|
Susan
Mangatal - susan@ariousentertainment.us
Greetings
On-Line Family!
The special CNN
prepared and broadcast last Thursday on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was very
interesting. Don't you agree? Clearly, the
Government in many ways had a lot to do with this assassination,
and still there are lots of unanswered questions which we may
never get answers to. The WHY is clear though!
Apparently, in the minds of many (the powers that be) he had to
be eliminated because he was a detriment to America, and all it
had accomplished. Dr. King created a movement, and was
fighting for issues that many felt was undeserving. What a
real shame!!!!
Without a doubt,
in some ways a lot have been accomplished and we are indeed living some of Dr. King's
dreams. However, the core of what Dr. King was fighting for is still
among us, actually it never really left the surface...it's hunting
many of us openly and also deep within...RACE. In
reality, this RACE issue
was never gone, many of us just learned how to live with it, and
it certainly must be addressed and reconciled.
For me,
out of all
the coverage I viewed surrounding the Dr. King assassination
special on CNN, I became aware of one important issue that I am
embarrassed to say I had little knowledge of. On one of the
programs the CNN host interviewed a lovely couple Former
Secretary of Defense William Cohen and his wife Janet Langhart
Cohen who are an inter-racial couple that have been married for
12 years. Mr. Cohen who is white served as the Secretary
of Defense under the Clinton
Administration and his wife Janet is African-American and is a
former television host, and was a personal friend and mentor of
Dr. King. During the Cohen's interview they talked about RACE
in all forms, and how ugly racism has been in America's history
not only for them personally, but for many. They talked about their
life and the issues they faced. During this interview I
became aware of "Miscegenation Laws" - the prohibiting of
mixing of races (Blacks and whites were said to be different,
and "never the twain should meet." Under no
circumstances were they permitted to marry". I also
became aware of the Act that overturned this law in 1967.
Imagine a few years ago there was a law prohibiting the marriage
between blacks and whites. Hummm...and they say we must
stop talking about RACE, Oh...No...I don't think so, this
important issue will never heal until it is addressed and we
find ways to reconcile!!
Of course,
I was
determined to get all the facts on this law and as I researched I discovered
some of the reasons why it became a law and how/why it was
"Struck down"/abolished in 1967. So I thought it would be good to share
this information with you, in-case you were not aware of it (as
I was.) Apparently, it was an ongoing struggle to secure
the right to marry the partner of your choice regardless of
their race, and 40 U.S. states not so long ago once prohibited
marrying someone of the "wrong" race, no matter how
much you loved that person. Marriages between whites and
persons of color were decried as "immoral" and
"unnatural unions", and polls showed that overwhelming
numbers of Americans agreed. Despite the public opposition
to interracial marriage in 1948, the California Supreme Court
became the first state high court to declare a ban on
interracial marriage unconstitutional. In a popular case Perez
v. Sharp the Court stated that: "A member of
any of these races may find himself barred from marrying the
person of his choice and that person to him may be
irreplaceable. Human beings are bereft of worth and dignity by a
doctrine that would make them as interchangeable as
trains." The decision was controversial,
courageous and correct. At that time, 38 states still forbade
interracial marriage, and 6 did so by state constitutional
provision.
In
1967, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the remaining
interracial marriage laws nation-wide. A Virginia judge
had upheld that state's ban on interracial marriages, invoking
God's intention to separate the races. The U.S. Supreme Court
overturned his decision, declaring that: (1) the
“freedom to marry” belongs to all Americans; (2) marriage
is one of our “vital personal rights”; and (3) the right to
marry is “essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by a
free [people]"
This
all stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Mr. & Mrs. Lovings
against Virginia that officially legalized Interracial
Marriages. Below you will find I have included a very good
account of this issue obtained from Lashawn Barber.com.
Additionally, due to the acts of Legendary heavyweight champion
Jack Johnson many of these crazy laws were interacted.
Read both stories below and let me know your thoughts ariousentertainment@earthlink.net
You
should also check out the book that Mr. and Mrs. Cohen wrote
entitled "Love in
Black and White: A Memoir of Race, Religion and Romance"
Please
Note: After the Civil War,
states began to enact laws called the Black Codes in response to
the emancipation of slaves. Democrats created these laws for
newly-freed slaves that restricted their rights to own or rent
farmland, vote, sit on juries, testify against white men, sue,
enter into contracts, and intermarry with whites. Republicans
opposed the laws and wanted to pass the Civil Rights Bill to
protect former slaves. Democratic president Andrew Johnson
refused.
