Today marks the anniversary of the first full day of the Birmingham Bus Boycott in 1955. On December 1 of that year, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man, prompting her arrest and sparking the boycott that helped to fuel the growing Civil Rights movement. Arrests and violent confrontations with police and white supremacist groups were common during the 381 days of the boycott. Even the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested and spent time in jail as a result of this struggle. Many others endured harassment and violence while walking to their destinations instead of riding the bus. This is the ugly common reality of progressive change in our society.

Power, fear, and a sense of superiority give rise to violence and intimidation, and it seems that not much has changed in that regard throughout our history. Those elements helped keep slavery legal in the United States into the mid 19^th century. Those elements caused much of the violence that erupted during the years of the Civil Rights movement. Now it seems that it is happening again as people camp out all over the nation demanding change. While every day is a step closer, it appears there is still a long road ahead.

Rosa Parks sparked change through her sacrifice. How about you? What are you willing to sacrifice in the name of freedom? Will you consider this your first full day of creating positive change? Remember Rosa Parks. Remember Dr. King. Remember those whose names we don’t know, but who made a difference. And remember, your next action could change the world; so make it a good one.

There is a spark within each of us, Fan the Flame

This month, the Freedom Center’s book club enjoyed the pleasure of hearing Pulitzer-nominated author, Lester Horwitz discuss his best-selling book, The Longest Raid of the Civil War, which developed after Horwitz learned his home was raided by Confederate General John Hunt-Morgan in 1863.

“I love history, so when I heard there was some historic information about this house, I wanted to find out more about the people who raided our home,” says Horwitz. “I went to the Cincinnati Historical Society, and they had a book that listed everybody in the state of Ohio who put in a claim after the raid. In the book were 4375 names, and one of the names on that list was Nathaniel Humphrey, and I knew that Nathaniel Humphrey lived in my house. It said that Morgan’s rebels took two of his horses; and the State of Ohio reimbursed him $175 for those horses. So that’s why I started inquiring about the raid, because we bought that house.”

According to Horwitz’s research, Governor David Tod paid reimbursements because so many civilians lodged complaints that their homes and fields were pillaged by Morgan and his men.  Largely, this was able to happen because Ohio’s militia was in the south fighting, and southern counties weren’t protected, so to appease his future voting constituents, Governor Tod summoned a three-man commission to gather and verify the claims, which in Horwitz’s estimation totaled up to $500,000 worth of reimbursements.

Literally, Horwitz says he began connecting the dots after he found a map of Clermont County drawn in 1869 by county engineers.

“Back then, they put the people’s names who owned each piece of property. They even put a black dot where the home was,” Horwitz explains. “I had a list of people who put in claims, and I got a map with their names on it. When I found a name that was in the book (that I found at Cincinnati Historical Society) and I found it on the map, I put a red dot on it. Eight months later, I had hundreds and hundreds of red dots. I could see which streets in Hamilton County and Clermont County the rebels actually went down, and that’s how I knew exactly where they went. When I had that finished, my wife says, ‘Now you know everything!’ I said, ‘No, I’m just beginning!’”

As he later learned, the raid did not start in Harrison, Ohio where he thought, but in McMinnville, TN. Morgan’s men moved through Kentucky and trekked northward 70 miles south of Cleveland and conquered 1000 miles of Union territory, which is why Horwitz titled his book, The Longest Raid of the Civil War.

And, if 15 years of research isn’t enough labor, Horwitz is working on a follow-up book to The Longest Raid of the Civil War called After the Raid.

For more information about Lester Horwitz and The Longest Raid of the Civil War, visit: http://www.monday-morning-writers-group.com/lester-horwitz.html.

There’s a spark in each of us. Fan the Flame.

I’m having another of those YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME moments. Earlier today, a friend shared a link  to a news story – a story about a group of six girls at Southern Mississippi University who decided to attend a 1980s-themed party as the Huxtable family from The Cosby Show. Problem, you ask? These young white girls went in blackface.

Pauses to glance at calendar.  Yep, it’s really 2011.

Just how, exactly, does a citizen of the 21st century, even an adolescent citizen, fail to realize that, as my teenage children would say, “Seriously – that’s so not cool!”

Lots of unflattering terms come to mind in considering what these girls have done. But I’ve decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and refer to their actions as “culturally insensitive” or “unconsciously incompetent.” Since the goal of diversity and inclusion, however, is for all of us to become “unconsciously competent,” I’d say the university and the sorority involved both have considerable work to do with this little group.

