character ed 2011 week 2

8/7/2019 Character Ed 2011 Week 2

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Afro-American Newspapers February 12, 2011 Character Education/Black History Month 1


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2 Character Education/Black History Month February 12, 2011 Afro-American Newspapers

A publication of the

Afro-American Newspapers

The Baltimore

Afro-American Newspaper

2519 N. Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21218

(410) 554-8200

The Washington

Afro-American Newspaper

1917 Benning Road NE

Washington, DC 20002

(202) 332-0080

John J. Oliver Jr.

Chairman/Publisher

Character Education Project Manager

Diane Hocker

Character Education Coordinator

Takiea Hinton

Project Editors

Zenitha Prince

Talibah Chikwendu

Kristin Gray

Electronic Editor

William Parschalk

Graphic Designer

Denise Dorsey

Character Education

Black History MonthAfrican Americans

and the Civil War4Character Education Prole: BGE

5Black History Introduction

6Black Participation in Civil War Obscured

8Character Education Prole: College Savings Plans of Maryland

10 Character Education Profle: Legg Mason

11Character Education Profle: Legg Mason

12 Blacks in Non-Combative Roles Spun the Civil War

13 Impact of the Underground Railroad on the War

15 Character Education Profle: Verizon

Table of Contents


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The Afro-American NewspapersCharacter Education programis designed to promote

positive character traits in our publicschool students. Each year, severalcorporate professionals and businessleaders join our eort and share storiesthat illustrate how the building of

their character not only helps thempersonally but also in the workplace.During Black History Month, theAFRO is delivered to public middleschools across the region includingAnne Arundel County, BaltimoreCity and Baltimore County, HowardCounty, Montgomery County, Prince

Georges County and Washington,D.C. Each publication contains thetestimonies of our corporate partners.

How does it work?During the AFROs Black History

Month series the newspapers mostactive and sought after series eachyear we feature a Black History andCharacter Education publication thatproles diverse corporate professionals,their success stories and helpfulstrategies for planning a successfulcareer. Each week, eighth-graders fromAnne Arundel County, BaltimoreCity and Baltimore County, Howard

County, Montgomery County, PrinceGeorges County and Washington, D.C.Public Schools receive the publicationat no cost. Te goal is for students toread the featured proles and Blackhistory content and submit an essayconnecting what theyve learned froma particular prole to the importance

of character building. Winners of theessay contest are awarded valuableprizes to further their education andan opportunity to meet the corporateprofessional they chose to write about.

Why eighth-graders?Our research shows that by the

eighth grade, most students have startedto seriously think about their careergoals and and are more receptive tothe information shared by the businesscommunity.

How can the schools help? Allow the AFRO to deliver

Character Education to your school ona weekly basis throughout the month ofFebruary. In addition, provide theAfro-American Newspapers in your schoolsmedia center or library on a weeklybasis for the current calendar year.

Assist in coordinating thedistribution of the publication within

participating school districts. Identify a liaison to advise us on

information concerning charactereducation that can be included in eachedition.

Encourage teachers and students toparticipate in the essay contest.

How do schools beneft? Te AFRO encourages sta and

students of participating schools tosubmit stories, columns, photos, etc.,about the importance of education andgood character.

During February, all participatingschools receive the Character Education

publication to assist students in theirlearning of Black history and to furtherpromote literacy.

Partnership opportunity

Corporations, nonprots and otherorganizations are invited to becomestrategic partners with this campaign.

By becoming a partner, your companywill help provide the AFRO as aneducational tool to eighth-gradersthroughout the region. In addition,your company will illustrate its supportfor professional development amongtodays youth.

Character Education 2011


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Ive always been an outspoken, social person who wel-

comes new experiences and opportunies. Beginning in ju-

nior high school, I learned that geng involved in acvies

such as student government was an eecve way to further

develop good communicaon and interpersonal skills. In

the 8th grade I was elected president of the student council,

which was a big boost to my condence and showed me

that establishing strong leadership skills at an early age can

have posive lifelong results.

