What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America? That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That even out of power, and perhaps especially more so out of power, people can do great good in the world, if we can find our purpose and calling. That wise and measured sacrifices on behalf of the whole, as with the restraint shown during the Iranian hostage crisis which ultimately yielded their safe release, can achieve the desired goal, or that visionary moves that may seem quirky at the time, like solar panels on the White House way back in the 1970’s, may take decades to be affirmed, but affirmed they will be. That patience, kindness, compassion and tenacity are superpowers that take time to bear fruit, but last beyond the whims of any moment and can have more power than naked dominance. Who would not want the genuine, abiding love that he and Rosalynn had, that perhaps few people ever truly get to know, that lasted longer than many people get to live, or the long and purposeful life he himself achieved. He offered all of us a redefinition of success on his own terms. By his actions in defeat, he singularly forced a reassessment of his presidency and of his role in history, assuring that he will be remembered longer than his one term in the White House would suggest on its own. Which is why regular folks in Washington, D.C., lined up in the bitter cold and waited for hours to pay their respects to him, as his remains laid in state in the capitol rotunda last night. He taught us that defeat is not the end but the beginning. He left us a blueprint for how to harness life’s disappointments into the greatest and longest lasting gifts for ourselves and for the world. —— Slide 1: Rosalynn Carter, Andrew Young, Coretta Scott King, Jimmy Carter Slide 2: With John Lewis Slide 3: Carter on MLK’s legacy Slides 4, 5: With Rosalynn Carter Slide 8: Greeting every passenger on a Delta Airlines flight, as was his way Slides 9, 10: People lined up in DC, via Joy Reid
We say that we are a country that values courage and patriotism, that we honor the sacrifices extended on behalf of one’s nation. The Tuskegee Airmen gave their all, rose to the moment, against the odds, when their country most needed them. They are among what Americans have come to call the Greatest Generation, a part of the collective effort to defend this nation from the threats posed during World War II. They did not boast about their role in the war, and yet, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is one of the most inspiring in aviation history. Most of them are gone now, but they would be devastated and heartbroken to see any erasure of their service from the nation’s consciousness. The Tuskegee-based organization that keeps their memory alive issued a statement urging that their contributions and those of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (also known as WASPs, shown in photo 4) not be excluded from future military training programs: “The service and sacrifice of the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs, who were also removed from the Air Force’s training courses,” the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., wrote, “are an essential part of American history and carried significant weight in the World War II veteran community. We believe the content of these courses does not promote one category of service member/or citizen over another. They are simply a part of American military history that all service members should be made aware of.” Eighty years after their mission, they are part of the firmament. Whenever I happen to mention that my father had been a Tuskegee airman, people of all backgrounds and ethnicities stand at attention, eyes sometimes welling up because they know, as do most Americans, of the valor and expertise of these brave pilots. Which is why nothing can take away what they have given to history — they live on in our memories and in the fabric of this nation.
We say that we are a country that values courage and patriotism, that we honor the sacrifices extended on behalf of one’s nation. The Tuskegee Airmen gave their all, rose to the moment, against the odds, when their country most needed them. They are among what Americans have come to call the Greatest Generation, a part of the collective effort to defend this nation from the threats posed during World War II. They did not boast about their role in the war, and yet, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is one of the most inspiring in aviation history. Most of them are gone now, but they would be devastated and heartbroken to see any erasure of their service from the nation’s consciousness. The Tuskegee-based organization that keeps their memory alive issued a statement urging that their contributions and those of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (also known as WASPs, shown in photo 4) not be excluded from future military training programs: “The service and sacrifice of the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs, who were also removed from the Air Force’s training courses,” the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., wrote, “are an essential part of American history and carried significant weight in the World War II veteran community. We believe the content of these courses does not promote one category of service member/or citizen over another. They are simply a part of American military history that all service members should be made aware of.” Eighty years after their mission, they are part of the firmament. Whenever I happen to mention that my father had been a Tuskegee airman, people of all backgrounds and ethnicities stand at attention, eyes sometimes welling up because they know, as do most Americans, of the valor and expertise of these brave pilots. Which is why nothing can take away what they have given to history — they live on in our memories and in the fabric of this nation.
