The Gist of Freedom Preserving American History through Black Literature . . .

Join The Gist of Freedom as welcome author Dr. Tyrene Wright,  “Booker T. Washington And Africa, The Making of A Pan Africanist.” A Booker T. Washington scholar, Dr. Wright takes a different approach to examining Washington and the Tuskegee model. Her research focuses on Booker T. Washington's role and relationship with African people and Africa which argues that Washington's role was to promote sustainable agriculture, and economic models amongst African communities worldwide. She is the author of Booker T. Washington and Africa (forthcoming) which is the first book of its kind, and covers two international policy cases: The Liberian Crisis, and the African Exclusion Measure, where Washington proves himself to be an adept Pan-Africanist and negotiator for African people.  This book establishes that Booker T. Washington belongs amongst the canon of Pan Africanists that shaped the 20th century, therefore the discourse and narrative on Booker T. Washington has shifted.  CLICK FOR MORE About Author: Tyrene Wright PhD., is a scholar, human rights activist, producer, poet and founder of African Women for Africa, an international non-government organization. She holds a B.S. in History from Tuskegee University, a Master's of Arts in History with a concentration in Modern Africa from the City University of New York, and a Ph.D. from the Union Institute & University in Public Policy. Tyrene has held various appointments throughout the City University of New York, specifically John Jay College for Criminal Justice, City College, La Guardia Community College, and York College. After teaching for the University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar University) in Dakar, Senegal she returned to the U.S. and founded African Women for Africa, an organization designed to provide health literacy to African women throughout the African World.  

Dating from its origin, the Negro press printed the names of black informants,Freedom's Journal listing those of Moses Smith, formerly of Baltimore, and Nathan Gooms of New York, in its issue of November 7, 1828. The mere appearance of these names in the columns of the weekly was a sufficient deterrent to die other informers whose identity the editors threatened to reveal. When Martin R, Delany was editor of The Black Underground  Dr. Martin R. Delaney, founder of the Pittsburgh Mystery in 1842 and later was co-editor of the North Star. In August 1858 two runaways were betrayed by John Brodie, who had promised to assist them in returning to Covington, Kentucky, to effect the liberation of relatives. Brodie's treachery nearly cost him his life.  He was seized by a group of Negroes, who proceeded to give him three hundred blows with a paddle, a stroke for each dollar he was supposed to have received from the slave-catchers. Only the presence of the influential Henry Highland Garnet saved Brodie from further punishment. The badly mauled informer delivered himself to the police authorities, to be placed in jail for safe-keeping

Stella Antley of The Slave Holding Me and Sidney Davis interview tonight Thursday April 30, 2015, 8pm, with host Lesley Gist on the "Gist of Freedom" Blog Radio Program Dial-in 347-324-5552. www.blackhistoryblog.com www.blackhistoryUniversity.com Will be bringing attention to the Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade at the United Nations unvieling and future plans for its dedication and related issues. We invite you to join the discussion.

Autumn, The Play Inspired by the Newark NJ Mayors Cory Booker and Sharp James! SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2015 EXCLUSIVE: MNN's "The Gist of Freedom" Interviews of Richard Wesley and cast members! Mr. Wesley an Award-winning Playwright and Screenwriter talks about his new play, "Autumn"!   Richard Wesley, whose hits include "Uptown Saturday Night" and "Let's Do It Again" which starred Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby and "The Mighty Gents" which went to Broadway. "Autumn," an absorbing new drama by Richard Wesley that probes the fragility of political legacies and human relationships, premieres at Crossroads Theatre Company April 23 through May 3.      "Autumn" is the first full-length stage play, since the premiere of Wesley's acclaimed work, "The Talented Tenth," in 1989, which looked at the lives of a group of Howard University graduates who were part of an emerging Black elite.     “I began thinking that there was a new generation of post-civil rights movement politicians emerging that was very different from the generation that came of age during the civil rights movement,” Wesley said. “There was a group of old-school politicians who found themselves wrapped up in political scandals; and right behind [them] were these younger politicians who were moving up.”   Since 1995, Wesley has been an associate professor of dramatic writing at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he served as chair of the Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing for eight years. He is a former vice president of the Writers Guild of America, East.   Crossroads Theater Company is located at 7 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. For tickets, call (732) 545-8100 or purchase online at crossroadstheatrecompany.org.