I am also carefully reminding myself here that it was not an entire university who did this. Nor was it an entire sorority. It was six woefully unenlightened members of a sorority, whose sorority has more than taken them to task.  But I digress.

The goal of my blog is to remind young people, and perhaps also a few parents who may have missed the memo, that blackface really hasn’t been “in” for a while now. Of course, it reflects very poorly on our society that it ever was. Perhaps you’ll join me in sharing this message.

Let’s review just a bit. Having begun with the white man’s portrayal of plantation slaves and free African Americans during the era of minstrel shows (1830-1890), the blackfaced minstrels played an historically significant role in perpetuating – on a global level - some pretty heinous images, attidues and stereotypes of African Americans. While virtually every group of immigrants fell prey to the insensitivity of America’s 19th century music halls, none felt the impact of these portrayals with quite the same intensity of ignorance, prejudice and hostility as did the African Americans.

"Come listen all you galls and boys, I'm going to sing a little song, Weel about and turn about and do jis so, Eb'ry time I weel about I jump Jim Crow."

White America’s perceptions of African American entertainers were heavily influenced by these hyperbolized minstrels. For more than one hundred years,  these caricatures perpetuatead the myth that African Americans were racially and socially inferior. Ultimately, the American imagination began to assume that any person with dark skin, no matter what their background, should rightfully conform to one of a number of stereotypical caricatures such as “Jim Crow” and “Zip Coon;” or, “Mammy” and little “Pickaninnies.” Offended by these names? Well, I should think so.

So you see, while these girls may have acted in ignorance – or unconscious incompetence – their actions were no less offensive. Those around them, that world at large that they have seemingly tuned out, are insulted by their insensitivity and lack of awareness. It is to the credit of their sorority sisters who decided to make the girls painfully aware of their mistakes. I whole-heartedly applaud them and the  university for insisting that the girls embark upon a journey of      
                                                                                                                understanding so that they can truly know better in future.

I have to assume these aren’t bad kids, but rather thoughtless and unlightened, as adolescents often are. Am I excusing their behavior? Of course not. But I refuse to beat them up on this blog too harshly. After all, but for the grace of God, there go mine. I merely hope, on the off-chance that someone may actually be listening, that we can spread the word that blackface is officially out of favor.

Celebrate the release of the recently published memoir Whisper Your Name into My Ear by local author and Holocaust survivor, Marguerite Levy-Feibelman on Tuesday, October 11 at 5:00 p.m. Those in attendance will meet the author, participate in a Q&A session and enjoy dramatic readings by student performers. There will also be a book signing.

To RSVP contact The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education at fdonohue@holocaustandhumanity.org or 513.487.3055.

The men of the Kappa Delta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi are gearing up for the Second Annual Kappa Alpha Psi Freedom Walk on Saturday, October 8. This year the University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University, Wilberforce University, Central State University, and The Ohio State University chapters are participating in the walk with Miami University, and are competing to see who can raise the most funds.

25+ members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity will participate in the 20-mile Freedom Walk to support the Freedom Center. The Freedom Walk follows the prominent Underground Railroad to Civil Rights historic route from New Richmond, Ohio, traveled by enslaved individuals who sought freedom as well as those who fighting for integration and equality. The Freedom Walk will end at the Freedom Center followed by a Celebration recognizing the men of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity for their philanthropic efforts.

“After being a part of last year’s Freedom Walk, I’m excited that it has grown this year. Now even more of us will recognize and honor the heroes of the Underground Railroad and the Civil Rights Movement creating an even greater awareness. We’re honored and excited to support the Freedom Center in its efforts to raise awareness of and inspire action on the continued struggles for freedom around the world,” said Andre Rudolph, President of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at Miami University. “Each Kappa Alpha Psi member from each of the chapters is asking for financial support in the amount of $1 per mile.”

The proceeds from the Freedom Walk will support the Freedom Center’s educational programs, including the wide array of exhibits that chronicle heroic stories of courage in the pursuit of freedom and thought-provoking programs beyond the Freedom Center’s physical walls that inspire individuals to champion freedom in their communities and end contemporary slavery.

“These young men represent a new generation who have, in remembrance of their ancestors, taken up the cause of civil and human rights in their own times,” said Kim Robinson, President & CEO for the Freedom Center. “The route they’re walking, in the footsteps of brave souls who’ve gone before, are representative of their commitment to today’s world-wide struggles for freedom.”

To donate to the Second Annual Freedom Walk click here.

