The family of Damar Hamlin has released the following statement on Tuesday expressing gratitude for the outpouring of "love and support" given the Buffalo Bills safety after the player suffered cardiac arrest during a game Monday night in Cincinnati.
Announcement directly from Damar’s family: pic.twitter.com/MdzgxUmVfg
— Jordon Rooney (@jordonr) January 3, 2023
The United States Mint (Mint) began shipping the first coin in the 2023 American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program. The Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver manufacture these circulating quarters honoring Bessie Coleman.
Bessie Coleman was a pilot, advocate, and pioneer who flew to great heights as the first African American and first Native American woman pilot, as well as the first African American to earn an international pilot’s license. Her determination and strong will continue to inspire today.
“The first coin of the 2023 American Women’s Quarters™ Program honors the life and legacy of Bessie Coleman,” said Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson. “The woman known as “Brave Bessie” defied the odds and became an aviator. Her tenacious drive and fearless personality helped pave the way for future generations.”
The reverse (tails) depicts Bessie Coleman as she suits up in preparation for flight. Her expression is reflective of her determination to take to the skies, the only place she experienced a freedom she did not have on the ground. The inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “QUARTER DOLLAR,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “BESSIE COLEMAN,” and “6.15.1921,” the date Coleman received her pilot’s license. The reverse was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Designer Chris Costello and sculpted by United States Mint Medallic Artist Eric David Custer.
“As I researched Bessie Coleman’s life, I discovered that the existing photographs and illustrations of her were posed and very familiar,” said Costello. “I challenged myself to create an original, never-before-seen portrait that was not based on any known photo. My wife and young daughter, who are of African and Native American heritage, modeled for my drawing that depicts her in a more active posture—readying her goggles as she takes to the skies. In the background, her Curtiss “Jenny” biplane is seen soaring through the clouds.”
Costello further provides a deeper insight of the image of Bessie Coleman.
“This new portrait of Bessie Coleman depicts her fierce determination and unyielding resolve to become a licensed pilot during a time of stiff opposition to ambitious women of color,” said Costello.
The obverse (heads) depicts a portrait of George Washington originally composed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser to mark George Washington’s 200th birthday. Though her work was a recommended design for the 1932 quarter, then-Treasury Secretary Mellon ultimately selected the familiar John Flanagan design. Of Fraser, Director Gibson said, “I am proud that the new obverse design of George Washington is by one of the most prolific women sculptors of the early 20th century. Laura Gardin Fraser’s work is lauded in both numismatic and artistic circles. Ninety years after she intended for it to do so, her obverse design has fittingly taken its place on the quarter.”
Obverse inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2023.” The design is common to all quarters issued in the series.
Coins featuring additional honorees will also ship in 2023 through 2025.
View images of the Bessie Coleman quarter here.
Each 2023 AWQ honoree is a powerful, inspiring example of the breadth and depth of accomplishments being celebrated through this historic coin program.
In addition to Bessie Coleman, the four women who will be honored in 2023 are:
The range of accomplishments and experiences of these extraordinary women speaks to the contributions women have always made in the history of our country. Coleman was a trailblazing pilot who paved the way for many. Idar and Roosevelt were social justice advocates who were both ahead of their time with their ideas and ideals, and Kanakaʻole and Tallchief spoke up for and represented indigenous women in their respective cultures.
Authorized by Public Law 116-330, the American Women Quarters Program features coins with reverse (tails) designs emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of American women. Beginning in 2022 and continuing through 2025, the Mint is issuing five quarters in each of these years. The ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse group of individuals honored through this program reflects a wide range of accomplishments and fields, including suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts.
Please consult with your local banks regarding the availability of AWQ Program quarters honoring Bessie Coleman in late January and early February.
Cincinnati Bengals player Tee Higgins, who was the other player involved in the play that sent Damar Hamlin into cardiac arrest released the following statement via Twitter:
My prayers and thoughts go out to @HamlinIsland the Hamlin Family. I’m praying that you pull through bro. Love 🙏🏾💙
— Tee Higgins⁵ (@teehiggins5) January 3, 2023
Damar Hamlin is still hospitalized and in critical condition at this time.