When it came to academics, I knew that there was no sub-

stute for hard work. Teachers played a big role in shaping

my experiences, and as I connued to do well in my school

work, they showed a true interest in my progress. They

were pushed me to achieve success by encouraging me to

take on even more challenges. In response, I was always

respecul and willing to listen to their advice. I made it

a point to surround myself with those who were posive

inuences and tried to strike a good balanced between

academics, giving back to the community, and having social

me with family and friends.

It wasnt too long before I started thinking about my future and looking at

the bigger picture, which included the kind of career I wanted to pursue. I

knew that, because of the strong foundaon I had built though hard work

in school, I was in control and I could choose the career path that comple-

mented my skills and talents. I had the power and responsibility to make it

happen.

I decided that the eld of human resources was a natural t for me be-

cause I like working with a wide variety of people and personalies, and I

like helping others achieve their career goals. Today, as a manager in BGEshuman resources department, I meet with people every day who are look-

ing for guidance and advice. Its so grafying to be in a posion to provide

that support.

Being responsible has been one of the keys to my success. My advice to

students today is to get involved, stay acve, ask quesons, stay balanced,

make good decisions, and be responsible for your acons.

Robert MatthewsManager, Human ResourcesBaltimore Gas & Electric Co.

Be Responsible for Your Actions


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African Americans and the War Effort

U

ntil July 1862 when Congress passed theMilitia Act, men of

African descent were barred from participating in the armed

forces. Disparate pay and other discriminatory policies

plagued African Americans ghting in the Civil War, but their bravery

and willingness to combat slavery played an indelible role in the wars

outcome.

In addition to Blacks serving in the military, a number of African

Americans participated in non-combative capacities as cooks, guards,

surgeons and in other trades. Black women also played pertinent roles

in non-combative duties, working as nurses, scouts and laundry and

cleaning attendants.

As the sesquicentennial anniversary of Civil War events approaches,

theAFRO recounts Black Americans contributions to war efforts and

highlights some of the people and events often overlooked in modern

discussions. Week two of theAFROs Black History Month coveragediscusses African-American participation in the ght against slavery;

their behind-the-scenes roles as support personnel and the impact of the

Underground Railroad.

Celebrating Black History Month


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Black Participationin Civil War Obscured

By Zenitha Prince

Washington Bureau Chief

B

lacks have always been just as willing

as they have been loyal in servingtheir country. According to Hari

Jones, curator, African American Civil War

Memorial & Museum, enslaved and free

Blacks jumped at the opportunity to serve

during the Civil War.

They viewed this from the very beginning

as a coming opportunity to end the tyranny of

slavery, he said of their motivations.

But legally men of African descent were

barred from military participation until July

17, 1862, when the Second Conscationand Militia Actwas passed, giving President

Abraham Lincoln the right to use Colored

men in any capacity they were t to perform

in military. Though Blacks viewed the law as

a victory, it also marked the beginning of a

long history of discrimination against African

Americans in the military, beginning with the

inequality of pay.

Section 15 of theMilitary Actmandated

Hardly a battle was fought to the end of the war in which some Negro troops did not meet the enemy,notes historian John Hope Franklin in his 1980 book From Slavery to Freedom.

Photos Courtesy National Archives


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inequity in troops salaries Black soldiers were paid $10 minus $3 for uniformscompared to the $13 awarded to their White peers.

Additionally, historians say, Blacks were often used for menial labor. When theUnion rst accepted black volunteers, it segregated them and exposed them to otherforms of discrimination, less overt but still troubling. African American regimentswere given the lions share of the armys menial work, such as digging, construction,sanitation, and burial of the dead, according Christopher E. Henrys essay Victoryor Death: Black Soldiers.

Though Jones disagreed with the characterization of any job in a combat zone asmenial, he agreed that there was discrimination against Black enlistees. There wasa great deal of questioning by their peers, initially, on whether they could hold theirown, he said.