There is a spark within each of us, Fan the Flame.

My name is Luke Blocher and I am the Director of Contemporary Slavery Initiatives here at the Freedom Center. I look forward to seeing you here often in the coming weeks and months as we continue, with you, the fight to end modern day slavery. But today we’ve got an urgent message: the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), first passed in 2000 and since reauthorized by Congress in 2003, 2005, and 2008, is set to expire today unless it is once again reauthorized.

The TVPA authorizes and funds the federal government’s comprehensive efforts to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute traffickers. Among many other critical laws, policies and programs, the TVPA established trafficking as a federal crime, created the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, and allocated funding for many of the programs that have since become pillars of the anti-trafficking movement. It is our nation’s strongest tool against human trafficking and it is up for a vote right now.

It was on this date 149 years ago that the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation was released to the public. This document differed from the final version that Americans have come to both celebrate and revile for their own various reasons, but it was indeed issued as a clear warning to the Confederacy that action was going to be taken unless they suspended their war like activity and returned to the Union. They were given 100 days to commit to such terms, and obviously the South did not relent on this issue. However, the response within the Union was not much brighter. The stock market plummeted, enlistment dropped dramatically, and the Republicans lost several seats in Congress in the mid-term election the following November. These are issues that would create trouble for any sitting president, and that president would normally take great strides to reverse the situation in order to save face. But, Lincoln forged ahead, refusing to back down from the course he had taken. And as a result, the face of the nation forever changed 100 days later on January 1, 1863.

There is a spark within each of us, Fan the Flame

It’s official – the era of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is over.

President Obama marked the day in a written statement:

Patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love.

Our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian servicemembers. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service.

About 100,000 troops were discharged between World War II and 1993 for being gay and lost their benefits as a result, said Aaron Belkin, an expert on gays in the U.S. military at the University of California, Los Angeles. One of those service members was Melvin Dwork, who received an “undesirable” discharge 70 years ago. Dwork has fought to amend his record for decades and the Navy notified the 89-year-old former corpsman last month that he will now be eligible for the benefits he had long been denied, including medical care and a military burial. Dwork is the first World War II veteran to have his record amended according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. To read more click here.

Under DADT, which allowed gays to serve as long as they kept their sexual orientation to themselves, over 14,000 servicemembers were discharged.

In a Facebook posting today, Army Lt. Col. Michael D. Jason said the following: “’Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ repealed today. The American citizen has asked some of us to fight for them. We volunteered. Now, as proclaimed by law, stay out of my Soldiers’ bedrooms. About time.”

A U.S. serviceman in Germany posted a video to YouTube telling his parents that he is gay.

Navy Lt. Gary Ross and his partner were married in Vermont moments after Don’t Ask Don’t Tell ended.

This is a HUGE moment for civil rights and equality. The repeal of DADT will not only strengthen our armed forces, it will create a military that serves honestly and treats its servicemembers equally.

There is a spark within each of us, Fan the Flame.

In the spirit of Smithsonian Museums, who offer free admission everyday, Museum Day is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian magazine in which participating museums across the country open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Ticket…for free.

On Saturday, September 24 the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will participate in Museum Day. From 11am until 5pm visitors will be able to present an official Museum Day ticket to gain free admission for two. Only one ticket per household will be accepted.

Official tickets can be found on the Museum Day website at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/. The Museum Day ticket is available on the Ticket Information page. Fill out the form and you will be emailed instructions to download and print your ticket.

We hope to see you at Museum Day!

**Please note: This is NOT a general free day. In order to receive free admission you must present a valid Museum Day ticket.

There is a spark within each of us. Fan the Flame.

It was a big day yesterday, historically speaking. August 30 is the anniversary of the Senate’s confirmation of Thurgood Marshall to become the nation’s first African American Supreme Court Justice, marking another breakthrough in the continuing struggle for civil rights and equality among all people. But it took over a century from the first emancipation attempt that occurred on the same day back in 1861; August 30 marks another significant event that is a little less known. However, it has been suggested by some scholars that it set the stage for what Lincoln would finally decide to do a year later. Before the Emancipation Proclamation, there was an original proclamation that was issued; not by Lincoln, but by John C. Frémont.

John C. Frémont was a Major General, appointed by Lincoln to be commander of the Union Western Department in St. Louis. On August 30, 1861 he issued a proclamation of martial law in an attempt to maintain law and order in the border region. He very bluntly declared, “All persons who shall be taken with arms in their hands, shall be tried by court-martial, and if found guilty will be shot.” Frémont then added, “The property, real and personal, of all persons in the State of Missouri, who shall take up arms against the United States, or who shall be directly proven to have taken an active part with their enemies in the field, is declared to be confiscated to their public use, and their slaves, if any they have, are hereby declared freemen.”

In writing for the New York Times, Professor emeritus Michael Fellman argues:

In other words, acting completely on his own and without precedent, Frémont issued the first Emancipation Proclamation, a full year before Abraham Lincoln issued his own. Though the president would ultimately force him to rescind the order, Frémont, in declaring that the war for the Union was by necessity a war against slavery, amplified abolitionism as war policy, opening a road that would never be closed.

Do we recognize Frémont as the person responsible for catapulting the slavery issue into full focus of the Union cause? Did his proclamation force Lincoln’s hand more than history has presented to us thus far? History has been unkind to John C. Frémont, treating him as more of a court jester or as the idiot savant; with more idiot and less savant. While he was certainly eccentric in his behavior, that does not diminish what Frémont attempted to accomplish with his declaration of martial law in Missouri. However, other questions arise with this as well. Was Frémont pulling out all the stops just to maintain law and order in his assigned region? Was it more about his authority or more about emancipation? In the short time it was in effect, which was about a month, were any enslaved peoples actually freed? And if so, were they returned by force once the order was rescinded? Remember, this was Missouri, a border state, and so Lincoln’s primary argument was the importance of maintaining the delicate political balance in the Border States to keep them loyal to the Union.

What do you think? Is this important? Why? Why not? Did it affect when and how Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation? Should we recognize the efforts of Frémont as courageous or insubordinate?

There is a spark within each of us, Fan the Flame

Please come join Freedom Center Staff, Volunteer Exhibit Interpreters, & Others in the Community as we examine the history and legacy of the American Civil War….

Starting in September, the Freedom Center will be hosting a monthly Civil War book club in conjunction with the Liberty on the Border exhibition and the commemoration of the 150^th Anniversary of the American Civil War.  History buffs and avid readers will enjoy the group discussions on selected Civil War topics.  These discussions will be lead by Freedom Center staff and historians and are sure to help bring the issues of the Civil War into focus for all who attend.

The first month’s book will be Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War. This book is sure to stir the pot for participants in the book club.  Tony Horwitz the author of this powerful book sets out on journey throughout the South traveling from Gettysburg to Vicksburg, from Charleston graveyards to Tennessee taverns retelling the stories of the Civil War and how the Lost Cause still holds strong even today.

The book club will meet at the Freedom Center on select dates from 7 – 9 p.m.  The book club is free and open to the public.

All book club books can be purchased in the Freedom Center gift shop at a 20% discount for those joining the book club.  Books will be available starting September 1, 2011.

To join the book club or for more information please contact Richard Cooper, the Interpretive Services Manager at 513.333.7595 or rcooper@nurfc.org

Upcoming Book Club Books

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War
September 22,  7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

When prize-winning war correspondent Tony Horwitz leaves the battlefields of Bosnia and the Middle East for a peaceful corner of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he thinks he’s put war zones behind him. But awakened one morning by the crackle of musket fire, Horwitz starts filing front-line dispatches again this time from a war close to home, and to his own heart.

Read More

A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War
October 20, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Acclaimed historian Amanda Foreman follows the phenomenal success of her New York Times bestseller Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire with her long-awaited second work of nonfiction: the fascinating story of the American Civil War and the major role played by Britain and its citizens in that epic struggle.

Read More

The Longest Raid of the American Civil War
November 17, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

John Hunt Morgan was a general of the Confederacy who conducted the longest, most wide ranging calvary raid in the history of the Civil War. Author Lester Horwitz first became aware of the extent to which Morgan’s raid ranged when he discovered that his own antbellum home in Cincinnati, Ohio was raided by Morgan’s forces.

Read More

The Negro’s Civil War: How American Black’s Felt and Acted During the War for the Union
January 26, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

In this classic study, Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson deftly narrates the experience of blacks–former slaves and soldiers, preachers, visionaries, doctors, intellectuals, and common people–during the Civil War.

Read More

The Freedom Center Civil War Book Club is free and open to the public.

All book club books can be purchased in the Freedom Center gift shop at a 20% discount for those joining the book club.  Books will be available starting September 1, 2011.

To join the book club or for more information please contact Richard Cooper, the Interpretive Services Manager at 513.333.7595 or rcooper@nurfc.org