"After 25 years of investment, pain, triumph and challenges, I, Dawud, the creator of Brotherman Comics is now asking the people for support to help propel this venture into a new plateau of entertainment! YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED! PLEASE SHARE! Check out the link for more details. http://igg.me/at/brotherman" Baba Dawud Anyabwile?! Tonight at 8pm listen to Dawud and his business partners on The Gist of Freedom www.BlackHistoryBlog.com

Black Abolitionists, Book by Benjamin Quarles Chapter 9 Vigilance Committe Noted historian, scholar, and educator Benjamin Author Quarles was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 23, 1904.  A prolific writer, Quarles published ten books, twenty-three major articles, and hundreds of shorter pieces of various sorts.  At least four of his books attained national significance:  Frederick Douglass (1948), which grew out of his doctoral research and remains the authoritative source for most of what is known about Douglass; The Negro in the American Revolution (1961), one of the first books to demonstrate the importance of including African Americans in the mainstream narratives of U.S. history; The Negro in the Making of America (1964), a text used in courses throughout the country; and Black Abolitionists (1969), a book that helped propel a major reassessment of the anti-slavery movement.  David Ruggles advocated for self-defense and the need for African Americans to organize and establish their own "remedy" for justice. In 1835, Ruggles and other black abolitionists formed the Committee of Vigilance (A hybrid of The Black Panthers and The NAACP) to protect free blacks and recently escaped slaves and to fight slave catchers and kidnappers. As David Ruggles, a leading black abolitionist, made clear in this 1836 account of a kidnapping, African Americans could not count on the police, the courts, or anti-slavery organizations. Richard Riker (Rikers Island named after him) [1773-1842] A lawyer and eventual judge who saw us on the lowest social level possible. Adipta writes, "When seven-year-old schoolboy Henry Scott was seized as a fugitive slave from his classroom, the kidnappers forcibly brought the terrified child before Richard Riker, the magistrate of New York City. They claimed that the boy was property belonging to white slaver.

Brooklyn, New York - Makeup artist Marsha Page, CEO of Marsha’s Makeovers, (http://www.marshasmakeovers.com)) is paying it forward for Women’s History Month with a free night of empowerment. Scheduled for March 31, 6-8pm, Ballroom of Bric Arts Media House (647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn) will transform and celebrate Brooklyn history makers with an All-Star panel, uplifting stories and a live performance from the Grammy®-nominated 'Afropean' hip hop/rhythm and blues duo, Les Nubians. The event is titled: A Celebration of Phenomenal Women, Paving the Way for Our Girls. Marsha’s Makeovers is the presenting sponsor and popular hair and beauty company, Shea Moisture (www.sheamoisture.com (http://www.sheamoisture.com)) will provide complimentary gift bags for all in attendance. Marsha Page is a celebrity makeup artist, offering over a decade of experience. Her work has been seen at the Tribeca Film Festival, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Bridal Fashion Week and Parents Magazine. She is currently the Key Makeup artist for BK Live! or schedule an interview, contact Karen Taylor Bass, kt@taylormademediapr.com, and 917-509-3061.