  The
Jack Johnson issue really effected race relations, and
it is as follows:
Jack Johnson was he first black
heavyweight champion who held the heavyweight title for
seven years before losing it to Jess Willard in Cuba in
1915. Johnson had a profound effect on race
relations. His flamboyant personality and his incessant
appetite for confrontation and white women ultimately
led to his demise. Johnson married three white
women and had numerous affairs with others. He was
fearless and had little respect for the conventions of
the day. It was this behavior that earned him the
name “Bad Nigger.” A Bad Nigger, in black
folklore, was a black man who did not play by the rules
of convention; they dressed well and had unquenchable
sex drives. They lived hedonistic lifestyles with a
blatant disregard for death or danger. The term was
used a badge of reverence among blacks. Some of
the headlines of that time read: (1) The Black Weekly,
The Philadelphia Tribune "Jack Johnson Dangerously
Ill, victim of white fever"; (2) The Los Angeles
Times - "How Jack Johnson Tortured his White Wife,
The Story of A Beast"; and the New York Times
stated "there will be no sympathy for his venture
in miscegenation"
In December of 1908, Johnson
beat Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia for the heavy
weigh title. In 1910, he beat former heavyweight
champion Jim Jeffries so badly that it humiliated
whites. Not only did he beat him, but he taunted him and
rubbed in the face of white Americans. Race riots ensued
all over America as a result of this event.
Because of Johnson's arrogance and love for white women,
many whites considered him a serious threat to racial
order. So in 1910 a law created by "prudish and
taciturn Republican congressman James Robert Mann was
passed called the Mann Act also known as the White Slave
Traffic Act.
After Johnson married Lucille
Cameron (a white woman), two ministers in the South
recommended lynching him (Gilmore, 1975, p.107). In a
reaction to the Johnson-Cameron marriage, in 1911 Rep.
Seaborn Roddenberry of Georgia introduced a
constitutional amendment to ban interracial marriages.
In his appeal to congress, Roddenberry stated
that: "No brutality, no infamy, no
degradation in all the years of southern slavery,
possessed such villainious character and such atrocious
qualities as the provision of the laws of Illinois,
Massachusetts, and other states which allow the marriage
of the negro, Jack Johnson, to a woman of Caucasian
strain. [applause]. Gentleman, I offer this resolution
... that the States of the Union may have an opportunity
to ratifty it. ... Intermarriage between whites and
blacks is repulsive and averse to every sentiment of
pure American spirit. It is abhorrent and repugnant to
the very principles of Saxon government. It is
subversive of social peace. It is destructive of moral
supremacy, and ultimately this slavery of white women to
black beasts will bring this nation a conflict as fatal
as ever reddened the soil of Virginia or crimsoned the
mountain paths of Pennsylvania. ... Let us uproot and
exterminate now this debasing, ultra-demoralizing,
un-American and inhuman leprosy." Congressional
Record, 62d. Cong., 3d. Sess., pp. 502-503.
In 1912, the Federal Government
accused Johnson of violating the "Mann Act"
for traveling across state lines with his white
mistress. Several Governors at a conference this
same year were in support of bills outlawing interracial
marriage and a week later Roddenburg introduced a
congressional amendment to impose a federal ban on
interracial marriages. Roddenberry and others,
miscegenation bills were introduced in 1913 in half of
the twenty states where this law did not exist.
Many blacks were lynched as
result of the actions of Johnson. Some suggest that
Johnson's brazen and sometimes reckless behavior did a
tremendous amount of damage to race relations in
America. Booker T. Washington detested Johnson's
self-centered lifestyle stating that “Johnson's
actions had injured his race and his personal rebellion
would result in a more general racial oppression”.
Johnson was eventually
convicted of violating the "Mann Act".
He was guilty of transporting a white woman over state
lines. After his planned fall to Willard, he returned to
the U.S. to serve all but a few days of his jail
sentence in Leavenworth, Kansas (Wiggins, 1993, p. 27).
Roberts captures the essence of Jack Johnson's character
and legacy when he states,
"The real Jack Johnson was
not a stereotype. His hatred of the white world was
almost as deep as his longing to be part of it. Although
he was admired by thousands of blacks during his own
day, he refused to accept the responsibility of
leadership...On only one point was Johnson consistent
throughout his life: he accepted no limitations. He was
not bound by custom, background, or race" (Roberts,
1983, p.229).
The Loving v. Virginia case that Legalizing
Interracial Marriage is as follows:
Loving v.