But that doesnt mean Blacks were only noncombatants. As early as 1862, Black

combat troops were involved in military efforts. When you look at the ofcialrecords, theyre performing a broad range of duties from what we would callspecial ops, long range reconnaissance patrols, to the moreconventional assaults on fortied positions. Theyre involvedin every major campaign of the war in some capacity or theother after Jan. 1, 1863, Jones said.

And the Colored Troops soon proved their worth,prompting their increased use in combat and the equalizationof pay in mid-1864 at which time they received increasedpay, arrears and back pay, Jones said. By wars end, 16 Blacksoldiers had been awarded the Medal of Honor for their

valor.In one example of such bravery cited by Victory orDeath, in 1863 the Corps dAfrique, an elite Louisianaunit unusually led by a Black ofcer, Capt. Andr Callioux,successfully waged a Union attack on the Confederate baseat Port Hudson, a town along the Mississippi River. Duringthe battle Calliouxs arm was smashed by a bullet, but hesoldiered on refusing aid and leading his men until he felldead.

A white ofcer who saw the charge of the CorpsdAfrique had this to say in a letter to a friend: You haveno idea how my prejudices with regard to negro troops have

been dispelled by the battle the other day. The brigade ofnegroes behaved magnicently. They are far superior indiscipline to the white troops and just as brave, the essayread.

Another 19,000 African Americans also served in theUnion navy, according to the National Archives, where,at rst, they were relegated to positions as remen, coalheavers, mess stewards, or cooks.

In spite of that tradition, however, some black sailorsmanaged to take part in the hottest actions, Victory orDeath stated.

Some examples of naval feats performed by Blacks include the bravery of SouthCarolina slave Robert Smalls, who while impressed into service by the Confederacy,

led a band of Black dockworkers in the seizing of a Confederate boat and its deliveryto the Union navy. And there was William Tillman, a freedman, who singlehandedlyrecaptured a Union ship that was seized by the southern forces and sailed it into NewYork harbor.

Such efforts from Blacks on behalf of the Union were met by Confederate outrage,and the Confederate Congress passed a law saying that captured Black Union soldierscould be shot, hanged, or sold into slavery. Still, African Americans were used inseveral capacities in the Confederate military.

It was against the law to bring Negroes into their army, Jones, the curator, said.What they did do, however, is they would contract with planters for their slavesto build fortications, lay railroad tracks, move suppliesThese enslaved persons,

however, do not get paid; their so-called owners get paid. So theyre not Confederate

The Confederate reaction to Blackparticipation in the Union forces wasbrutal. This illustration depicts themassacre of Colored Union troops andtheir White ofcers by the Confeder-ates at Fort Pillow.

Continued on page 9

AFRO Archives Illustration


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Giving Back: A Synonym for Character

Ovetta M.

Moore

I have always believed that having great character is the heart of any professionals success and

having a strong spiritual base is the greatest character builder. It is my spiritual core that hasrounely movated me to place the needs of less fortunate people above my personal desires for

success. And somemes that willingness to give rather than receive has brought me some of my

greatest joy. That certainly was the case when I helped USA TODAY Columnist DeWayne Wickham

create and manage the Woodholme Foundaon.

For 10 years, while working with the State of Maryland in a senior leadership posion and serv-

ing on the boards of several community-based organizaons, I helped Wickham run a charitable

program that gave hope to some hopeless young people many others had wrien o. We found a

way to send them to college even though most nished high school with a GPA of 2.0, or less. We

selected them because a teacher, counselor or principal believed they possessed the academic

ability to succeed in college despite their low grades in high school. That teacher or counselor

also cered that the students low grades resulted from something other than lack of eort or

ability. This program, which we called A Second Chance, changed the lives of nearly 50 young

people who were trapped in this naons underclass unl the Woodholme Foundaon reached

out to them.

As the foundaons unpaid president, I worked with Wickham to lead a team of more than 100

volunteers who raised money to pay for The Second Chance program. We gave each of our

Woodholme kids full funding for their rst year of college including tuion, room and board,

tutors, mentors, travel, books, fees and a weekly spend. During the rest of their me in college,

our students received a reduced level of funding and were encouraged to get a student loan and,

if necessary, a part-me job to meet their nancial needs because as Wickham oen said: Our

program is a helping hand, not a handout.