The People’s Organization For Progress is sponsoring The Martin Luther King “We Won’t Go Back” March that will be held on Martin Luther King's actual birthday, Sunday, January 15, 2023.
The organization will be marching to protest racism, sexism, facism, and war.
The march will begin at 2:00pm at the Martin Luther King Statue, 495 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ.
For more information call POP at (973) 801-0001. Contact POP if your organization would like to co-sponsor this event. Please wear masks and practice social distancing.
The People's Organization for Progress works to empower communities and fight for their needs. P.O.P. confronts issues about equality, justice, poverty, racism, umemployment, affordable housing and education, violence(of any sort), etc., as well as local, national, and international issues.
The Payne Center for Social Justice (PCSJ) announced the launch of a historic partnership between 17 universities in Africa and a select group of the 47 public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) served by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF).
The partnership between the PCSJ and Stellenbosch University in South Africa will lead to the creation of the Academy for Growth and Global Engagement: Africans and African Americans (AGGE). In cooperation with the Center, Stellenbosch will serve as the anchor and administrative arm of the Academy and will be managed through a steering committee of representatives from participating universities.
A partnership agreement was signed and celebrated in conjunction with President Biden’s “US-Africa Leaders’ Summit” [December 13-15, 2022] and following Semafor’s Africa Summit on December 12, 2022, at GALLUP. The Summit created a prime opportunity to engage leadership at the highest levels of government and industry in the African Union’s (AU) First Continental Report of the Implementation of Agenda 2063 in relation to this newly formed partnership.
The primary purpose of the Academy is to build a robust community of learning designed to build capacity in education, research, and extension for the public good,” said Dr. M.C. Brown, Executive Director of the Payne Center. “We intend to bring scholars in Africa and the U.S. together in search of new and innovative ideas that have the power to transform the human condition in Africa and in Black America.”
This partnership will strengthen the Center’s commitment to bolstering human capital for tomorrow’s workforce and aligns with the Center’s pursuit of research rooted in social science and focused in six primary areas of concentration, (1) Civic Participation; (2) Economics and Wealth; (3) Educational Equity; (4) The Future of Work; (5) Communities and Environments; and (6) Organizational Entities.
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ABOUT THE PAYNE CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) created the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice as a nexus for research and advocacy to advance social justice for Black Americans. The Payne Center draws together top HBCU scholars, national thought leaders, community advocates, and on-the-ground solution-makers to identify, evaluate and scale new evidenced-based programs and policies designed to create sustainable change to the fabric of Black life in American society.
The Dionne Warwick documentary,“Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over” airs 9 p.m. ET/PT Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 on CNN.
Set against a music world profoundly divided between black and white, DON'T MAKE ME OVER tells the dramatic story of Dionne Warwick's meteoric rise from New Jersey gospel choirs to international cross-over super stardom.
The film is directed by David Heilbroner and Dave Wooley and was written by Dave Wooley.
The documentary stars Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, and Jerry Blavat
The documentary will also be accessible through CNN on demand starting Monday, Jan. 2, 2023.
A gorgeous collection of 145 original portraits that celebrates Black pioneers—famous and little-known--in politics, science, literature, music, and more—with biographical reflections, all created and curated by an award-winning graphic designer.
Illustrated Black History is a breathtaking collection of original portraits depicting black heroes—both famous and unsung—who made their mark on activism, science, politics, business, medicine, technology, food, arts, entertainment, and more. Each entry includes a lush drawing or painting by artist George McCalman, along with an insightful essay summarizing the person’s life story.
The 145 entries range from the famous to the little-known, from literary luminary James Baldwin to documentarian Madeline Anderson, who produced “I Am Somebody” about the 1969 strike of mostly female hospital workers; from Aretha Franklin to James and Eloyce Gist, who had a traveling ministry in the early 1900s; from Colin Kaepernick to Guion S. Bluford, the first Black person to travel into space.
Beautifully designed with over 300 unique four-color artworks and accessible to readers of all ages, this eye-opening, educational, dynamic, and timely compendium pays homage to Black Americans and their achievements, and showcases the depth and breadth of Black genius.
