the Ku Klux Klan arose and frightened or murdered African American men, women, and children in order to almost totally control African Americans.

It has been estimated that African Americans lost over 9 million acres of their land to crooked laws and “drive-by lynching,” which increased the wealth of southern whites and others living beyond the southern borders. From about 1890 to the 1960s, over 6 million African Americans migrated north, often leaving their homes, farms, and businesses to Anglo American bullies who encouraged them to leave. Some of the descendants of these African Americans returned to the South during the years 1995 to the present, partially reversing their ancestor’s historic out-migration from the South. Many have returned to the South to reclaim their heritage and raise their children in a much freer atmosphere as evil subsided and good white people grew beyond their fears and hatred.

Many African Americans who moved north joined the Republican Party. However, since the Republican Party had abandoned their African Americas allies in the south, African Americans began converting to the Democratic Party by the millions when they were snubbed by white members of the Republican Party. However, many of the “black intellectuals” have remained within the Republican Party. As some African Americans became more savvy about political power, some Anglo Americans in the north and south helped southern African Americans in the Democratic Party to increase their share of the Democratic Party power.

To ensure long-term control of African Americans who were now becoming politically-savvy, Southern Democrats re-invented themselves as “The Party of the People,” or “The Working Man’s Party,” not formally connected with another party of the same name which was founded in 1829. Some within the Democratic Party became very wise and even used other slogans and other names to encourage more members of the working class to join the Democratic Party.

Since President Herbert Hoover, a Republican, got blamed for causing the stock market crash and the ensuing depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat, was celebrated, especially by African Americans. However, some Southern Democrats lost their love for President Roosevelt upon discovering he really cared about helping all Americans, including African Americans. It didn’t help his cause any when his wife, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, became friends with the African American educator, Mary McLeod Bethune!

Mrs. Roosevelt, a Democrat, even spoke out against racism against African Americans. She angered southern Democrats so much that the Ku Klux Klan put a bounty on her head for $25,000! Making matters ever worse, she invited the contralto Marian Anderson to perform at the White House in 1938. This African American would perform for the visit by the British royalty.

Further angering southern Democrats and other Anglo Americas, this First Lady had agreed to present the Spingarn Medal to Mrs. Anderson at the NAACP's annual convention. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to allow Marian Anderson to perform in Constitution Hall in the spring of 1939. This led to Mrs. Roosevelt resigning from the DAR and her writing and speaking about the incident made the front pages of more than four hundred newspapers. This led to Mrs. Anderson singing at the Lincoln Memorial for the site of the Easter concert. This event was covered live. This incident caused the First Lady to use her writing column as a platform, asking her readers why some cursed Hitler but suppressed Marian Anderson! Such feats tended to draw more African Americans into the Democratic Party.

The involvement of Mrs. Roosevelt and other dramatic developments, led many African Americans all over America to become members of the Democratic Party. Most now saw no future for political or economic gains in the Republican Party since no one from this group championed the causes that were dear to African Americans. Plus, the Democratic Party helped institute programs to help the poor during this time, including many African Americans. Such help caused masses of African Americans to depend upon the Democratic Party of the government for their upward economic mobility. Many African Americans joined the Democratic Party as it seemed this party was most interested in helping African Americans improve things for them and ensure a better future for their children.

As the Democratic Party swelled with the ranks of African Americans in their control, they offered their party as THE party for many struggling immigrants as well, including those from all over the world, but especially from Hispanic countries to gain cheap labor that would not complain and did not even want equality. Later, members of the Republican Party would get in trouble for making use of this new, cheap labor.

The Republican Party in the years of the 1950s to the present opened their eyes and arms to African Americans and other ethnic groups almost too late. However, they, and some moderate and conservative Democrats, saw how the liberal side of the Democratic Party was taking and abusing their political and economic gains by still controlling the African American vote, and limiting their number of delegates to local, state, and national Democratic Conventions.

Although some within the Republican Party have been able to seduce and/or educate African Americans and other ethnic groups about opportunities existing within the Republican Party and/or become more conservative in their thinking, the masses of African Americans, many Native Americans, and most Hispanic Americans are now firmly in the grasps of the liberal side of the Democratic Party. In fact, they are so entrenched within the Democratic Party’s liberal agenda, they have grown to hate Republicans and all they represent, including their values and religious beliefs.
After the riots of the 1960s and later, and the failed government helps programs, many African Americans no longer believe in the values, normally associated with conservative or Evangelical Christians. Many have joined other organizations and religions, seeking some solace for their souls.