Helping to educate these young people and helping to build their character and self esteem in

the process brought considerable sasfacon to us all. As I watched the foundaon grow, I also

witnessed great character traits expand in many of our volunteers. They eagerly provided love

and support to our students in a way most had never experienced. In one parcular case, a senior

volunteer, Sharon Pinder, invited one of our students to spend a Christmas holiday with her family

when she realized the young lady had nowhere to go during that semester break. The support

that student received from the Pinder family has yielded a surprising benet for everyone involved.

Because of their unselsh generosity, this student who lost her parents in an African civil war found a

new family. Aer struggling through high school in Delaware, she went on to earn two degrees and is now

a Registered Nurse at Provident Hospital in Washington, D.C., specializing in cardiac and crical care. Thefaith the Pinder family showed by making her a part of their family is a product of their great character.

There are many stories like this which come out of the Woodholme Foundaons

10-year existence. Many of the volunteers gave so much more than they received for

their eorts a true measurement of a persons character. Great character promotes

high achievement. It movates people to commit seless acts and encourages them

to help the less fortunate scale hurdles. It opens our hearts to the disadvantaged, and

our minds to the possibility that we can make a dierence. Great character promotes

honesty, caring and boundless giving. And, for me, there is no greater joy.


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Members ofthe 54th Regimenthonoring the anni-versary of Union Maj.Gen. Godfrey Weitzelscapture of Richmond the Confederate capital

on April 3, 1865. Therst units of Weitzelscommand included U.S.Colored Troops frominfantry and cavalryregiments.

soldiers, theyre slaves impressed

into labor in support of the

Confederacy.

Like Smalls and Tillman,

however, many aided the cause

of the Union, as did free men

of color. For example, in the

state of Louisiana the governor

authorized the organization of

a single regiment as the state

militia.the Louisiana Native

Guards. That regiment was led

by a group of men who were

clearly Union sympathizers,

Jones said. The defenses of

New Orleans were sabotaged in

1862 and these men were among

the best candidates of those who

sabotaged the defenses

These men go on to become the rst African-American ofcers in the

United States Army in our history. So theyre clearly more Union guys than

Confederate.The singular role of Black troops in the outcome of the

Civil War was encapsulated in President Lincolns 1865

statement: Without the military help of black freedmen, the

war against the South could not have been won.

But that fact has been underplayed and misrepresented

in history books and school instruction, a fact lamented by

W.E.B. DuBois in his essay The Propaganda of History.

To illustrate, DuBois cited W.E. WoodwardsMeet General

Grant, in which the writer asserts, The American Negroes are

the only people in the history of the world, so far as I know,

that ever became free without any effort of their own. . . .They had not started the war nor ended it. They twanged

banjos around the railroad stations, sang melodious spirituals,

and believed that some Yankee would soon come along and

give each of them forty acres of land a mule.

DuBois refuted that, however, saying, The freedmen,

far from being the inert recipients of freedom at the hands

of philanthropists, furnished 200,000 soldiers in the Civil

War who took part in nearly 200 battles and skirmishes, and

in addition perhaps 300,000 others as effective laborers and

helpers.

Black ParticipationContinued from page 7

AFRO File Photos/Willie Redd


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What do I have to oer? you may ask. You owe it to yourself to nd out.

You all have gis, and some are obvious. Other talents, however, are like

gems from a buried treasure. They require courage and perseverance to

mine over me.

I have worked for Legg Mason Technology Services for 10 years. Five years

ago, I was transioned to the Training Department to work administravely

behind the scenes. Although I was not asked to be a trainer per se, I felt

compelled to learn, since every team member was a seasoned presenter.

Inside, I was terried because I had a fear of public speaking. I can recount

many mes in the past where I would do all in my power to avoid it. Aerprayerful consideraon, I knew it was me to conquer this fear. I told my

boss I wanted to try, and he encouraged me. My fathers instrucon from my

childhood bubbled up inside, Cant nobody beat you, if you work hard! he

would say.