In the 46th edition of the State of Black America Under Siege: the Plot to Destroy Democracy, we are again raising the alarm on the outlook of Black and Brown people as political forces have launched an all-out assault on voting rights.
Never has the fragility of our Democracy been more exposed than it is today. Fueled by "The Big Lie," that there was mass voter fraud in the 2020 election, state legislatures are restricting voting access in districts with large populations of African Americans and other people of color. Some states are taken measures even further by actively targeting election officials and election oversight roles held by people of color.
State legislatures are redrawing voting districts, enacting strict voter ID laws, and ending all forms of early voting to disenfranchise voters and reduce the number of Congressional seats held by people of color.
Our research partners, the Brennan Center for Justice, paints a clear picture of states that have introduced bills and signed laws that provide partisan power to control the outcome of our elections through a series of maps. The visuals also track states that have introduced new Congressional maps that disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities.
This year's report includes essays from people fighting to protect our right to vote in the halls of Congress, courts around the nation, and grassroots leaders in our backyards. Each piece provides insight on how to restore honor to the U.S., a path to progress beyond the filibuster, the imminent danger those face who stand up to hatred and violence in their political party, and healing and protecting our nation one year after the deadly insurrection on January 6th, 2021.
Leaders will guide us on the power of community when protecting the Black vote. The White House gives us insight into how they plan to ensure voting remains a civil right for every American, regardless of race, color, gender, or creed.
There may never be another opportunity to keep America a Democratic institution for the people by the people, to a society controlled by a few, or worse.
WWE superstar Bianca Belair was named Female Wrestler of the Year by. ESPN.
According to ESPN, “Belair was arguably the best performer in the world in 2022, and the competition was steep.”
Belair is most known for her athleticism, decorative outfits and signature long-braided ponytail in WWE and for winning titles in WWE Women’s Royal Rumble, WWE Elimination Chamber, WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship and WWE Bumpy Awards for Best Match of the Half-Year.
Belair posted to Twitter to show her appreciation to those who supported her and competed against her:
I’ve been seeing a lot of 2022 year accolades!
— Bianca Belair (@BiancaBelairWWE) December 29, 2022
2021 what a year.
2022 an even better year.
2023 keep that same energy.
THANK YOU to my fans and ALL of my competitors🙏🏾 Preciate y’all!!!!https://t.co/c1At1grMh4 pic.twitter.com/1S9bJakWqy
Scott L. Bok, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Museum of Natural History, announced today that scientist and educator Sean M. Decatur has been named the next President of the Museum, assuming his duties on April 3, 2023. A biophysical chemist with a doctorate from Stanford University, Decatur has served with distinction since 2013 as President of Kenyon College. At the Museum, he will succeed Ellen V. Futter, who will step down in March 2023 after a 30-year tenure.
Scott L. Bok said, “The Board has enthusiastically confirmed the appointment of Sean M. Decatur to lead the American Museum of Natural History into its next era, ushered in by the opening of the Museum’s Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation in February 2023. With a proven record as an exceptionally inspiring and effective leader, he brings to the Museum the expertise in scientific research, passion for teaching and learning, and deep commitment to outreach and diversity that are central to the Museum’s mission. His thoughtful leadership will benefit the Museum, the City of New York, and the entire museum community.”
Sean M. Decatur said, “I feel as if everything I’ve done in life has led up to the tremendous privilege, responsibility, and opportunity of heading the American Museum of Natural History. This great institution, which already has achieved so much during Ellen Futter’s presidency, is ready to take on the next crucial challenges in everything from scientific research to supporting public education, and to expanding access. I look forward eagerly to working with the Board, the outstanding staff, and the people of New York in realizing the unparalleled promise of this Museum.”
About Sean M. Decatur
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Sean Decatur earned his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and in 1995 was awarded his doctorate in biophysical chemistry from Stanford University. From 1995 to 2008, he was an assistant and associate professor of chemistry at Mount Holyoke College, where he helped establish a top research program in biophysical chemistry. He was a visiting scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2004 to 2005 and then served from 2008 to 2013 as a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oberlin College. He has won research grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health and from private foundations including the Alzheimer’s Association and the Dreyfus Foundation and is the author of numerous scholarly articles. He was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2017 and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019.