Many African Americans have embraced the Muslim religion, as well as the religions and pseudo-religions that offer realistic opportunities for their sanity and for their economic opportunities. It has been estimated by some social scientists that by 2020 or 2030, thee will be more African Americans who are Muslim, than African Americans who are Christian.

While many Republicans and evangelical Christians and other conservatives have offered an olive leaf to African Americans, their offers have still been seen as too little, too late, even though offered with no strings attached. Further, as African Americans and some other ethnic people in America and abroad see the disrespect Republicans, conservatives, and Evangelical Christians show President Obama, the stronger their hatred grows toward such groups.

Many Republicans and conservatives have social, family, and economic ties with other African American, are often reluctant to voice their political views. Some are even silent in such issues as gay rights, gun control, immigrant reform, or capital punishment.

In order to balance the scale of justice with African Americans, conservatives and evangelical Christian must now honestly, and quietly, show concern for African American issues by beginning to listen to them. They must now muster all of their economic and political resources and develop realistic plans to help African Americans become economic independent, something the liberals in America have been slow to do. And, they must show respect to the multicultural person who now occupies the White House.

Most African Americans believe that the current economic woes of the country were deliberately planned to make President Obama look like a poor leader. This is especially so when some conservative news commentators or politicians refer to President Obama as “that little boy, er, little man in the White House.” Some have called President Obama “a lecturer behind a podium, rather than a leader for our country. Then, when some of these same people mention that voters must “take back our country,” it seems to refer they want to go back to where they controlled the economic fortunes. Or, as some African Americans have stated, they want to take the country back to where black and brown people had no power in American economics or politics.

The failing automakers, the failing banks, the enormous housing foreclosures, and the losses from Wall Street could have been avoided. Unfortunately, greed became the norm for their leadership. Stockholders, who profited from the greed of these economic leaders, either turned a deaf ear or closed their eyes and silently profited while the masses of Americans, including those black, red, brown, yellow, even white, suffered.

Many of those masses and some in the middle-class will never regain their economic losses in their lifetime. At the same time, those with economic power will gobble up homes, businesses, and stocks and profit, and will dare blame the light-skinned, ½ Kenyan and ½ Anglo American President and “his” party for any failures. However, those who know and study history and economic cycles know who are the real culprits of our failing economy.

A force that many political pontificators didn’t count on are the upcoming young and powerful who helped put President Obama in the White House. This group will soon inherit the largest transfer of economic wealth ever known in American history. They, and some older financial independent thinkers like T. Boone Pickens, Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet, and other like-minded wielders of wealth will help transform the thinking of young lions of American industries, wealth, and power.
Out of the ashes of failed government programs, greedy corporate and Wall Street leaders, and self-serving politicians and preachers will arise a new face in America. This face may be the independent thinking, astute voters weary of the “dirty diaper” thinking of entrenched, career politicians on both sides of the aisle.

The new face of American politics will be the open-mindedness of clear-headed individuals who may create a new political party made up of individuals more concerned about developed the full potential of all people on this island called America, an island surrounded by many foes.

Those foes care less about political party or which color controls economic powers. These foes merely want the downfall of America and the American Dream. Those foes have slipped a "Trojan Horse" into America, waiting for the chance to destroy all Americans, without regard to race, religion, color, gender, or political party. Those foes have placed “sleeper spies” throughout the American fabric of democracy. They hate this republic known as the United States of America. They just want to destroy all Americans, as well as the allies of America.

Will a common foe of Republicans and Democrats and those who love freedom allow an enemy to destroy America? Only time will tell, and time is running out for both Republicans AND Democrats to learn from this Community Learning Laboratory Enrichment Program which we call Earth!

Leave Your Legacy...Inform The World!

Hello!

Well, I am back from a holiday in England. It was a great 30 days spent mostly with my daughter and her family. I have written a travelogue; you can get a copy (about 10 pages with photos) by writing me at: edudell@sbcglobal.net. If you only want to have installments sent to you daily until you have the last installment, tell me in your e-mail.

January is a great month for you to be thinking about how you can impact African American History Month. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is partnering with The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, and the U.S. Department of Reclamations to present "The Forgotten Faces of Ft. Craig" during February.