Virginia legalized interracial marriage and
distinguish between laws criminalizing marriage between
a man and woman of different races. The Supreme
Court declared in Loving
v. Virginia that laws against interracial marriage
violated the
Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.
Richard Loving and Mildred
Jeter had known each other since childhood in Central
Point, Virginia. In 1958, the two traveled to
Washington, D.C., to get married since they couldn’t
legally marry in Virginia. They returned to Virginia,
and a few months later, both were arrested and taken to
jail. They plead guilty to “unlawful cohabitation.”
The court suspended their one-year sentence in prison on
the condition that they leave Caroline Country,
Virginia, and not return together for twenty-five years.
The Lovings moved to Washington
and eventually appealed their convictions all the way to
the U.S. Supreme Court. Virginia defended its
anti-miscegenation laws on two grounds:
1) The laws
punished “equally both the white and the Negro
participants in an interracial marriage, these statutes,
despite their reliance on racial classifications, do not
constitute an invidious discrimination based upon
race”;
2) Assuming
that the Equal Protection Clause doesn’t void
miscegenation statutes because of racial
classifications, the issue becomes whether there is a
rational basis for the state to treat interracial
marriages differently. (”No State shall…deny to any
person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of
the laws.”)
In finding that Virginia’s
anti-miscegenation law violated the Lovings’
constitutional rights, the court rejected both
arguments. Racial classifications are suspect, and the
state must demonstrate a “permissible state objective,
independent of the racial discrimination which it was
the object of the Fourteenth Amendment to eliminate.”
Post-Civil War legislation (Thirteenth,
Fourteenth, and Fifteenth
Amendments) was designed to remove the color line and
declare all citizens equal before the law, and the court
rejected the notion that the equal protection
requirement was satisfied just because blacks and whites
were penalized equally for intermarrying.
The Court ruled that: "Marriage
is one of the 'basic civil
rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence
and survival.... To deny this fundamental freedom on so
unsupportable a basis as the racial
classifications embodied in these statutes,
classifications so directly subversive of the principle
of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth
Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's
citizens of liberty without due
process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires
that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by
invidious racial discriminations. Under our
Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not to marry, a
person of another race resides with the individual and
cannot be infringed by the State."
The court noted that the laws
prohibited interracial marriage with whites,
“designed to maintain White Supremacy.” Every other
race could legally marry. The court also found that
Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws violated the Due
Process Clause: “To deny this fundamental freedom on
so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications
embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly
subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of
the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the
State’s citizens of liberty without due process of
law.”
As marriage is defined as a
union between a man and a woman, there was no
“overriding purpose” to outlaw marriage between a
white man and a black woman other than blatant racial
discrimination.
For more details on the Lovings
and their case CLICK
HERE to read their story, and to read the actual
case law (decision) you can CLICK
HERE for Loving v. Virginia.
 
The time is drawing near for the
Pennsylvania Primary, which takes place on April 22, 2008. From the
news reports it seems Senator Barack Obama is steadily closing the gap of
Senator Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania. As you know several weeks
ago it was reported that Senator Clinton had a double digit lead over
Senator Obama. However, that lead has been narrowed substantially
and according to a poll conducted by (Quinnipiac University) a few days
ago it was reported
the double digit lead is currently down to just six points, and as of
today it's 4 points. How
exciting is this???? This primary is certainly going to be very
exciting.
As you know this was not
suppose to happen! Senator Obama closing the gap on Clinton?
Possibly winning? Never they said!!!! All of her supporters
and even many of the news channels said this will never happen! It
was reported that Senator Clinton will win Pennsylvania with a very high
lead over Senator Obama, and who knows this may have been possible.
However, many have reported that her recent claim of being under sniper
fire in Bosnia in 96, where she now claims she "misspoke" may
have been a reason for the drop in numbers, as well as the mother without
insurance issue, and the situation with her chief strategist's meeting
with Columbian Officials regarding the Columbia free trade deal issue that
she opposes. The fact still remains her lead is shrinking bit by bit
daily.
Never-the-less whatever the case may
be, we all are aware Senator Obama has had a unassailable and substantial
lead in this Democratic race over Senator Clinton, and which ever way it
goes, he would have still maintain that lead. I feel if he were to
loose Pennsylvania, it would be within a small margin; and therefore, he
would gain a fair amount of delegates, which would keep him in the lead.