After being named President of Kenyon College in 2013, Sean Decatur became a leading voice in the national conversation about higher education. Under his leadership, Kenyon joined the American Talent Initiative, a coalition of colleges working to expand access and opportunity, and inaugurated the Kenyon Access Initiative to increase diversity and foster inclusion, as a result of which Kenyon has attracted the most diverse and academically talented incoming classes in its history. While serving as President, Decatur also continued to teach courses, including seminars in biochemistry, and developed Kenyon’s natural sciences division, enabling the college to provide students with experiences rivaling those at major research universities.
Sean Decatur, who will be the Museum’s first African American President, is married to Renee Romano, the Robert S. Danforth Professor of History and Professor of Comparative American Studies and Africana Studies at Oberlin College. They have two adult children, Sabine and Owen.
A century ago in Levy County, Florida, the town of Rosewood experienced one of the most horrific events in American history. In January 1923, a racially motivated attack decimated the predominantly African-American town and devastated its residents. This massacre has been discussed and dissected for years. Despite being terrorized by those events, survivors and descendants of Rosewood got justice, becoming the first African Americans to receive reparations from a legislative body in America.
"The future starts with honoring the lives that were taken, acknowledging the trauma that was left behind, sharing the stories of the past, and celebrating the promise of all that lies ahead," said Gregory Doctor, the cousin of Arnett Doctor, the descendant who led the fight for the families' historic reparations settlement. "We look at this event as a launch pad for progress and are honored to lead the charge in shaping what the next 100 years looks like for our country."
There are eight families whose direct descendants remain to tell the stories of resilience and fortitude that defined the town of Rosewood: the Bradleys, the Carriers, the Colemans, the Edwards, the Evans, the Goins, the Halls, and the Robinsons families. But a simple request two years ago sparked this centennial movement. Before she passed away, The Rosewood Family, Inc. historian Barbara Scantling Moore asked the family members to pass on the knowledge of the Rosewood legacy to the public. Inspired by Barabra's request, The Descendants of Rosewood Foundation, Inc. was born, ready to be a source of inspiration for the next 100 years and beyond.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is recognizing the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. In honor of this important moment, the museum encourages visitors to reflect on the words featured in early copies of a handheld pamphlet of the Emancipation Proclamation, an original signed copy of President Abraham Lincoln’s Executive Order and an original handwritten signed copy of the 13th Amendment, all on display in the museum’s “Slavery and Freedom” exhibition. The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment are two of the most important documents in the nation’s history. They helped the country
fulfill the highest ideal of liberty by ensuring a more inclusive manifestation of freedom. For more details and to learn more, visit nmaahc.si.edu/emancipation.
“It is important that we remember the hard-fought battle for freedom and what it took to ensure freedom for all,” said Mary Elliott, curator of American slavery at the museum. “The Emancipation Proclamation did not free all enslaved people. Yet, it was foundational in the march toward freedom, and it struck a mighty blow to the system of slavery. The 13th Amendment finally knocked out slavery in the nation.”
On Sept. 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. In local churches, enslaved and free people awaited the midnight hour for the Emancipation Proclamation to go into effect. The occasion became known as “Watch Night.” Under his wartime authority as commander in chief, Lincoln ordered that, as of Jan. 1, 1863, all enslaved individuals in all areas still in rebellion against the United States “henceforward shall be free.” Pastor John C. Gibbs of Philadelphia’s First African Presbyterian Church declared, “The Proclamation has gone forth, and God is saying to this nation by its legitimate constitute head, Man must be free.” The Emancipation Proclamation also enabled African American men to enlist in the armed forces. The war to preserve the Union became a war to end slavery. The proclamation was limited in scope but revolutionary in its impact.