Ms. Amanda Danning, forensic sculptor, will use the precisely engineered cast produced by University of Houston Professor, Dr. Ali Kamrani to perform a live, progressive reconstruction of the face of U.S. Army Pvt. Thomas Smith, a Buffalo Soldier. Pvt. Smith was identified by coparing the details of his remains with the military enlistment records from the 1800s in New Mexico. This event will trace the story of grave robbers, forensic science, and that of the Buffalo Soldiers at Ft. Craig, New Mexico. This month-long activity will take place at 4816 Main Street (near Rosedale, next to the Museum of Contemporary Crafts). General single day admission is only $15 for each 1 1/4 hour session. If you wish to be involved for each session, contact me for that information. For further information and/or to become an underwriting sponsor, contact me by calling the museum at 713-942-8920. If I am out, ask for the museum founder, Captain Paul Matthews.

You can also leave your own legacy in stone by contributing to the "Soldiers Plaza," a memorial park to be built on the grounds of the historic Houston Light Guard Armory. The armory will also become the new national headquarters for the museum. The project is seeking sponsors who will have their name, the name of a veteran in their family, or to honor another person with a brick or a granite paver. You can contribute $10,000 or $1,000 or $500 or $100. For further information, contact me or Captain Matthews.

If you want to share in the honoring of "Women in the Military" museum gala, contact me for a ticket (or for group tickets) before all seats are taken. The event takes place February 26th at 6:30 p.m. at J.W. Marriott, 5150 Westheimer Road in Houston. Ticket donations are $65 each. You can also become a table sponsor for $650, a general event sponsor for $1,000 or $5,000. There are also event sponsorships available for $10,000 or $25,000 or $50,000. Contact me and I will give you more information.

For those of you who would like to really leave your name in history, you can underwrite a portion of the preservation and renovations of the historic armory. You can underwrite the costs for a room, an exhibit, the main exhibit hall, an office, the library, or any of the other 32 spaces. Your name, or the name of your company, club, church, etc., will be boldly listed above the entrance to the space. Contact me and I will send you a "Preservation Sponsorship" packet.

To find out more about the work we are doing with the museum, visit us online at:
www.buffalosoldiermuseum.com.

Today’s Information On African American History: November 8, 2009

The answers to last issue’s questions are: 1943, Microbiology, Little Richard, 118, Raisin in the Sun, and Chicago.

There were a lot of Civil Right’s and African American (black) groups during the 1960’s. Some were led by ministers and somewhat reserved African Americans; others were led by militants and more demonstrative individuals. Sometimes, they balanced each other; sometimes they brawled with each other; and sometimes they backed each other. Some groups had been growing since 1909 (NAACP); others developed and grew in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

One of the more militant-type groups was one called CORE---the Congress On Racial Equality, founded on the campus of the University of Chicago. This group was not only focused and energized; they were made up mainly of university students of various ethnic groups, notably Anglo Americans. What started at one campus soon grew to many more campuses across America and now CORE is in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Canada. They have one of the most interactive web sites of the civil right’s groups and can be visited at http://core-online.org/index.htm. In what year was CORE founded?

This person was called has been described as the "Henry Ford of Free Electron Laser Technology." Although he grew up in poverty, like many other great achievers of his time, Earl D. Shaw didn’t let his father’s rebellious ways hinder him. He didn’t stop having a dream because his mother and father were sharecroppers. He didn’t give up just because he school “had just three rooms, and his teachers did not have degrees.” He did the best he could by using what little education he was given, and he achieved, going on to “Crane Technical High School in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of twelve due to excellent achievement test grades.” He didn’t stop. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois; a Master of Arts degree from Dartmouth College; and earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkley. “Dr Shaw had an extensive and fulfilling education in the field of physics even though his school aptitude files stated, "This student should be discouraged from studying physics." He became the first African-American research scientist for Bell Labs in Morristown, New Jersey. He spent 10 years developing the “fist free electron laser. In 1985 he patented something but lost the patent in 1993 “due to failure to pay maintenance fees. What was it called?

Another quick tidbit about Little Richard to give your mind a break from the heavy scientific stuff in the previous paragraph. Like most performers, Little Richard had to begin performing in some club to get his break. What was the name of that club? Hint: it goes with time!

This person was a football coach who “spent 56 years as the head college football coach at” an HBCU. He became established “as the winningest coach in college football history, becoming the first coach to record 400 wins. Maybe he didn’t get picked to get a big contract at a larger college or university due to an “era of segregation in the American South,” his talent was “praised by many white coaches especially by that of Alabama coach Bear Bryant.” Who was he?

Since that one was pretty easy, here is one a little harder: Who was the first African American coach in the Canadian Football League? Yea, thank you Canadians!

Okay, some of you know about Lorraine Hansberry and her play Raisin in the Sun, but what award did she receive due to that play?

