Come Together

Happy Thursday Students and Staff,

Yesterday, in my question of the day, I asked kids about their favorite "oldies" music.   As I read the responses, I realized that we have lots of Beatles lovers out there!  I also really enjoy listening to the Beatles!  In their heyday, they were before my time, but my son and I enjoy listening to them together in the evenings, so I was happy, yesterday, to take a little Beatles tour through of some of their greatest hits with the intention of adding one into my blog today (as promised).  

Considering our other running theme of Black History Month, I thought that the song, Come Together, which was created as a political rally cry in 1969, was a good choice.  I am sure you've heard it before, but have a listen again...who doesn't love the funky mellow feel of this song...

Come together could be the rallying cry of 2021 too!  If we keep in mind that we are all more alike than we are different and that coming together to solve the ills of the world is way better than staying divided by hate and indifference, I personally think that world would be a much better place.  Thanks for keeping the message of the Beatles in your mind when you are struggling to come together with those you disagree with.  

On the theme of coming together, I wanted to spotlight some women of the Civil Rights Movement today.  As I researched notable and unsung heroes of black American history and culture, I realized that there were many women who were behind the scenes of the Civil Rights movement that deserve recognition and thanks.  If you type, "Civil Rights Leaders" into a google search, you see results that include women like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks, but often the headlines are dominated by men.  Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, W.E.B Du Bois, and Malcolm X are a few that you might often hear about.  While these men deserve credit for the great work they did, it's easy to forget that behind their activism was planning, preparation, and organization.  My research resulted in a long list of female civil rights leaders who were often behind the scenes of organizational operations of the movement.  

Check out this list of women and their notable accomplishements: 

Irene Kirkaldy, Before Rosa Parks or Claudette Colvin, a brave woman named Irene Kirkaldy was fighting for her rights. Kirkaldy was arrested for refusing to give up a bus seat to a white passenger in Virginia in 1944.

Ella Baker, few women were more deeply involved in the American civil rights movement.  She was instrumental to the inner workings of numerous organizations and public figures.

Anna Arnold Hedgeman, instrumental in organizing the 1963 March on Washington.

Diane Nash, helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Amelia Boynton Robinson, she helped Martin Luther King, Jr. organize the march from Selma to Montgomery that resulted in Bloody Sunday when Alabama state troopers attacked the marchers.

Dorothy Height, she was standing on the platform while Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.  After a life as a civil rights worker, she was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom for her activism in 1994.

Jo-Ann Robinson, she became active in the Women's Political Council (WPC), a local civic organization for African American professional women that was dedicated to fostering women's involvement in civic affairs.

Claudette Colvin, was first arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person.  She and three other girls went on to challenge Alabama’s segregation laws in court

Daisy Bates, was a prominent civil rights activist and publisher in Arkansas. She and her husband founded the Arkansas State Press, a weekly black newspaper that served as vocal support for civil rights.  

Resources:

https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/jo-ann-robinson-heroine-montgomery-bus-boycott

https://historycollection.com/40-unsung-heroes-of-black-history-we-should-all-learn-about-this-month/41/

These women and many other individuals just like them put their time, blood, sweat, and tears into civil rights activism and helped both pave the way for the successes we've achieved and laid the foundation for the continued fight against inequality.  They really were helping people to "come together!"  

Enjoy your afternoons everyone!

Be Well,

Mrs. Hempey