We say that we are a country that values courage and patriotism, that we honor the sacrifices extended on behalf of one’s nation. The Tuskegee Airmen gave their all, rose to the moment, against the odds, when their country most needed them. They are among what Americans have come to call the Greatest Generation, a part of the collective effort to defend this nation from the threats posed during World War II. They did not boast about their role in the war, and yet, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is one of the most inspiring in aviation history. Most of them are gone now, but they would be devastated and heartbroken to see any erasure of their service from the nation’s consciousness. The Tuskegee-based organization that keeps their memory alive issued a statement urging that their contributions and those of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (also known as WASPs, shown in photo 4) not be excluded from future military training programs: “The service and sacrifice of the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs, who were also removed from the Air Force’s training courses,” the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., wrote, “are an essential part of American history and carried significant weight in the World War II veteran community. We believe the content of these courses does not promote one category of service member/or citizen over another. They are simply a part of American military history that all service members should be made aware of.” Eighty years after their mission, they are part of the firmament. Whenever I happen to mention that my father had been a Tuskegee airman, people of all backgrounds and ethnicities stand at attention, eyes sometimes welling up because they know, as do most Americans, of the valor and expertise of these brave pilots. Which is why nothing can take away what they have given to history — they live on in our memories and in the fabric of this nation.
We say that we are a country that values courage and patriotism, that we honor the sacrifices extended on behalf of one’s nation. The Tuskegee Airmen gave their all, rose to the moment, against the odds, when their country most needed them. They are among what Americans have come to call the Greatest Generation, a part of the collective effort to defend this nation from the threats posed during World War II. They did not boast about their role in the war, and yet, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is one of the most inspiring in aviation history. Most of them are gone now, but they would be devastated and heartbroken to see any erasure of their service from the nation’s consciousness. The Tuskegee-based organization that keeps their memory alive issued a statement urging that their contributions and those of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (also known as WASPs, shown in photo 4) not be excluded from future military training programs: “The service and sacrifice of the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs, who were also removed from the Air Force’s training courses,” the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., wrote, “are an essential part of American history and carried significant weight in the World War II veteran community. We believe the content of these courses does not promote one category of service member/or citizen over another. They are simply a part of American military history that all service members should be made aware of.” Eighty years after their mission, they are part of the firmament. Whenever I happen to mention that my father had been a Tuskegee airman, people of all backgrounds and ethnicities stand at attention, eyes sometimes welling up because they know, as do most Americans, of the valor and expertise of these brave pilots. Which is why nothing can take away what they have given to history — they live on in our memories and in the fabric of this nation.
We say that we are a country that values courage and patriotism, that we honor the sacrifices extended on behalf of one’s nation. The Tuskegee Airmen gave their all, rose to the moment, against the odds, when their country most needed them. They are among what Americans have come to call the Greatest Generation, a part of the collective effort to defend this nation from the threats posed during World War II. They did not boast about their role in the war, and yet, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is one of the most inspiring in aviation history. Most of them are gone now, but they would be devastated and heartbroken to see any erasure of their service from the nation’s consciousness. The Tuskegee-based organization that keeps their memory alive issued a statement urging that their contributions and those of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (also known as WASPs, shown in photo 4) not be excluded from future military training programs: “The service and sacrifice of the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs, who were also removed from the Air Force’s training courses,” the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., wrote, “are an essential part of American history and carried significant weight in the World War II veteran community. We believe the content of these courses does not promote one category of service member/or citizen over another. They are simply a part of American military history that all service members should be made aware of.” Eighty years after their mission, they are part of the firmament. Whenever I happen to mention that my father had been a Tuskegee airman, people of all backgrounds and ethnicities stand at attention, eyes sometimes welling up because they know, as do most Americans, of the valor and expertise of these brave pilots. Which is why nothing can take away what they have given to history — they live on in our memories and in the fabric of this nation.
From slavery to the Civil War, to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, to the century of Jim Crow, to the Great Migration, to the black-led civil rights laws that opened doors not only for black citizens but for women of all races and for immigrants — black history is American history. The country’s full story cannot be told without it. Where would we be as a nation, what kind of culture would we have, without the music, art, literature, hard labor and inspired creativity of black Americans, who converted trauma into triumph over the centuries? Genius knows no color. And every single group on these shores has been necessary to making this country what it is, to the benefit not only of this country but of the world. _________________ Photo 1: Fourth U.S. Infantry Detail, U.S. Colored Troops, Civil War, 1864 Photo 2: Segregated beach, Florida, 1940s Photo 3: Tuskegee Airmen, World War II Photo 4: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Photo 5: Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom Photo 6: Jim Crow Alabama, 1956, photo by Gordon Parks Photo 7: John Coltrane Photo 8: Toni Morrison Photo 9: James Baldwin Photo 10: “A Raisin in the Sun,” the 1961 film based on Lorraine Hansberry’s play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil Photo 11: Leontyne Price Photo 12: Martin Luther King Jr.