The last person I will mention in this “tidbit” left a legacy that involved the Pullman porters and many other workers who worked hard but received little pay. This man left an institute that even helped me when I ran for the school board in Bakersfield. In what city is The Phillip Randolph Institute located?

Look for the answers in the next issue of: “Today’s Information on African American History!”

Credits:
The BlacFax Trivia Game
http://www.core-online.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.millville.org/lakeside/afamsci/mikej.html

Next time: Elijah Muhammad, Dr. James Derham, Richard Penniman, Cleveland Indians, Shirley Graham, and “Famous Amos”!

You need to check out this web site…it may blow your mind: http://www.freemaninstitute.com/RTGseminar.htm

And, here are some more:
www.Black101.com
www.BlackChurchMissions.org
www.RosettaStoneReplicas.com

DID YOU KNOW? There is another resource to help you learn more about Black History?
Check out: www.yenoba.com
And another? Check out: http://www.blackhistorypages.net/index.php

SPECIAL NOTE:
Leave a legacy for future generations by helping to restore an armory for the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in 2010. Less than $4 million is needed for the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum to restore the historic Houston Light Guard Armory (1925). Buy a brick for $100 or $500 or $1,000 or $2,500 or $5,000. Have your name added in their “Legacy of Fame” hall. Get your NFL, NBA, or other professional sports relative to invest $1 million or more and thus give back to future generations by having a hall or room named after them. Get your relative in entertainment to donate $1 million or more and thus leave a legacy that will outlive them by having space dedicated to them.

Contact Ed Udell @ 832-216-7786 for your next speaker at your church conferences, youth meetings, community events, or for diversity programs, teaching writing grant writing, and/or teaching others about health/nutrition, and help for senior citizens.

November 5, 2009: Finding Fame Wherever and However They Could

Today’s Information On African American History

Hey! I know you are all very busy so this and many of the next tidbits will be very short! In fact, they will be quizzes to see what you know (or what you can find out on the Internet or contacting BlackFax)!

Although the term “Buffalo Soldier” was given to segregated military units, that term was officially dropped. In what year did the Defense Department announce complete abolition of African American units in the armed forces?

A lot of African Americans found peace, acceptance, fortune, and fame by leaving America and going to other countries. Some even served in educational endeavors. At what French academy did Norbet Rillieux serve as a professor of applied mechanics?

Many African Americans have found fame and fortune by way of giving entertainment by way of the film industry. Although the film industry has a long history of negative racial slants portraying African Americans, or erased them out when they should have been included, it did open some doors. In recent times, this industry has been moved to show African Americans in a more positive vein. Whatever the feeling about the film industry and its use of African Americans, it has had a dramatic impact. In the film “All the Fine Young Cannibals” who portrays Ruby Jones?

Throughout the history of mankind, the use of initials instead of spelling out names of organizations have been prevalent. Some of these initials, like NAACP, are almost household words that most people know. However, there are other initials we might not use very often. What does SAIC stand for?

Some people have been wonderful patrons and benefactors assisting African Americans in their development (wish I could find a few myself!). Individuals, churches, companies, and publishing companies have been some of those sponsors. What magazine commissioned John A. Williams to take an auto trip across America to test its racial attitudes?

The name Martin Luther has been known down through the ages. He was a pivotal person who brought a reforming attitude in the Catholic Church. He dared challenge an institution and its unbiblical practices at a time when a person could be killed without question. The Lutheran Church and many other “Protestant” (protesting against Catholic control) would not be in existence without the influence of Martin Luther. In the 20th century, another Martin arose and challenged the racial and economic attitudes of America. This was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. However, his name, Martin, was not his birth name. At what age did Dr. King, Jr. receive the name “Martin?”

Look for the answers in the next issue of: “Today’s Information on African American History!”

Credits:
The BlacFax Trivia Game


Next time: Frederick Douglass, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, Eartha Kitt, Atlanta Baptist College baseball team, Leroi Jones, and W.C. Handy!

What is November known for? All Saints Day? American Indian Heritage? Families Stories Month? Military Family Appreciation? National Adoption? AIDS Awareness? National Peanut Butter Lovers? National Scholarship? Sweet Potato Awareness? Vegan Month?
Credit: http://www.brownielocks.com/NOVEMBER2009.html

You need to check out this web site…it may blow your mind: http://www.freemaninstitute.com/RTGseminar.htm

And, here are some more:
www.Black101.com
www.BlackChurchMissions.org
www.RosettaStoneReplicas.com

DID YOU KNOW? There is another resource to help you learn more about Black History?
Check out: www.yenoba.com

And another? Check out: http://www.blackhistorypages.net/index.php