The 13th Amendment completed what free and enslaved African Americans, abolitionists and the Emancipation Proclamation set in motion. On Dec. 6, 1865, the U.S. government abolished slavery by amending the Constitution to state: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
To honor the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the museum is hosting a screening of the new Netflix film Descendant Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m., presented by the museum’s public programs department and the Robert F. Smith Explore Your Family History Center. The film documents the search and recovery of the Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive in the United States illegally carrying enslaved Africans, in Mobile, Alabama. After the film, there will be a panel discussion moderated by Elliott and featuring Margaret Brown, director of the film; Kern Jackson, co-writer and co-producer of the film; Veda Tunstall and Joycelyn Davis, descendants of passengers of the Clotilda; and executive producer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Admission is free; however, registration is required.
Former University of Miami & NFL star Ed Reed will be next head football coach at Bethune-Cookman University.
The university athletics department made the announcement via Twitter.
Bethune-Cookman University Athletics has entered an agreement in principle with Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed to be its 16th head football coach.
— Bethune-Cookman Athletics (@BCUAthletics) December 27, 2022
More information will be forthcoming.#𝙇𝙚𝙩𝙨𝙂𝙤 | #𝙃𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙨 | #𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙮𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧
Reed was a two-time All-American at Miami, helping the Hurricanes win the National Championship in 2001. He was selected in the first round of the 2002 draft by the Ravens, spending 11 seasons with the team and winning the 2013 Super Bowl. He split the final year of his playing career with the Houston Texans and New York Jets.
In 2016, Reed worked as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills. In 2020, he was hired by the University of Miami, his alma mater, to serve as their football team's chief of staff, an advisory role to head coach Manny Diaz.
Disney’s Onyx Collective announced a Jan. 26 premiere date for Hulu’s upcoming six-part limited docu-series “The 1619 Project,” an expansion of “The 1619 Project” created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine. The limited series will debut with the first two episodes streaming exclusively on Hulu, with two additional episodes released every Thursday.
In keeping with the original project, the series seeks to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. The episodes — “Democracy,” “Race,” “Music,” “Capitalism,” “Fear” and “Justice” — are adapted from essays from The New York Times No. 1 bestselling “The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” and examine how the legacy of slavery shapes different aspects of contemporary American life.
The series, hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, is a Lionsgate Production in association with One Story Up Productions, Harpo Films and The New York Times. It was executive produced by Nikole Hannah-Jones; Academy Award®-winning director Roger Ross Williams; Caitlin Roper, an editor of The 1619 Project and The New York Times’ executive producer for film and television; Kathleen Lingo, The New York Times’ editorial director for film and television; and Oprah Winfrey. Peabody Award-winning executive producer Shoshana Guy served as the showrunner. “The 1619 Project” will stream exclusively on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America, and Disney+ in all other territories.
For the first time in 160 years, Central Park has named one of its entrances. The entrance on Central Park North between Malcolm X Boulevard and Fifth Avenue is now known as the "Gate of the Exonerated." It is named after the Exonerated Five and others who have been wrongfully convicted.
Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff released the following statement on Kwanzaa 2022:
When I was growing up, Kwanzaa was a special time in our home. Today, my family and I are reflecting on the seven principles. Happy Kwanzaa! pic.twitter.com/w1pFOIUU9G
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) December 26, 2022
John B. King Jr. has been appointed the fifteenth chancellor of the State University of New York, the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States.
More than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY operates four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.3 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs.
“I am humbled and honored to accept the position of chancellor,” Dr. King said. “Public education quite literally saved my life when I lost both of my parents at a young age, and I have dedicated my professional career ever since to ensuring that every student has access to the academic opportunities that they need and deserve. I look forward to working with all members of our campus communities, lawmakers, and stakeholders to bring SUNY to new heights and maximize its potential.”
Since 2017, Dr. King has been the president of The Education Trust, a nonprofit organization that promotes high academic achievement for all students in early childhood, K-12 education, and higher education. In the fall of 2015, President Obama tapped Dr. King to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to joining the Obama administration, Chancellor King served as state education commissioner in New York – a post to which he was appointed in 2011 – overseeing all elementary and secondary schools, as well as public, independent, and proprietary colleges and universities, professional licensure, libraries, museums, and numerous other educational institutions.
Dr. King is a graduate of Harvard University, where he majored in government. He earned a master’s degree in social studies education and a doctorate in educational administrative practice from Columbia University’s Teachers College. Dr. Also holds a juris doctorate from Yale Law School.
A University of Arkansas Little Rock history student is celebrating the completion of his lifelong dream of finishing his college education, a dream that is 50 years in the making.
By all measures, Ellis “Gene” Thompson of Little Rock has led a very successful life. He has a loving family and had a very successful career in media sales spanning more than four decades.
“After leaving KATV as the local sales manager here, I finished that career and was faced with what I want to do,” Thompson said. “Something that had always been nagging me was to get my degree. Life had taken that opportunity away from me earlier when I was in Washington, D.C.”
A native of Joliet, Illinois, Thompson joined the U.S. Navy and worked in an experimental surgery unit and then enrolled at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1973.
“There I really started to mature and find my sea legs, as you will,” he said. “The doctors were very supportive of me going to college. That is why I went to Georgetown, but I was married and had a child and work. I couldn’t sustain a decent lifestyle and go to Georgetown, which was very demanding.”
In 1975, Thompson left Georgetown with an associate degree and a strong desire to one day finish his college education. His career took him from Washington, D.C., to Chicago, to Dayton, Ohio, to Orlando and New York City. His final stop brought him to Little Rock in 2010 to work at KATV.
“I had a great run in TV, but I’m done,” Thompson said. “I had a deep love of history, and I got that while I was at Georgetown. One of my instructors was the department head, and I fell in love with history after taking her class. I decided to come to UA Little Rock as a history major.”
Thompson joined UA Little Rock in 2017 and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in history in 2019. He graduated this semester with a master’s degree in public history, which brings his journey to complete his college education to an end 50 years after he started.
“It’s something that I feel I should have done a long time ago,” he said. “It’s basically been unfinished business as far as my life is concerned. So, getting this degree is a culmination of a lifelong search for my own comfort with myself. It’s a culmination of something that I felt I should have done a long time ago and should have been determined earlier in my life. However, it feels just as good now. This is who I should have been all my life, a person with a master’s degree.”
One of his favorite experiences in graduate school was participating in a class taught by Dr. John Kirk, George W. Donaghey Distinguished Professor of History, which examined the criminal cases of Robert Bell and Grady Swain, two African American teenagers who were convicted of the first-degree murder of Julius McCollum and sentenced to death. Bell and Swain confessed to the crime, but later said their confessions were forced. The class wrote a paper about the case that received the Lucille Westbrook Award from the Arkansas Historical Association for the best article manuscript on an aspect of local history.
“That class really grabbed me, and I learned so much about going through archives and dusty, old records,” he said.
Thompson wrote his thesis, “The Fight for Freedmen’s Minds in Arkansas,” about the development of educational programs for African Americans in the state in the 1860s and 1870s.
“Arkansas was one of the last states to develop a public primary and secondary school system for African American students,” Thompson wrote. “While education was for the most part privatized, an important philosophy for educating African Americans was developed early by the Free African Society and the AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church that influenced Arkansas public and private Freedman education.”
In the 1860s and 70s, there were millions of newly freed formerly enslaved people who needed an education with competing methods of how that should work. Samuel Armstrong, founder of the Hampton Institute, created an educational model called the Hampton-Tuskegee Model, which emphasized character building through manual labor and learning occupational skills. The AME church strongly contested the Hampton-Tuskegee Model.
“The AME church put forth the philosophy that they wanted Freedman taught in the classical manner, emphasizing subjects like English, literature, and algebra,” Thompson said. “They wanted to train a middle-class population with doctors, teachers, and lawyers. The Hampton model emphasized teaching people manual labor skills – how to be a blacksmith, how to sew. They taught young girls how to work in houses as maids. It was being put out there that this was necessary because industrialists needed a large workforce.”
Thompson dedicated his thesis to his mother, who was the daughter of an AME preacher and an inspiration for him to complete college.
“I also did this for my mom who always believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” Thompson said. “She used to sit in the kitchen with me to do my homework when I was a child. She instilled in me that desire to get it done, and that was one of the real drivers in writing my thesis.”
With graduation approaching, Thompson is thankful to history professors James Ross, Barclay Key, Jess Porter, Edward Anson, Carl Moneyhon, and Marta Cieslak for inspiring him to succeed.
“My experience here has been absolutely magnificent,” he said. “I can’t say enough good things about the history department and the professors. These people are first rate, and I know because I came from one of those fancy east schools. I had a very successful career, but this is something different that I needed to do and I’m so glad I did it. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I would end up living in Arkansas and getting a master’s degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I believe it’s a top-rate education.”
TEAM-UP Together is pleased to announce its first cohort of scholars, 31 African American students who will each receive $10,000 for the 2022-23 academic year. The scholarship program aims to reduce financial barriers that prevent many Black students from completing their undergraduate education in physics and astronomy.
“Growing up I always longed to see a scientist that looked like me. Although I didn't have the resources, I did whatever I could to learn more about the field I was so passionate about,” said Ayanna Mann, a TEAM-UP Together scholar pursuing a physics degree at Howard University. After graduating, Mann plans to earn a doctorate in astrophysics, and she believes this funding will help prepare her for that future.
“This is my primary motivator for wanting to obtain my PhD. I will not only be pursuing a career I love, but I will also be changing my community's perspective on what their life can be.”
The TEAM-UP Together awards are part of the multimillion-dollar scholarship program that provides direct funding and support to African American undergraduate students majoring in physics and astronomy. A collective action initiative, TEAM-UP Together is a partnership between the American Association of Physics Teachers, the American Astronomical Society, the American Institute of Physics, the American Physical Society, and the Society of Physics Students. TEAM-UP Together is sponsored by the Simons Foundation International.
“These students have demonstrated their passion and drive for physics and astronomy, and we are thrilled to celebrate their achievements while helping to ease some of their financial burden,” said Arlene Modeste Knowles, TEAM-UP Together project manager. “This is an exciting step toward our goal of doubling the number of African American students earning bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy by 2030.”
"We are delighted to partner with TEAM-UP Together to fund these scholarships that will provide the personal and financial support students from under-represented groups need," said David Spergel, president of the Simons Foundation and of Simons Foundation International. “We are also excited to support, through TEAM-UP Together, physics and astronomy departments that are putting real change in motion at their institutions to diversify science.”
For decades, the percentage of African Americans earning degrees in physics has been egregiously and persistently low—reaching just 3% in 2018 according to an AIP survey. To address this issue, TEAM-UP Together is comprised of two programmatic elements. The initiative supports students throughout their undergraduate journey and academic departments who implement programs to effect systemic change.
In addition to direct funding, this game-changing, equity-focused initiative will provide undergraduate scholars mentorship, research experiences, and a supportive community in which to thrive academically and to connect with others.
Awardees come from undergraduate institutions across the country, including seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities and one Predominantly Black Institution. Ten of the students are majoring in astronomy and astrophysics-related disciplines, while 21 are physics majors.
Recipient Alana Thigpen, a second-year student in astrobiology and biogeosciences who wants to explore extraterrestrial mining to combat environmental pollution on Earth, pushed herself out of her comfort zone to attend Arizona State University.
“This award means a lot to me because I’m an older sister,” she said. “I’m trying to show my brother that even though our high school didn’t offer that many opportunities and a lot of people stay home when they graduate, that you can go somewhere. You just really have to put the drive and effort into it.”
Likewise, Derod Deal, also a 2022 recipient, is majoring in astrophysics at the University of Florida. His passion for exploring the nature of our universe and support from mentors have put him on the path toward graduate school.
“When times get rough, it is important to revisit your core beliefs as a person and have the grit to accomplish what you want to do,” said Deal. “Receiving this scholarship confirms that I have to keep going and push through boundaries to become a better scholar.”
Applications for the next round of scholarships are due March 15, 2023. Further details on application and selection criteria can be found here. Students are eligible to apply for multiple years of funding.
The House unanimously passed a bill Wednesday to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to Emmett Till, the Chicago teenager murdered by white supremacists in the 1950s, and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley.
The bill, which passed the Senate in January, is meant to honor Till and his mother - who had insisted on an open casket funeral to demonstrate the brutality of his killing - with the highest civilian honor that Congress awards. The medal will be given to the National Museum of African American History where it will be displayed near the casket Till was buried in.