From slavery to the Civil War, to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, to the century of Jim Crow, to the Great Migration, to the black-led civil rights laws that opened doors not only for black citizens but for women of all races and for immigrants — black history is American history. The country’s full story cannot be told without it. Where would we be as a nation, what kind of culture would we have, without the music, art, literature, hard labor and inspired creativity of black Americans, who converted trauma into triumph over the centuries? Genius knows no color. And every single group on these shores has been necessary to making this country what it is, to the benefit not only of this country but of the world. _________________ Photo 1: Fourth U.S. Infantry Detail, U.S. Colored Troops, Civil War, 1864 Photo 2: Segregated beach, Florida, 1940s Photo 3: Tuskegee Airmen, World War II Photo 4: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Photo 5: Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom Photo 6: Jim Crow Alabama, 1956, photo by Gordon Parks Photo 7: John Coltrane Photo 8: Toni Morrison Photo 9: James Baldwin Photo 10: “A Raisin in the Sun,” the 1961 film based on Lorraine Hansberry’s play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil Photo 11: Leontyne Price Photo 12: Martin Luther King Jr.
From slavery to the Civil War, to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, to the century of Jim Crow, to the Great Migration, to the black-led civil rights laws that opened doors not only for black citizens but for women of all races and for immigrants — black history is American history. The country’s full story cannot be told without it. Where would we be as a nation, what kind of culture would we have, without the music, art, literature, hard labor and inspired creativity of black Americans, who converted trauma into triumph over the centuries? Genius knows no color. And every single group on these shores has been necessary to making this country what it is, to the benefit not only of this country but of the world. _________________ Photo 1: Fourth U.S. Infantry Detail, U.S. Colored Troops, Civil War, 1864 Photo 2: Segregated beach, Florida, 1940s Photo 3: Tuskegee Airmen, World War II Photo 4: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Photo 5: Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom Photo 6: Jim Crow Alabama, 1956, photo by Gordon Parks Photo 7: John Coltrane Photo 8: Toni Morrison Photo 9: James Baldwin Photo 10: “A Raisin in the Sun,” the 1961 film based on Lorraine Hansberry’s play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil Photo 11: Leontyne Price Photo 12: Martin Luther King Jr.
From slavery to the Civil War, to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, to the century of Jim Crow, to the Great Migration, to the black-led civil rights laws that opened doors not only for black citizens but for women of all races and for immigrants — black history is American history. The country’s full story cannot be told without it. Where would we be as a nation, what kind of culture would we have, without the music, art, literature, hard labor and inspired creativity of black Americans, who converted trauma into triumph over the centuries? Genius knows no color. And every single group on these shores has been necessary to making this country what it is, to the benefit not only of this country but of the world. _________________ Photo 1: Fourth U.S. Infantry Detail, U.S. Colored Troops, Civil War, 1864 Photo 2: Segregated beach, Florida, 1940s Photo 3: Tuskegee Airmen, World War II Photo 4: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Photo 5: Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom Photo 6: Jim Crow Alabama, 1956, photo by Gordon Parks Photo 7: John Coltrane Photo 8: Toni Morrison Photo 9: James Baldwin Photo 10: “A Raisin in the Sun,” the 1961 film based on Lorraine Hansberry’s play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil Photo 11: Leontyne Price Photo 12: Martin Luther King Jr.
From slavery to the Civil War, to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, to the century of Jim Crow, to the Great Migration, to the black-led civil rights laws that opened doors not only for black citizens but for women of all races and for immigrants — black history is American history. The country’s full story cannot be told without it. Where would we be as a nation, what kind of culture would we have, without the music, art, literature, hard labor and inspired creativity of black Americans, who converted trauma into triumph over the centuries? Genius knows no color. And every single group on these shores has been necessary to making this country what it is, to the benefit not only of this country but of the world. _________________ Photo 1: Fourth U.S. Infantry Detail, U.S. Colored Troops, Civil War, 1864 Photo 2: Segregated beach, Florida, 1940s Photo 3: Tuskegee Airmen, World War II Photo 4: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Photo 5: Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom Photo 6: Jim Crow Alabama, 1956, photo by Gordon Parks Photo 7: John Coltrane Photo 8: Toni Morrison Photo 9: James Baldwin Photo 10: “A Raisin in the Sun,” the 1961 film based on Lorraine Hansberry’s play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil Photo 11: Leontyne Price Photo 12: Martin Luther King Jr.
