character ed 2011 week 4

8/7/2019 Character Ed 2011 Week 4

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Afro-American Newspapers February 26, 2011

Week 4


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2 Character Education/Black History Month February 26, 2011

3Black History Introduction

4Character Education Prole: BGE

6Black Politics After the Civil War

7The Freedmens Bureau

8Character Education Prole:College Savings Plans of Maryland

9Black Townships and Migration

10Character Education Prole:Legg Mason

11Character Education Prole:

Legg Mason

12Black Education

13Character Education Prole:T. Rowe Price

15Character Education Prole:Verizon

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 War

Table of Contents

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 oftheir character not only helps thempersonally but also in the workplace.During Black History Month, theAFROis delivered to public middleschools across the region includingAnne Arundel County, BaltimoreCity and Baltimore County, HowardCounty, Montgomery County, PrinceGeorges 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 thepublication at no cost. Te goal is forstudents to read the featured prolesand Black history content and submitan essay connecting what theyvelearned from a particular prole tothe importance of character building.Winners of the essay contest areawarded valuable prizes to further theireducation and an opportunity to meetthe corporate professional they chose towrite about.

Why eighth-graders?Our research shows that by the

eighth grade, most students havestarted to seriously think about theircareer goals and are more receptive to

the information shared by the businesscommunity.

How can the schools help? Allow the AFROto deliver

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

Assist in coordinating the

distribution of the publication withinparticipating school districts.

Identify a liaison to advise uson information concerning charactereducation that can be included in eachedition.

Encourage teachers and studentsto participate in the essay contest.

How do schools beneft? Te AFROencourages 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 Educationpublication to assist students in theirlearning of Black history and to furtherpromote literacy.

Partnership opportunityCorporations, nonprots and other

organizations are invited to becomestrategic partners with this campaign.By becoming a partner, your companywill help provide the AFROas 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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W

hen the last musket had been shot and the dust cleared

from elds of battle in the American Civil War, possi-

bilities loomed large for the estimated 4 million former

enslaved African Americans.

Many ed from the sites of their ignominy, the now-decimated planta-

tions where they had suffered the fate of men, women and children con-

sidered as chattel. They developed townships of their ownraised their

own crops on 40-acre plots conscated from their former owners and

promised to them by the Union. And many more turned their eyes toward

the North, leaving the South in a large exodus of impoverished people

seeking an urban promise land.

With the singular contributions of Black men and women in the war of

the states, the goodwill extended to former slaves translated itself into op-

portunities in politics, in formal education and more.

But those halcyon days did not last. In 1866 the Klu Klux Klan, a

secret terrorist organization, began organizing underground resistance

against the civil rights and sociopolitical power afforded to African Amer-

icans during Reconstruction. And a decade after the end of the Civil War,

when the U.S. economy began to wane, so too did the support for Black

equality. Restrictive Black codes began to resurge. And in 1896 the

Supreme Court passed the Plessy v. Ferguson decision, enshrining the hy-

pocrisy that was the dark doctrine of separate but equal, and signaling

the dawn of a new era of terror for African Americans.

Celebrating Black History Month

Black Life after the Civil War


4/16


One of my favorite quotes is from the great poet and author, Dr. MayaAngelou, who wrote, Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and

liking how you do it. Ive always found those words highly inspiraonal

and something I think about oen when it comes to my personal life

and my career.

My mother has always been an incredible inspiraon to me. She was a

very outgoing, generous woman who believed strongly in giving back to

the community. From a very early age, she inslled a sense of philan-

thropy and encouraged me to get involved in community acvies. I

remember sing next to her years ago as she registered new voters

during a polical elecon. She took the me to carefully explain to methat vong is not just a privilege; it is a responsibility, too.

I grew up parcipang in Girl Scouts from a Brownie to a Senior Scout.

Through various acvies it opened new doors for me and I began to

understand the importance of leadership. I volunteered for opportuni-

es to mentor younger scouts and help them with their badges, proj-

ects, and camping events. I also completed the Girl Scout Silver Award

which required a 50 hour service project to develop leadership skills in

senior scouts. Those interacons gave me the condence to apply for,

and be accepted to, a 6 week Congressman Mickey Lealand Kibbutz

internship to Israel. This created the foundaon toward building my

leadership skills.

Engaging in community acvies opened my eyes to the diverse oppor-

tunies available to me. I was exposed to the arts, theater, music, new

foods, traveling, and much more. I was encouraged by posive role models

to try new things, and I enthusiascally took on those challenges. Through

those experiences I developed what I call an inquisive mind and I began

asking quesons to learn morea pracce that has enabled me to take

others opinions into consideraon, but to also rely on my own judgment.

Today, as a director in BGEs informaon technology department, my team

and I are responsible for the behind-the-scenes technical infrastructure

and support that makes it easy for our customers to eecvely com-

municate with us. I interact with many dierent people in a changing,

fast-paced work environment, and I credit much of my success to being

open to new ideas, being respecul to others, and to being willing to get

involved and try new things.

LaMetrice DopsonDirector AMI/DRIBaltimore Gas & Electric Co.

Stay Involved and Open to New Experiences


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By Valencia Mohammed and Zenitha Prince

True freedom for the millions

of African people enslaved

for centuries in America

which came after the Civil War and

emancipation on Dec. 6, 1865 came

with a heavy price. Not only did they

become so-called equals, Negroes

became competitors in the eyes of

their former oppressors. Many of

the arenas to which Whites held

exclusive rights before, including the

political arena, were being opened

to the formerly enslaved. Even the

Whites who supported Blacks during

the abolitionist movement were

unwilling to acknowledge the equality

of former slaves.

Many Blacks went from being slaves

to [becoming] Civil War soldiers and politicians,

said Frank Smith, director of the African American

War Museum in Washington, D.C. The Civil War

changed the lives of Black people dramatically.

Recounting an example of the era, Smith

recalled a slave named Capt. Robert Smalls from

South Carolina, who went from war hero to being

elected as a Republican congressman from South

Carolina, serving for 12 years.

Smalls and several others laid the framework

for a society for Black people, said Smith.

For several decades after the nation slowly

reconstructed itself, the Negro rose to

prominence. Blacks from around the country

looked for their place in society to represent the

rights of the downtrodden in local and national

political affairs.

But even before emancipation, Blacks had a

hand in the politics of the day, though that history

has been misrepresented and skewed, some say.

The roles played by Americans of African descent

in American political history, and American

History in general, have long been depicted

inaccurately and downplayed, said Douglas

Wilder, the rst Black governor of Virginia since

Reconstruction, in Rep. William L. Clays (D-Mo.)

book, Just Permanent Interests.

The truth is, the book argues, Negro slaves

were sought as advisors to many White leaders to

understand the political thinking of the Black

masses. In fact, many historians believe that if

Blacks had not risen in politics after the Civil War,

more unrest, rebellions and even White lynchings

may have occurred in retaliation for hundreds of

years of inhumane enslavement.

From Pulpits to Platforms

According to historians, Black churches laid the

foundation and forum for many men who sought a

career in politics. It was a natural progression for

them, said political historian Chuck Hicks. They

spoke to masses of people all the time.

They could galvanize a large group and

sway their opinions.

Beginning with the formation of the

American Methodist Episcopal Church

in 1816, the church was among one

of the rst things Blacks could claim

as their own, forming a basis for the

sense of self-sufciency and pride

that formed the central element of the

concept of Black freedom that fueled

sociopolitical activism.

According to Hicks, during

reconstruction there were many

uneducated Baptist preachers who

ran for political ofce as did their

Hiram

Revels

was

the rst

African-

American

U.S.

senator.

Black Politics after the Civil War

Continued on Page 6AFRO Archives Illustrations

A Civil

Warhero,

Capt.

A CivilWar hero,

Capt.Robert

Smallswenton to

representSouth

Carolina

inCongress.


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White counterparts, who may have been farmers,

sharecroppers and cattlemen. There were also the

educated Methodist ministers who ran for and

won political ofces, said Hicks.

When Republicans were indeed

the Grand Old Party

By 1860, there were 4,441,830

Black people in America representing

14 percent of the U.S. population.Republicans took control over most

of the Southern legislatures and

governorships after the Civil War and

elected Blacks to state and national

political ofces.

Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Black

minister and Civil War veteran, was

elected to ll the unexpired term of

the Confederate President Jefferson

Davis in the Mississippi legislature.Joseph H. Rainey, a barber by

profession, became involved in the

state Republican Party in Georgetown,

S.C., and was elected to the state senate.

By 1870, he was elected to ll a vacancy

in the U.S. House of Representatives.

He authored bills to protect Blacks from

the Klu Klux Klan. He remained for eight

years. Robert Brown Elliott and Robert C.

DeLarge were elected as Republicans representingSouth Carolina. Blanche K. Bruce was elected

to the Mississippi state senate. Josiah T. Wells

was elected in Florida to the U.S. House of

Representatives.

This leap in Black political involvement was

fueled largely by the efforts of the Republican

Party.

Republican President Abraham Lincoln took

a moderate approach, advocating both gradual

emancipation and Black suffrage. He instituted in

January 1865, the Freedmens Bureau, to ensure

new rights for the newly freed African Americans.

When Vice President Andrew Johnson took the

reins after Lincolns assassination, he loosened the

restrictions on the Southern state governments,

who quickly moved to institute Black codes,which offered only a limited set of second-class

civil rights to Blacks. In response, Sen. Lyman

Trumbull (R-Ill.) proposed the rst Civil Rights

law, saying the abolition of slavery was nullied

if laws are to be enacted and enforced depriving

persons of African descent of privileges which are

essential to freemen.

The bill asserted:

All persons born in the United States ... are

hereby declared to be citizens of the United States;

and such citizens of every race and color, without

regard to any previous condition of slavery ...shall have the same right in every state ... to make

and enforce contracts, to sue, be parties, and give

evidence, to inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold,

and convey real and personal property, and to full

and equal benet of all laws and proceedings for

the security of person and property,

as is enjoyed by white citizens, and

shall be subject to like punishment,

pains, and penalties and to none

other, any law, statute, ordinance,regulation, or custom to the Contrary

notwithstanding.

Congress quickly passed the Civil

Rights bill; which Johnson vetoed.

In this he was supported by the

Democratic Party, which proclaimed

itself the party of White men. Congress

overrode the veto and instituted the

law. Between 1865 and 1873, Congress

passed three important legislations: the13th Amendment abolishing slavery; the

14th Amendment which was ratied in

1868 that guaranteed citizenship to all

persons born or naturalized in the United States,

except Native Americans, and granting them

federal civil rights and the 15th Amendment

passed in 1870, decreeing that the right to vote

could not be denied because of race, color, or

previous condition of servitude.

White Resistance and the Waning of Black

Political Power

According to historical records, in 1866, a

secret terrorist organization, the Ku Klux Klan led

underground resistance against the civil rights and

political power of newly freed slaves during the

Reconstruction Period. Attempts to enact Black

codes were squashed by Congress and the Civil

Rights Acts of 1866, on paper at least, gave Blacks

Many ministers used the pulpit as a platform for

sociopolitical advocacy, and many ministers becamethe congressmen and state delegates that represented

the Black community during Reconstruction.

AFROFileIllustration/T.S.Stockett

Continued on Page 14

Black Politics after the Civil WarContinued from Page 5


7/16


By AFRO Staff

The Freedmens Bureau, advocated by Radical Republicans in

Congress, was incepted in 1865 following the Civil War, according

to the Encyclopedia of African-American Politics. Also known as

the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen

and Abandoned Lands, the group

assisted recently-freed slaves

in the South and the District of

Columbia and provided them

with food, medicine, shelter and

education, among a long list of

other contributions. The Bureau is

credited as the rst social-welfare

bureaucracy in the U.S.

According to the U.S. National

Archives, after the war ended,

nearly 4 million slaves were freed

and many of the Souths cities were

annihilated. As a result, Blacks

and many White plantation owners

were left virtually homeless and

hungry.

Though the bill to create the

Bureau was vetoed by Conservative

Republicans and some Democrats,

President Abraham Lincoln

supported it and the agency wascreated as a short-term, one-year

branch of the U.S. War Department.

Lincoln appointed Gen. Oliver

O. Howard to lead the Bureau

and the agency cleared many

achievements, despite heavy adversity. Though they were denied public

funding, the group received donations and rent acquired from lands it

occupied. They built hospitals for and provided medical care to over a million

newly freed men, according to the African American Registry. Additionally,

they allocated over 21 million rations to poor Blacks and Whites.

The Bureau also aspired to establish fair employment systems for Blacks

and plantation owners. Though they attempted to issue 40-acre plots of

abandoned lands to Blacks for them to lease and later buy, newly-appointed

President Andrew Johnson, who opposed the group, prevented this from

happening. As a result, Blacks

were not able to become farmers

and had to become sharecroppers

with their former owners.

However, many Blacks still

acquired their own land through

this system.

Among a long list of other

accomplishments, the groups

most celebrated achievement was

their construction of over 1,000

Black schools, thus breaking

ground for many of the nations

historically Black colleges

and universities. Additionally,

the group donated more than

$400,000 to implement teacher

development institutions.

The Bureau slowly began

to see its demise as President

Johnson aimed to dissolve the

group shortly after his entrance

into ofce. After he vetoed a

bill for its extension, Congress

overrode it and the group was able

to survive for another six years.

Critics believed the Bureau held

racial favoritism and deemed it

ineffective. They also accused the group of making Blacks reliant on handouts

rather than having self initiative and independence. Finally, after the Radical

Republicans and Congress continued efforts to keep the Bureau in existence,

it disbanded in 1872.

Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

One in a series of racist posters attacking Radical Republicans on the

issue of Black suffrage, issued during the Pennsylvania gubernatorial

election of 1866.

After the Civil War

The Freedmens Bureau


8/16


The Importance of Diligence and Reliability

Cheryl A.

Mickel, CFA

I began my career at T. Rowe Price as a trading assistant, processing trade ckets

for the rms mutual fund accounts. Wow, was that an eye-opening experience,seeing millions of dollars in transacons taking place every day! You bet that I was

really diligent adding up all those zeros and making sure that I didnt make any

mistakes with those large sums of money. I cant stress the importance of dili-

gence and reliability enough. Take care and pride in everything you do and soon

others will respect and value you.

As me passed and the number and size of accounts grew, the rm needed

another trader. That diligence paid o and this growth presented an opportunity

for me to grow as well. I worked with many great people who were willing to takethe me to answer my constant quesons and coach me about trading and the

markets. So, when the opportunity came about, I was ready to take on the new

and greater responsibility of trading. Dont be afraid of a challenge, stay alert and

keep yourself prepared (educaon!) so that opportunity doesnt pass you by.

Every experience is an opportunity to learn a lile about what the future has

to oer. You must design your own future by guring out where you want to be

and what you want to do (yes - goals!). Realiscally, not everything always goes

exactly as you plan; you will certainly encounter obstacles along the way - dicultpeople, dicult situaons, occasional setbacks. Just remember to stay focused

and try get around those obstacles with grace -- always treang others fairly and

keeping your words and temper in check. Some challenges are more important

than others. Dont try to take them all on!

Its been over 20 years and I now manage porolios of my own for our clients at T.

Rowe Price. I have had so many opportunies here that I was not only eager to take

on, but fortunately, for which I was well prepared, too. I went to college and while

working here I also earned a Masters degree in Business as well as received the Char-

tered Financial Analyst designaon. This was a lot of work, but I could never have

accomplished any of my goals without perseverance and focus And you can rest

assured; I am sll quite diligent about counng all those zeros!

Vice Presidentand Portfolio Manager,T. Rowe PriceFixed Income Division


9/16


By Shernay Williams

AFRO Staff Writer

After Abraham Lincoln ordered

emancipation of the Souths slaves in

1863, the newly freed people, many of

whom had spent their entire lives in shackles, had

to learn what it meant to be free.For we colored people did not know how

to be free and the white people did not know

how to have a free colored person about them,

the recently freed Houston Hartseld Holloway

famously wrote.

Blacks now had to nd places to live and

adjust to being independent actors in an

economy. Many elected to stay on the plantations

where they had been enslaved and work for their

former masters.They stayed for all kinds of reasons but one

of the things, many of them had lived a long time

in these places and they didnt want to give up all

they had built and achieved there, said Michael

Johnson, Black migration expert and professor at

Johns Hopkins University.

It is difcult to estimate how many Blacks

remained on the same plantation. Most of those

that left remained in rural areas and performed

labor jobs. Many went from one farm orplantation to anothertrying to get a decent

landlord, Johnson said.

Although the majority of freed slaves endured

the same type of physical labor and nature of

work as when they were enslaved, they now

held annual contracts. These agreements entitled

the heads of householdsmostly mento have

some control over the labor he and his family

endured, Johnson noted.

When the 13th Amendment was ratied in

January 1865, the million or so Blacks in the

northern states, who were still considered slaves

after emancipation, were declared free. While

Black southerners looked for new homes, the

newly freed northerners traveled to the South by

the thousands searching for separated loved ones,according to a PBS special called Africans in

America.

Some White southerners remained bitter and

vengeful after the fall of their most protable

industry. Even when the booming slave business

was legal, working southerners were relatively

poor, so after its demise their economic situation

grew bleaker.

In addition, the common people were hit hard

by wartime scarcity,

said PBS. By 1863,

there was a food

shortage. Riots and

strikes occurred

as ination soared

and people becamedesperate.

So, Blacks had to

contend with racism and few opportunities for

work.

While some remained in the South, others left

in droves for northern and western states. Census

documents from 1890 include data and picture

graphs of Black migration in the 60s and 70s.

After the Civil War

Black Townships and Migration

Free at last, free at last,thank God Almighty,

Im free at last. This

group of former slavesis shown immediately

after the EmancipationProclamation outside

one of the cabins that

housed them on asouthern plantation.


Photo Courtesy Library of Congress


10/16


Nadia Hogarth

Life is a Rollercoaster Ride

Legal SpecialistLegg Mason

The legal eld is intricate and dynamic, and I have alwayshad a passion for law. Through hard work and dedica-

on, I am now an integral part of the legal team at Legg

Mason. However, the structure needed to be success-

ful was developed early in my life. There were lessons

taught - stu like, algebra and chemistry, and then there

were lessons learned through behavior during my roll-

ercoaster years. Below are the ones that most impacted

my life:

BAD = procrastnaton. Whenever I put o studying, ar-rived late for sports pracce or, beer yet, chose to goof

o with my friends instead of doing my house chores,

the results were: I earned low grades, got kicked o the

badminton team and received less allowance.

FAILURE = low grades. Once I had goen the idea that

pung things o can result in bad things happening, I

straightened up. I was driven to earn the best grade. I

became the teachers pet; a C or D grade was no

longer cool for me. I took pride in doing my chores at home.

FRIENDSHIP = good or bad. They say be yourself, but what does that

mean? Usually, it means making changes in your life. Well, I joined a

sports team that I liked and not because of my friends. I was dedi-

cated and punctual at every training session. I became disciplined in

my studies, which resulted in earning good grades, but did not always

impress my friends.

IDENTITY = discoveries/recogniton. My atude changes meant I lost

some friends, but there is always a group that ts perfectly with thenew you. I developed dignity. I realized if I wanted to be success-

ful, all I had to do was work hard and apply myself. School sharp-

ens your skills, but seldom taps into your most powerful reserve of

all: PASSION. If you want to be happy, get involved in something you

love, and think posively. Atude sets the tone of your abilies. If

you believe you can do something, chances are YOU really can.


11/16


All I Have Is My Education

Rachel Pluviose

Assistant Manager, CorporateInsurance DepartmentLegg Mason

My father always told us, Make sure you complete your educaon. You may

have everything taken away from you, but the one thing no one can take

from you is your educaon. