On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month as seen through two very different lenses with events held by the Republican National Committee (“RNC”) and another one at the White House. February is a time when many organizations are hosting events to honor the accomplishments of African Americans in America. The White House event consisted of a forum given by Association for the Study of African American Life and History (“ASALH”). The RNC event was a luncheon at the historic Howard Theatre honoring the recent political black Republican wins and a tribute to former Senator Edward Brooks and co-hosted by Roland Martin. Both evoked the singing of Lift Every Voice and Sing, known as the "Negro National Anthem". But that is where the similarities ended. At the RNC Trailblazer luncheon, the honorees were Senator Tim Scott (R. SC), Congresswoman Mia Long (R. UT), Congressman William Hurd (R. TX)and the legendary Senator Edward Brooke who recently passed in … [Read more...] about Black History Month: A Tale of 2 Political Parties
black history month
Five Legal Reasons Why Black History Month Matters
Every February we celebrate the history of African Americans with Black History Month, started by Carter G. Woodson in 1926 as Negro History Month. And every year the question is asked whether we still need to recognize Black History Month. While Black History Month is a time to recognize the rich history and accomplishments of African Americans, it should also be a time to view history in context with today’s challenges still facing blacks in America. And in that context, 2014 gave us five good legal reasons for Black History Month. Those reasons can be summed up with the cases of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Renisha McBride and Jordan Davis. These cases that took place in Missouri, New York, Ohio, Michigan and Florida represent why we need black history. The racial disparities and injustices in the criminal justice system along with continued racial stereotyping and profiling of blacks are but a few of the many issues facing blacks today. In the … [Read more...] about Five Legal Reasons Why Black History Month Matters