Listen to socio-political analyst Cleo Manago discuss, Two officers shot in Ferguson... Don't Shoot Them Down, Shut Them Down!  Two cops were shot in front of the Ferguson Police Department early Thursday. The shots were fired just as a small crowd of protesters began to break up after holding a demonstration in the wake of the resignation of the Ferguson police chief, who stepped down Wednesday. St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said one officer was shot in the face, just below his right eye, with the bullet lodging behind his ear. The other officer was hit in the shoulder, and the bullet came out his back. ------As the Department of Justice prepares to release its full report into the Ferguson Police Department and Municipal Court System, it is becoming increasingly clear that the entire Ferguson Police Department may be forced to shut down. Local authorities consistently approached law enforcement not as a means for protecting public safety, but as a way of generating revenue,” Holder said, adding that “racial bias both implicit and explicit” results in the unconstitutional execution of the law.   The thing is, though, the last department that Darren Wilson worked for, before he was allowed to transfer to the Ferguson Police Department, was also disbanded over severe issues of racism and corruption.

Zach is the founder of the De Miche (Meech) group, a digital content marketing agency and the lead content developer for Fortune 50 companies , government entities and  academic organizations like , Proctor & Gamble, Macy's, Rutgers University, and the Seventeen Magazine. Current Principal at Advanced Digital Marketing, a consulting practice providing business development strategy through digital solutions.  He's is a an advocate for the arts and education, and was the former chair of "imagine Doing" , an organization that teaches critical thinking skills through the arts. Zach Graduated Howard University's school of business Magna Cum Laude with a degree in finance and economics. Zachary was raised in the theater through the mentorship of producer/director Ricardo Khan, Founder of the Tony Award Winning Crossroads Theatre Company. -----   This show is dedicated to the godfather of black stage actors: Ira Aldridge, the self-proclaimed “African Roscius” of the 19th century. The African Grove Theater was A Shakespearean Playhouse Founded in 1816 by Activist William Brown. It was mysteriously burned to the ground. In 1816 William Brown a retired African American ship steward bought a house in Manhattan on Thompson Street. He used his garden in his backyard to host social events. They were such a big hit that people traveled from all over NY to attend. An all-black theatre troupe and company grew out these tea garden performances. Riding the success of the theater, Brown later built a fully-fledged performance space on the second floor of his home – for an audience of more than 300 – at 165 Mercer St., just south of Houston St.

Today on The Gist of Freedom at 2:30 please join guest host William Katz and author Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz for a lively discussion about her latest book "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States" WWW.BlackHistoryblog.com  archived on iTunes www.BlackHistoryUniversity.com ----------------------- The first history of the United States told from the perspective of indigenous peoples   Today in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized Indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people, descendants of the fifteen million Native people who once inhabited this land. The centuries-long genocidal program of the US settler-colonial regimen has largely been omitted from history. Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire. And as Dunbar-Ortiz reveals, this policy was praised in popular culture, through writers like James Fenimore Cooper and Walt Whitman, and in the highest offices of government and the military. Shockingly, as the genocidal policy reached its zenith under President Andrew Jackson, its ruthlessness was best articulated by US Army general Thomas S. Jesup, who, in 1836, wrote of the Seminoles: “The country can be rid of them only by exterminating them.”   Spanning more than four hundred years, this classic bottom-up peoples’ history radically reframes US history and explodes the silences that have haunted our national narrative.

Listen to The Gist of Freedom tonight as we talk with Jennifer Nelson a descendant of the historical black town, Boley OK. One of the first nationally chartered black-owned banks, Farmers and Merchants Bank in Boley, Oklahoma, an all-black town successfully fended off “Pretty Boy” Floyd’s Bank Robber's Gang!  ON NOVEMBER 23, 1932, three members of Charles A. “Pretty Boy” Floyd’s gang made the worst mistake of their lives. They tried to rob the state’s first nationally chartered black-owned bank Farmers and Merchants Bank in Boley, Ok, an all-black town of proud-walking pioneers. Up to that point, the Floyd gang had been robbing an average of a bank a week, usually without any resistance. Gangster Floyd  had warned his gang members against robbing the Boley bank because, the people of Boley all had guns, knew how to shoot them and weren't afraid to use them.  Photos: Boley Council Members, Boley Bank,  SEMINOLE NEGRO INDIAN SCOUTS _ They didn't heed Floyd's warning and Birdwell and Patterson, armed burst into the bank early that morning.  announced they were robbing the bank and warned "don't pull no alarm." The bank's  Bookkeeper McCormick, saw the robbers enter.  He slipped into the bank's vault, retrieved the rifle and aimed it at Birdwell who was scooping up cash. At the same time, the Bank's president D.J. Turner,  was on duty. He loved Boley and was determined to defend it. When the alarm began wailing Birdwell hollered, "Did you pull that alarm?" "Sure I did," Turner answered. Gangster Birdwell shot and Turner fell mortally wounded. McCormick, in turn, shot the second gang member, Birdwell to death. Excerpts taken from Mrs. Betty DeRamus Facebook post