Needless to say, that is not the
issue, and I strongly feel this exceptional candidate (Senator Obama) is
well on his way to winning the Pennsylvania Primary...actually I feel he
WILL win. It is absolutely clear that the momentum is here for
Senator Obama and the bus tour he has taken throughout Pennsylvania was
obviously very effective, as well as his campaign's excellent grassroots
effort!
I wonder what they will say now when
he wins. No matter which state he wins, that win becomes meaningless
to the Clinton supporters many news channels.
As for the Delegate
count, which may be
slightly higher. The Democratic Convention Watch indicates Senator Obama has a
total of 1638 (1416 pledged delegates and 222 super delegates.)
Senator Clinton's total 1498 (1253 pledged delegates and 245 super
delegates.) 2,024 is the total amount of delegates needed to win the
nomination.
This week you will find
for your viewing pleasure (below) a video I received from the Obama camp that
features students who are inspired and excited by Senator Obama's campaign
for President. Additionally, you
will find a very nice poem called "Today I voted for a black man, and
I cried" by a writer
who is unknown. Finally, you will find a very nice video of Senator
Obama's half sister Maya as she reflects and talks about her childhood
with Senator Obama, what his candidacy means to her, and his
family. ENJOY!!!
|
Video
of students at a high school in the Bronx "Bronx
High School of Performance and Stagecraft" who have been inspired by Barack Obama's campaign for
president.
Powered
by YouTube (13 min. & 20 sec.)
To
View Click
the picture below!
or
You can log on to Senator Obama's site
to view by clicking the following link: http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/yestheycan |
|
Here is the poem one of our on-line family sent us a few
weeks ago, which was pretty powerful (to me.)
Read it and let me know your thoughts! The author
is unknown.
"Today, I Voted for A Black
Man…and I Cried..."
Today, I cried…..I voted for
a black man and, I cried.
I cried for my father and my
grandfather and all grandfathers before him.
I cried for my uncles, my four
brothers, my seventeen nephews, my two sons, my six
grandsons and one great-grand son.
I cried for the black men I
have loved and those that have loved me.
I cried for the millions of
little black boys (not forgetting the girls) over the
centuries that did not, in their wildest dreams, imagine
that they could run for [the] Office [of President]. I
cried for their despair…
I cried for all the men and
boys incarcerated [justly, as well as unjustly] that
lost hope in themselves and [might have taken] the
low road.
I cried, I cried and I cried
….
I know that this was “just
the primary.” But whatever the end result may be,
today I voted in the United States of America for a
black man, and .. I cried.
If I should die before the
presidential election it will be OK, Because today I
voted. I voted for a black man and I cried. |
Below is a Video Podcast of Maya
Soetoro-Ng, Senator Obama's half sister.
The video shows Maya reflecting
and candidly talking about her childhood with Senator
Obama and what being a candidate means to her, her
brother and his family.
Maya stated in recent
interviews that her and her family (husband and child)
plans to be active, and would campaign on the Mainland
(Hawaii) if needed. She also stated her and Obama's
grandmother (Madelyn Dunham 84) lives in Honolulu and is
also supportive, however cannot be as active due to her
health.
"We both love a good story that captures the
human experience in all of its complexities," said
Soetoro-Ng, who now teaches history at the private La
Pietra Hawaii' School for Girls and instructs night
classes at the University of Hawaii.
Click on the picture below to
activate and play the video.
Video courtesy of blip.tv
(4 mins. 11 sec.) |
Please remember that tomorrow, April
11, 2008, is the last day for registering to vote in the North Carolina
primary. So if you are not registered please do so
immediately. The following is a link for you to get
registered: use the following link to register: http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/.
Also, several primaries will be taking
place in May: 6th of May is Indiana & North Carolina; May 13
- Nebraska & West Virginia; and May 20 - Kentucky and
Oregon. As these primaries approach, please keep talking, sharing and coming up with
solutions regarding the important RACE issue.
Don't forget
to tune in
to MSNBC tomorrow (Friday, April 11th) for the airing of the special
documentary I talked about last week involving Race entitled "Meeting
David Wilson". It’s regarding a young 28th year old gentleman
of African-American decent from Newark, New Jersey, who despite his tough
life through poverty, worked very hard and became a journalist in New
York. This young man Mr.
David A. Wilson while looking for answers to reconcile with his
ancestors’ history as slaves, discovers through his journey into his
family’s past another gentleman with his name David Wilson.
This gentleman Mr. Wilson found is a white man from North Carolina,
who is substantially older than himself, and who is the descendant of his
family’s slave master.
This interesting documentary “Meeting David
Wilson” is really about the enduring legacy of slavery in today’s young black
society. So don't forget to tune in
to the broadcast
on MSNBC tomorrow night at 9:00 pm (Friday, April 11, 2008) The host
is “Today” Correspondent Tiki Barber.
To
learn more about this documentary log on to www.meetingdavidwilson.com
and click the picture below to log into MSNBC and view the trailer.
Click
the following link for The You Tube video on this documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTWTn6d-Qeo
and click the following link to see ABC's Charlie Gibson talk about
this fascinating story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB3UJsdnukc
As
always remember to
judge Senator Obama on his words, his actions and the content of
his character.
Kindly continue standing up and do not
accept the same old tactics, rhetoric
and old politics. I encourage you to continue talking about race and
the hurtful issues you might have experienced throughout
life. Most importantly let's continue building this movement
and voting for Senator Obama. You must know by now that with your support and votes Senator
Obama will continue succeeding. We know he is "the
one"..."the one" who absolutely has the
ability and wisdom to move us forward; "the one"
who has the answers to all of the many issues plaguing America
currently, and we know he is "the one" who can take us
forward toward that change we are seeking in a positive
manner. I hope you are looking forward to
the overall change as I am, so lets continue making history
together!!!!
   
To all of you
our on-line family, thanks for reading, sharing your thoughts
and comments with us, and for always supporting
us. As you know without you there would be no us.
So thanks very much for your support and One Love!
For All Events
Go To
Our "Events"
Page
Check out our
"Featured Events" and PSA listed below. Many are taking place
this weekend, so log on to our "Events Page" above to
view all the events, and please go out and Support!
Also, there are
several taking next weekend and beyond, so to view all the Events please log on
to our "Events" Page above!
|
|
|
Friday,
April 11, 2008
Meeting
David Wilson
An
Interesting and Special
documentary about the enduring
legacy of slavery in today's young
society.
Broadcasting
on MSNBC
Friday,
April 11, 2008 @ 9:00 pm
Hosted
by “Today” Correspondent Tiki
Barber.
To
learn more about this documentary
log on to www.meetingdavidwilson.com
and click the picture above to log
into MSNBC and view the trailer.
Click
the following link for The You
Tube video on this documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTWTn6d-Qeo
and click the following link
to see ABC's Charlie Gibson talk
about this fascinating story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB3UJsdnukc |
|
Baltimore,
Maryland
THE
WEST INDIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
INC. (WIN-A)
EVERY 2nd
SATURDAY OF THE MONTH
STARTING
SATURDAY APRIL 12, 2008
@
CLUB 347
347
CALVERT ST. BALTIMORE MD
LADIES
FREE B4 10:00PM $10.00 AFTER
21
OR OLDER TO ENTER
DRESS
TO IMPRESS
9:00
pm –2:00 am
Music
SOCA,
REGGAE, R&B, WORLD BEAT
For
Information
410-245-0200 443-621-6404 |
|
PSA
Want
to travel to Jamaica for FREE?
Journey
to Jamaica May 2-9, 2008
to
encourage, inspire and spark children’s
interest in reading!
·
Do
you have a passion for
helping children?
·
Do
you want to help make a
difference in the lives of
children all over the world?
·
Become
a Literacy Ambassador and
participate in various
Education Week events as we
travel throughout the island
to celebrate Read Across
Jamaica Day (May 8).
Thanks
to a CLASS grant from NEA
Student Programs, two lucky
college students will have
their travel expenses
paid to journey to
Jamaica as "Literacy
Ambassadors".
Applications are now being
accepted. Deadline
to apply is April 11, 2007.
For
an application or more
information, visit www.readacrossja.com or
Contact: Ja'nice Wisdom,
Project Coordinator at
301-806-2984.
“Share
a book with a child and you
have given illiteracy a dose
of cure!”
Volunteer
today!
|
|
Sunday
- April 20, 2008
Jackie
& Associates
Presents
“MAS*MAS”
For
DC Carnival 2008
Member of CBLA
Band
launching & Fundraiser
Sunday
April 20, 2008
@805
Philadelphia Ave.
Silver
Spring, MD. 20910
From
5pm – 9pm
Music:
By DJ Blast or DJ Sprang
International
For Info: (301) 565-9037
or
301-524-8718
Or visit us on the
web at
www.Jackiecarnival.com
|
|
|
|
   
|
or Click
Here
Happy
1st Anniversary to Corrine and her husband on their marriage.
May you and your husband continue loving each other forever, and
may you be blessed with many years of happiness. 
