Quotes to Live By: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Racism should never have happened and so you don't get a cookie for reducing it. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author, phenomenal speaker, and outspoken feminist. She has received numerous awards for her writing. Many of her works are set in Nigeria and some focus on the Nigeria-Biafra war. Her novel Half a Yellow Sun was made into a movie and her TEDx talk was featured in Beyonce’s Flawless. If you want to expand your thinking, she’s definitely the writer you want to read and the speaker you want to hear. (The quote above is from her book Americanah.)

#blackgirlmagic #blackwriters #nigerianwriters #blackhistorymonth #blackhistorymonth2019 #racism #feminist #blackfeminism #americanah #chimamandangoziadichie

References

1. "Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie". Encyclopædia Britannica; visited February 2019

Quotes to Live By: Colin Kaepernick

Most people don't want to change. They're comfortable and set in their ways. But in order to change, you have to be able to agitate people at times. And I think that's something that's very necessary for us to improve as a country. Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick used his platform to take a stand against police brutality in 2016 by kneeling during the national anthem. This action would lead to some creating the amazing quote “Racism is so deeply American that when we protest racism, some assume we are protesting America.” President Trump, who claimed “there were fine people on both sides” in reference to white supremacist groups who caused the death and injury of people in Charlottesville, demanded that Kaepernick be fired—and he was. Though picking up a deal with Nike, Kaepernick has yet to be re-signed to the NFL.

#football #nfl #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth2019 #kaepernick #istandwithkap #indylove #policebrutality #blacklivesmatter

Quotes to Live By: Hiram Rhodes Revels

During the canvass in the State of Mississippi, I traveled into different parts of that state, and this is the doctrine that I everywhere uttered: that while I was in favor of building up the colored race, I was not in favor of tearing down the white race. Hiram Rhodes Revels

Hiram Rhodes Revels (1822-1901) was the first Black person to be elected to the U.S. Senate. Rev. Revels ran on a platform that tried to gain ground for Black citizens without causing friction between the races, so not only did he advocate for the desegregation of schools and railroads, he also supported restoring the rights of ex-Confederates. After serving as a Senator, he became the president of Alcorn A&M.

Despite being born in Fayetteville, NC in 1822, Rev. Revels was never a slave; he was born to free parents. He moved to free states to receive his education, where he would eventually be ordained in the AME church. Before the civil war started, he was a both a pastor and principal. Once the Civil War began, he helped create *volunteer* regiments of black men for the Union army. He served as chaplain for a regiment serving in Mississippi. After the war, he stayed in Mississippi where he would go own to make history as the first Black person to be elected to the U.S. Senate. Mississippi would go on to elect Blanche Kelso Bruce, a former slave, as the 2nd Black person in Senate only a few years later.

#blackhistory #blackhistoymonth #blackhistorymonth2019 #blacksenators #blacksingovernment #blacksinhighereducation #mississippihistory #reconstructionera

References

1. Hiram R. Revels". Encyclopædia Britannica; visited February 2019

Quotes to Live By: Bryan Stevenson

There is a strength, a power even, in understanding brokenness, because embracing our brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy. When you experience mercy, you learn things that are hard to learn otherwise. You see things you can't otherwise see; you hear things you can't otherwise hear. You begin to recognize the humanity that resides in each of us.Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Intiative in Montgomery, AL as soon as he graduated law school. His life has been spent overturningg wrongful convictions and exonerating innocent people who have been placed on death row. The common thread for the injustice his clients have faced is racism and poverty. A true advocate for justice, Mr. Stevenson has not only successfully defended over 125 people wrongfully sentenced to death, he is also passing on his knowledge and experience as a Professor of Law. The recipient of many awards and honorary doctoral degrees, Mr. Stevenson is also an author. His book, Just Mercy, is a New York Times Best Seller and was named one of the 10 Best Books of Nonfiction for 2014. (The above quote is from the book, which will soon be a movie!)

#blackhistory #blackhistoymonth #blackhistorymonth2019 #law #justice #capitalpunishment #justmercy #blacklawyers #mercy #brokenness #humanity

References

1. Bryan Stevenson". Equal Justice Initiative; visited February 2019
2. Bryan Stevenson. Just Mercy:. October 2014

Quotes to Live By: James Baldwin

James Baldwin (1924-1987) was a great writer. The treatment of his novel Go Tell It On the Mountain at my high school opened my eyes to the favoritism of white art and white history in the school. He used his talents to support the civil rights movement, penning several essays and novels that are ripe with insightful quotes. #blackhistorymonth2019 #blackhistory #jamesbaldwin #blackwriters

References

1. "James Baldwin". Encyclopædia Britannica; visited February 2019

Quotes to Live By: Frederick Douglass

Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is in an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.Frederick Douglass