From slavery to the Civil War, to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, to the century of Jim Crow, to the Great Migration, to the black-led civil rights laws that opened doors not only for black citizens but for women of all races and for immigrants — black history is American history. The country’s full story cannot be told without it. Where would we be as a nation, what kind of culture would we have, without the music, art, literature, hard labor and inspired creativity of black Americans, who converted trauma into triumph over the centuries? Genius knows no color. And every single group on these shores has been necessary to making this country what it is, to the benefit not only of this country but of the world. _________________ Photo 1: Fourth U.S. Infantry Detail, U.S. Colored Troops, Civil War, 1864 Photo 2: Segregated beach, Florida, 1940s Photo 3: Tuskegee Airmen, World War II Photo 4: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Photo 5: Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom Photo 6: Jim Crow Alabama, 1956, photo by Gordon Parks Photo 7: John Coltrane Photo 8: Toni Morrison Photo 9: James Baldwin Photo 10: “A Raisin in the Sun,” the 1961 film based on Lorraine Hansberry’s play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil Photo 11: Leontyne Price Photo 12: Martin Luther King Jr.
From slavery to the Civil War, to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, to the century of Jim Crow, to the Great Migration, to the black-led civil rights laws that opened doors not only for black citizens but for women of all races and for immigrants — black history is American history. The country’s full story cannot be told without it. Where would we be as a nation, what kind of culture would we have, without the music, art, literature, hard labor and inspired creativity of black Americans, who converted trauma into triumph over the centuries? Genius knows no color. And every single group on these shores has been necessary to making this country what it is, to the benefit not only of this country but of the world. _________________ Photo 1: Fourth U.S. Infantry Detail, U.S. Colored Troops, Civil War, 1864 Photo 2: Segregated beach, Florida, 1940s Photo 3: Tuskegee Airmen, World War II Photo 4: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Photo 5: Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom Photo 6: Jim Crow Alabama, 1956, photo by Gordon Parks Photo 7: John Coltrane Photo 8: Toni Morrison Photo 9: James Baldwin Photo 10: “A Raisin in the Sun,” the 1961 film based on Lorraine Hansberry’s play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil Photo 11: Leontyne Price Photo 12: Martin Luther King Jr.
From slavery to the Civil War, to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, to the century of Jim Crow, to the Great Migration, to the black-led civil rights laws that opened doors not only for black citizens but for women of all races and for immigrants — black history is American history. The country’s full story cannot be told without it. Where would we be as a nation, what kind of culture would we have, without the music, art, literature, hard labor and inspired creativity of black Americans, who converted trauma into triumph over the centuries? Genius knows no color. And every single group on these shores has been necessary to making this country what it is, to the benefit not only of this country but of the world. _________________ Photo 1: Fourth U.S. Infantry Detail, U.S. Colored Troops, Civil War, 1864 Photo 2: Segregated beach, Florida, 1940s Photo 3: Tuskegee Airmen, World War II Photo 4: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Photo 5: Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom Photo 6: Jim Crow Alabama, 1956, photo by Gordon Parks Photo 7: John Coltrane Photo 8: Toni Morrison Photo 9: James Baldwin Photo 10: “A Raisin in the Sun,” the 1961 film based on Lorraine Hansberry’s play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil Photo 11: Leontyne Price Photo 12: Martin Luther King Jr.
From slavery to the Civil War, to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, to the century of Jim Crow, to the Great Migration, to the black-led civil rights laws that opened doors not only for black citizens but for women of all races and for immigrants — black history is American history. The country’s full story cannot be told without it. Where would we be as a nation, what kind of culture would we have, without the music, art, literature, hard labor and inspired creativity of black Americans, who converted trauma into triumph over the centuries? Genius knows no color. And every single group on these shores has been necessary to making this country what it is, to the benefit not only of this country but of the world. _________________ Photo 1: Fourth U.S. Infantry Detail, U.S. Colored Troops, Civil War, 1864 Photo 2: Segregated beach, Florida, 1940s Photo 3: Tuskegee Airmen, World War II Photo 4: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Photo 5: Dancers at the Savoy Ballroom Photo 6: Jim Crow Alabama, 1956, photo by Gordon Parks Photo 7: John Coltrane Photo 8: Toni Morrison Photo 9: James Baldwin Photo 10: “A Raisin in the Sun,” the 1961 film based on Lorraine Hansberry’s play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil Photo 11: Leontyne Price Photo 12: Martin Luther King Jr.