I got to work. In preparaon, I studied my colleagues in acon. I read arcles

and took classes. I pracced over and over. I learned that my nerves, fueled

by adrenaline, could be used posively to power my voice and spark excite-

ment in the audience.

The big day came, and so did the anxiety. But now, I also had bold condence

and authority. It was a success. I not only got through it, but I discovered a

skill that was inside me all of the me, a precious jewel once buried that was

now polished and gliering in the light.

No maer how old or established you become, you should always work to

uncover more of your talents. Dont be afraid. Challenge yourself, for beyond

great fear oen lies the most valuable of prizes. Work hard and dig deep. Just

as a miner who drills into the earth searching for gold and precious stones, ifyou dig deep you will connue to yield, from within yourself, stunning treasures

once hidden beneath the surface ...tools for great success.

Ebony Anderson

Discover Your Hidden Treasure

Specialist Voice and AVSenior Applications SupportLegg Mason Technology Services


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What brought me to this point in my career? Condence. My old historyteacher, Mr. Shapiro, once told me that I always had it in me. But, what was

it? A brain capable of understanding work and solving problems if I tried

hard enough and pushed myself to succeed? Prior to the 10th grade, I never

thought I could be as smart as my older sister and would never measure up to

her. Unfortunately, this made me doubt myself. As a result, I never made the

eort to be at the top of my class and was just an average student. However,

my ah ha moment came when I was in the 10th grade and I told Mr. Shap-

iro about the progress I was making in my new school. He looked me in the

eyes and said, Donna, you always had it. At that pivotal moment I began to

believe in myself, and since then, have never doubted the possibilies of whatI could do.

My career did not jump start overnight either. I observed, studied, took

wrien and mental notes, as well as the necessary rm-related and college

courses that would help me be producve and successful. I started working

in the nancial industry in 1989 with no knowledge of the industry, especially

mutual funds. I saw my new job as a challenge and learned the mutual funds

operaonal business from my colleagues, supervisors, and managers. Like

a sponge I soaked in everything that they taught me. I completed each as-signment that was given to me no maer how dicult it was, because I was

condent in succeeding. Twenty-one years later and several job changes, I am

sll in the mutual funds business. As a vice president of my department, I am

responsible for the implementaon of product iniaves and changes.

Somemes people are afraid to take the next step because they are comparing

themselves to others and their successes. However, if individuals would only dare

to grasp the condence that everyone possesses, they would see that just like

knowledge, possibilies in life are endless.

Without condence you are twice defeated in the race of life, with condence

you have won before you have started. - Marcus Garvey

You Always Had It

Donna

Cyris-HallVice President/ManagerProduct AdministrationLegg Mason


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By Valencia Mohammed

Special to the AFRO

Although much of the Civil War recorded reects the struggle between Whites

from the North and South over the issues of slavery and states rights, Blacks

played signicant parts in non-combative roles throughout the war and

towards the end, combative positions as well.

It is vitally important for African Americans to understand the signicance of ourcontributions to both sides of the Civil War in non-combative [ways], said Hari Jones,

52, curator at the African American Civil War Museum.

Both the Union and Confederates needed laborers to perform such tasks as builders

for fortication sites and railroads, blacksmiths, saddlers, chaplains, cooks, guards,

surgeons, teamsters, surgeons and supply clerks. Black women worked as nurses,

scouts, and laundry and cleaning attendants.

In the spring of 1861, Union army Gen. Benjamin Butler gave refuge to three

Black men who were working for the Confederate army. The Confederates paid slave

owners to use men claimed as property for various labor

tasks. Butler convinced the Union president that it should

conscate this property as contraband of war. In August

1861, Congress passed the First Confscation Actwhich

authorized generals to conscate captives and contract their

services for the Union army.

In July 1862, Congress passed the

Second Confscationand Militia Act, whichgave the captives freedom. The Union

army hired these men to perform a host of

duties and paid them wages. Word caught

on quickly throughout the South that the

federal government was hiring runaways as

contract laborers. In two months time, 4,200

runaways who sought freedom came to

Washington, D.C.

At that time, there were a half-million

Blacks in Non-Combative RolesSpun the Civil War

Continued on page 14

Blacks wereemployed ascooks and othernon-combativecapacities duringthe Civil War.

U.S.S. Hunchback,a gunboat commissioned

for patrol duty on the JamesRiver (1863-1865). Many Blacks,

such as banjoist John Tomilinseen in the foreground, were hired

as musicians. Of the 52 crewmembers shown here 16 are

colored.

AFROF

ilePhoto

Photos Courtesy National Archives


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Impact of the UndergroundRailroad on the WarBy Stephen D. Riley

AFRO Staff Writer

By the time the rst musket was red, hailing the

start of the Civil War, the Underground Railroad

was coming to an end. Fueling the tension

between northern and southern states during its peak

years from 1850 to 1860, thefamous slave network had

already guided many Blacks

to free states and petitioned

several citizens to stand up

against slavery before the war

began in 1861. While it wasnt

the primary cause of the war,

the Underground Railroad

played a major role in leading

to the abolition of slavery

towards the wars conclusion.Born around the

tumultuous time of the

Fugitive Slave Law of 1793,

which held originating

states responsible for

catching runaway slaves,

the Underground Railroads

vigilantes saw the perfect

opportunity to create meeting

grounds and secret hideouts

among other avenues to bearslaves north to free land. With

the only threat of prosecution

coming from ofcers of

their residential lands, many

Blacks took the risk to escape,

eeing at night by foot or

wagon and resting by day at

undisclosed hideaways. Once the Fugitive Slave Act

and Compromise of 1850 were passed simultaneously in

the same year tightening slave laws and requiring all

federal ofcers to aide in the return of runaways the

Underground Railroad, or Freedom Train as it was

affectionately called, took on a revolutionary life of its

own.

People underground got really involved with the

issue of slavery and had very strong feelings about

what should happen. Feelings that were so strong that

people were willing to risk their own lives and their own

freedom to help Blacks ee to the North, says Debra

Newman Ham, professor of history at Morgan State

University and senior author and editor ofThe African-

American Mosaic: A Guide to Black History Resources

in the Library of Congress (1993) and author ofBlack

History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National

Archives (1984). It was this sentiment prior to the Civil

War that helped lead to the animosity between the North

and the South.

In many ways the work of the Underground Railroad

and its general, Harriet Tubman who later led raids,

and served as a nurse andspy among other duties for

the Union army served

as a precursor to the war.

According to M.W. Taylors

essay General Tubman Goes

to War found inHarriet

Tubman, Black Americans of

Achievement, in April 1860

Tubman led a raid in Troy,

N.Y., where she overwhelmed

dozens of lawmen to rescuefugitive slave Charles Nalle.

Harriet Tubmans victory,

commented biographer Earl

Conrad, was a high point of

the fugitive slave history that

racked the nations breast for

10 years. If [John] Browns

Virginia raid was a dress

rehearsal for the Civil War,

Harriets action was a bugle

call for the war to begin,

Taylor cited.

For free Blacks, it wasnt a

decision of which side to take

after the Civil War began,

but how soon to join. With

the Confederate and Union

states trading counter blows,

escaped African Americans who had traveled north to

free land felt obliged to join the Union Army in attempt

to put a halt on what had quickly became a crucial

AFRO File Illustration/ T.S. Stockett

Harriet Tubman led many slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad, and many ofthose ex-slaves contributed toward the Union cause in the Civil War.

Continued on page 14


14/16


freedmen and 3 million Blacks enslaved in America. In a short period, millions left

the plantations, made it to the Union lines and became freedmen. This devastated the

Southern economy. Thus, labor force was critical to the Confederate army.

Unlike what has been portrayed in the past, this showed Blacks refused to be

passive in the war that would lead to their freedom. They took an active role, said

Jones.

Jones recalled a well-known phrase by Frederick Douglass used to encourage the

Union Army to recruit Blacks to ght for them: Why are you ghting the war with

one hand? Release the Blacks and let them ght for you.

African Diaspora historian andBlack, Copper and Brightauthor Carroll Gibbs -

credited with writing the only book on the Black Civil War regiment of the District ofColumbia - points out little known history about the signicant roles Blacks played in

the Union armys victory.

Gibbs concurred with Jones analysis and offered more details about instrumental

non-combative roles Blacks played. Blacks engaged in many signicant operations

such as espionage. The information gathered from these secret missions were very

important to the success of the Union, said Gibbs.

Mary Bowser, a housekeeper for the Confederate President Jefferson Davis, spied

for the North inside the Confederate White House. William Jackson, a coachman, who

also worked for Davis, gave valuable information to top military Union leaders after

he escaped to freedom. John Stobell, a well-known Black spy, delivered information

back and forth enemy lines at great risk to his own life by assuming differentoccupational disguises. Mary Tovestre, a housekeeper in Norfolk, Va., worked for a

naval engineer. Tovestre conscated naval attack plans, headed north and gave it to

the Union army. The plans were of the rst iron clad ship, The Merrymac. With this

information, the Union army decided to iron clad its most advance ship, The Monitor.

In 1862, Robert Smalls, a slave, not only conscated plans to build a large

steamship to be used by the Confederates in the Charleston Harbor, he stole a large

vessel and led a party of Blacks to safety to the Union army. Smalls later became a

senator during the Reconstruction Period.

In Maryland, Black folks did not get their freedom until Nov. 1, 1864. Maryland

fought hard to keep Black people enslaved and it was dangerous for Blacks to walk

off nearby Maryland plantations into the District. Sometimes there were dead Black

bodies just feet away from the District border. Washington, with its 69 forts, became

a magnet for slaves seeking freedom from Maryland and Virginia.

U.S. Rep. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) recently introduced a bill to provide the U.S.

National Parks with funds to restore important landmarks of the Civil War and to

educate Americans and tourists about its history.

Black historians question whether local ofcials understand the signicance of the

sesquicentennial anniversary.

We need to make sure our voices are heard when politicians make awards for

commemorative events, Gibbs said. We must be involved in organized events about

the Civil War or our history will be lost in sauce and our children will believe we did

nothing to obtain our freedom.

source of income for their former slave

masters.

Slavery, by the time of the Civil

War, was so protable in the South that

slaves were producing the majority

of all the cotton used in the world,

Newman Ham says. And this was

the time of the Industrial Revolution

when textile industries in the northern

United States, England and other parts

of Europe were just really ourishing.

So the southerners wanted to hold onto

this institution that was making them

very rich and the northerners were just

adamant that the institution should end.

Although anxious to join the war

efforts, African Americans could not

ght due to a 1792 law that forbid

them to bear arms in the U.S. army.

But just as cleverly as they found their

way around the Fugitive Slave Law,

desperate Blacks found other ways tohelp the army. Utilizing the knowledge

of their former plantations, ex-slaves

served as scouts, guides and spies

and worked as cooks, launderers and

blacksmiths among other occupations

for the Union army, forcing an impact

without even donning a rearm.

After Congress passed the Second

Conscation and Militia Act of 1862,

authorizing President Abraham Lincoln

to employ Blacks in the Union army,African Americans slowly began to

answer the call to arms and help tilt the

battle towards ending American slavery.

Fed up with slavery and inhumane

treatment, participating in the war

wasnt just an option for many, but a

chance to demonstrate their own power

after years of being powerless.

African Americans saw the war as

a war for their liberation, said Edna

Greene Medford, associate professor

of history at Howard University

and coauthor ofThe Emancipation

Proclamation: Three Views. Even

though nobody suggested that, thats just

how they saw it. Thats how enslaved

people saw it [and] thats how free

Blacks saw it as well. Enslaved people

took the opportunity from the chaos

of the war to escape the plantation. It

wasnt even called the Underground

Railroad at the time it was just fugitives

from slavery taking advantage of the

war because they werent even always

going to the North; people were running

to the union line at many instances.