A great writer and leader of the abolitionist movement, Frederick Douglass was the first Black person to be nominated as Vice President of the United States. He was born a slave in February 1818, but fled and escaped to freedom in 1838. He went on to serve as US Marshal for DC, Recorder of Deeds for DC, and Minister Resident and Consul General to Haiti, making him one of the first Black people to hold high government offices. #blackhistorymonth2019 #blackhistory #frederickdouglass #quotestoliveby

References

1. Frederick Douglass". National Park Service; visited February 2019
2. Frederick Douglass". PBS; visited February 2019
3. Frederick Douglass Biography". Biography; visited February 2019

Quotes to Live By: Katherine Dunham

I used to want the words "She tried" on my tombstone. Now I want "She did it." Katherine Dunham

Katherine Dunham, PhD (1909-2006) was a choreographer, dancer, and anthropologist. She used her anthropology research to bring ethnic dance styles to the stage, taking much of her inspiration from the Caribbean and Brazil. Dr. Dunham didn't stop with bringing blackness into art, she was active in our every day plight. In 1992 she orchestrated a 47-day hunger strike to raise awareness about Haitian refugees. She is a published author (she also used the pseudonym Kaye Dunn) and the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Medal of Arts.

References

1. "Katherine Dunham". Encyclopædia Britannica. June 18, 2018
2. "Katherine Dunham Biography". Katherine Dunham Center for Arts and Humanities; visited February 2019

Quotes to Live By: Mary McLeod Bethune

If we accept and acquiesce in the face of discrimination, we accept the responsibility ourselves and allow those responsible to salve their conscience by believing that they have our acceptance and concurrence. We should, therefore, protest openly everything... that smacks of discrimination or slander.Mary McLeod Bethune

I didn't plan to start Black History Month off with Mary McLeod Bethune because I think most people know who she is. Her legacy is pretty well preserved and she was one of the people I learned about as a child. However, when I read the quote above, I couldn't pass it up. Her quote says it plain and direct, we should never accept discrimination and we should never allow those who dole out discrimination to think we're OK with it.

When I posted this quote on Instagram ( follow me!), I wanted information to place in the caption about her, so I went searching for more than what came to the top of my head. Even though she's a familiar name and face, I found out a lot more than what I'd previously known. I'll share what stood out to me, but you should go back a re-read her history too.

Educator

Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible. Mary McLeod Bethune

Everyone knows she was an educator and that the school she founded eventually became the school we know today as Bethune-Cookman University. What I didn't know is that she actually went to seminary school and originally sought do missionary work.[1] The young adult group at my church is currently doing small groups with The Purpose Driven Life and throughout the book, the author talks about how worshipping God and doing God's work isn't always the traditional or obvious methods. Dr. Bethune[2] may not be classified as missionary by most people, but she touched many lives and was able to proclaim the gospel while fighting social injustice. Fighting social injustice is missionary work.

When She Lived

I knew she was "from way back," but I never really processed what time period she lived in. Black history figures are usually categorized as slave era (i.e., Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman), civil rights era (i.e., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Rosa Parks), or modern (i.e., Barak Obama), but each of these eras cover large periods of time. I think this is one of the reasons we have so much trouble understanding the effects of slavery and racial discrimination on our country today. When I looked at Dr. Bethune's biography and saw the dates in which she lived and operated, I discovered a whole new layer of connection.

• She was born in 1875 in the south, which means her parents were slaves and had only been free for about 12 years when she was born.
• Since she had 16 siblings and was one of the youngest siblings, there's a high probability that some of her siblings also worked as slaves in their childhood
• She moved to Florida, where she opened a boarding school, in 1904, just 1 year after my grandfather—not my great-grandfather, my grandfather—was born.
• She died in 1955; my dad was 5 years old and my mom was 2.

Where She Lived

Possibly because her role in founding Bethune-Cookman is what I knew her best for, I always thought she was born and raised in Florida. To my surprise, she was born in Maysville, SC, just 1.5 hours away from my own hometown. Not that it matters to most of y'all, I found it quite interesting that her life took her from Maysville, SC to Central Florida, while mine took me from Conway, SC to Southern Florida.

Businesswoman and Entrepreneur

I always thought of Dr. Bethune as an educator, but she was actually a businesswoman, too! She co-founded an insurance company and co-owned a resort.

NCNW

She also founded the National Council for Negro Women, which still exists today. I didn't know this even existed. "NCNW’s mission is to lead, advocate for and empower women of African descent, their families and communities."[3]

References

1. Debra Michals, PhD. "Mary McLeod Bethune". National Women's History Museum. 2015
2. "Mary McLeod Bethune receives honorary doctorate". Central Florida Memory, via University of Central Florida; visited February 2019
3. "Our Mission". National Council for Negro Women; 2018
4. Mary McLeod Bethune. "Quotes". Brainy Quote; visited February 2019