Tonight on The Gist of Freedom Join host, Roy Paul and guest, former prosecutor Dwayne Nash as they discuss Holder's decision not to charge Zimmerman. The Justice Department announced Tuesday that George Zimmerman will not face federal criminal civil rights charges for shooting and killing teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012. Zimmerman fatally shot Martin while the unarmed African American 17-year-old was walking in Sanford, Fla. The shooting became a national flashpoint, sparking a discussion of race relations that continues to reverberate since the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and other incidents across the country. “The death of Trayvon Martin was a devastating tragedy,” Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a statement. “It shook an entire community, drew the attention of millions across the nation, and sparked a painful but necessary dialogue throughout the country.” As a result of the announcement Tuesday, the federal investigation into the shooting has been closed.

WOMEN OF COURAGE Conceived and Directed by Michael Green This installment of the “Trilogy of Truth Series” Features four short plays that take a revealing look into the lives of four women whose contributions and accomplishmentsare minimized but are relevant to the tapestry of American and world history. Biographical sketches of these bold African American women will shed a truer light on many historical misconceptions and foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the “Black Experience” from the perspective of three African American Female historical icons, Barbara Jordan, Ida B. Wells and Harriet Tubman.   Featuring: China Colston , Daralyn Jay (Barbara Jordan),  Ricki Lynee, Chris Raglin.   The show incorporates music, multi-media and dramatic interpretations to bring these stories to life. Duration: 1hour 55minutes with 10min intermission

The Gist of Freedom, Your Black History Podcast wwwblackhistoryUniversity~ Valentine's day Special Show,  First Lady Michelle Obama in her own words.

The Gist of Freedom and host Natasha Demosthene is pleased to present to you  Mr. Gary Grant President of The BLACK FARMERS, AGRICULTURALISTS ASSOCIATION &THE LAND LOSS FUND. Natasha and Mr. Grant will discuss topics such as preserving Black Heir Property. The struggle for the survival of the Black farmer is not over. During the lead up to the now historic settlement of the Black farmers lawsuit, Pigford v. Glickman, Secretary of the USDA, Howard University was working with the Black farmers’ leadership to host a "mock trial" that would have exposed the racial discrimination and other atrocities inflicted by the agents of the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) - now the Farm Service Agency (FSA) – on Black farmers across the nation. The USDA could not afford for these stories to be told for they would show the limit to which this government would and will go to keep a people dependent and not able to raise their standard of living or be able to safely feed themselves. African American people are becoming a landless people in the United States. We are losing the land and wealth that our parents, grandparents and great grandparents worked, fought and died to acquire for us. We owe our ancestral warriors a debt and our youth an opportunity for safe and healthy food. USDA has not helped us and certainly the courts have proven more devastating than we ever dare thought. So, who will help us? WE must help ourselves by insuring that the next generation is ready to maintain and conserve the land. Come and let us reason and plan together, our enemies do. For Additional Information - contact: Mike Stewart at 202-607-0436 or the BFAA office at 252-578-4729 or E-mail bfaausnow@aol.com or TILLERY@aol.com