Once reaching the union line, ex-

slaves were beyond willing to donate

their services to a righteous cause.

But it wasnt just runaways who were

participating, some of the now freshly

minted soldiers were free Black menfrom the North who had never been

enslaved a day in their life. In fact,

Blacks, both freed and ex-slaves, made

up close to 10 percent of the Union

army, the third-highest percentile of the

near 2.2 million Union soldiers who

served during the time period.

Whether as noncombatants, heavily

armed troops or freedom seekers,

the Underground Railroad paved the

way for new lifestyles for many whotraveled along its varied pathways. As

a direct means for former slaves to link

to northern allies, the Underground

Railroad was more than a route for

southern servants to venture on. As time

progressed and runaways transformed

into soldiers and battle combatants,

the Freedom Train contributed more

towards the war than its originators

couldve ever imagined.

Non-Combative Roles Underground RailroadContinued from page 12 Continued from page 13


15/16


Success is Measured by Character, Not Status

Lynnette F. CarterSourcing Process Leader,Network Strategic Sourcing

Verizon

My name is Lynnee Featherstone Carter and I work at Verizon's Silver

Spring, Md. locaon. I am a sourcing process leader in Network Strategic

Sourcing, and I negoate mul-million-dollar network maintenance con-

tracts across all regions of Verizon (North America, Central America, Europe,

Asia Pacic) with some of Verizon's top strategic suppliers. I have worked for

Verizon for 14 years and have a breadth of network management experi-

ence in all aspects of the business. I received a bachelors degree in indus-

trial engineering from Morgan State University and a masters of business

administraon (MBA) from the University of Maryland.

Any successes that I have aained I aribute to the pursuit of values and

purpose; and endurance in that pursuit.

Given the current levels of governmental, corporate, and individual ethical

misdeeds that connue to be disclosed in the media, I believe an under-

standing of virtue, ethics and character as essenal traits will enhance our

ability to curb ethical misconduct and succeed in society.

Virtue is a concept that always has denoted excellence on the part of an

individual. In classical Greek philosophy, the only ethics was virtue ethics,the excellence of character. Therefore, success is actually a quest to fulll

character virtue, not status. The fulllment of success is obtained as we

adhere to the following traits of character that would be virtuous in any

environment: honesty, loyalty, sincerity, courage, reliability, trustworthiness,

benevolence, sensivity, helpfulness, cooperaveness, faithfulness, de-

cency, modesty, openness, cheerfulness, tolerance, reasonableness, tacul-

ness, winess, gracefulness, liveliness, persistence, prudence, resourceful-

ness, peacefulness, warmth, hospitality, and especially gratefulness!


16/16


Afro-American NewspapersCharacter Education Essay Contest

T

he Afro-American Newspapers Character Education

Contest was launched 14 years ago to promote

positive character development among the nations

leaders of tomorrow our youth.We believe good character has to be taught and

modeled, which is why we have chosen to prole local corporate

professionals and business leaders in our publication.

Te featured individuals, time and time again, incorporate positive

character traits such as honesty, respect, responsibility, courage

and perseverance in their everyday lives, proving to be positive role

models in their community.

For the contest, students are asked to read the featured proles

and choose the one that inspires them most to incorporate positive

character traits in their own lives. Students should then write an essay

that best explains why they chose the article and how they plan to use

what theyve learned to shape their future.

Essays should be between two and four pages in length (double-spaced) and must be typed.

Essays will be judged on neatness, grammar, punctuation and the

students ability to give insight on what they learned from the prole.

Judges are impartial volunteers and may include teachers, sta from

local colleges and universities and the editorial sta at theAFRO.

For more information concerning the Afro-American Newspapers

Character Education Contest, please contact: Diane Hocker,

410-554-8243.

Deadline: April 8, 2011Mail typed essays to

:Diane Hocker Afro-American Newspapers2519 N. Charles Street Baltimore, Md. 21218

or e-mail them to:

[email protected]

No faxes will be accepted

Cash prizes to be awarded

Eighth-Graders Only

character ed 2011 week 2

Documents