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While every month should be Black History Month, the month of February has been set aside to celebrate Black History. In a recent communication, Brother Pete Ahern suggested to set aside some space on the website for our members to share Black History. Stories, links to stories and events are welcomed. |
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Brother Ahern started us off with two links, the first linking to an article about his grandfather, Hugh Mulzak, The first African American shipmaster: http://www.marad.dot.gov/education_landing_page/k_12/k_12_s alute/k12_hugh_mulzak/Hugh_Mulzac_detail_page.htm |
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The second article is on his uncle, Lt. Col John Mulzak, one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen: http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070330/news_1n3 0tuskegee.html |
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The two links listed below are very interesting portals into Black History. Please take a look. They were sent in by Brother Ahern: http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/index.jsp http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhm1.html
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Black History Fact...from Ask The Editor of InfoPlease.com Who was the 1st African American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor? Answer: William Carney was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on July 18, 1863 at Fort Wagner, SC, while a member of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment in the Civil War - the state’s first all-black regiment (depicted in the movie ‘Glory’) During the disastrous battle at Fort Wagner, Carney noticed that the man who carried the flag had been wounded. So Carney bravely rescued the flag and carried it for him. He delivered it safely to his regiment and reported shouted “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground.” Carney was wounded during the battle but was not killed. After the war he spent 31 years working for the postal service. Finally, in May 1900, carney became the first African American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. His brace deed is depicted on the Saint-Guaudens Monument in Boston and the rescued flag is enshrined in Boston’s Memorial Hall. |
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Lawson State Community College |
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Since 1999, nearly 5 million people have visited this Black History Site. It took a lot of time and work for the folks at Lawson State Community College of Birmingham, Alabama to put this together. Please click the link below and prepared for an extensive trip into history. |
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A bit of NYPD Black History from Columbia University’s Oral History: An interview with Samuel Battle, NYPD’s first Black Officer in Manhattan: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/iraas/harlem/neighborhood/battle _oral_history.html |
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Many of us recall that April 4, 1968 was the day that Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and unrest spread across the country. many of us have forgotten that 6 months after Dr. King was slain, on October 16, 1968, in Mexico City, two very brave African American athletes, Tommie Smith & John Carlos gave the ‘Black Power salute’ as they stood on the platform to accept the gold and bronze medals for track. For this act of defiance, they were banned. Below are eight (8) links to YouTube interviews and conversations by John Carlos, submitted by Brother Pete Ahern, who stated in part “I have had the pleasure of meeting John Carlos several times and have always enjoyed our conversations. In my personal opinion we owe him and Tommie Smith.” |
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John Carlos & Brother Pete Ahern |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbeDDfc-gwM&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAWHUvpjfWw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIAY_BQ4CiU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE0gn70tw50&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf8z8KuHr9Y&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HII8OkXdZls&feature=related |
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EX-POW IN IRAQ WAR RECALLS NIGHTMARES & DEPRESSION |
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The following link is to an Associated Press interview, on 2/9/2010, with Shoshana Johnson, who survived gunshot wounds to both legs and 22 days as a prisoner of war in Iraq at the beginning of the war. In her new book “I’m Still Standing”, Shoshana, a 37 year old single mother, describes the mental health problems related to her captivity and how it felt to play second fiddle in the media and the public relations of the defense department, to fellow POW Jessica Lynch. |
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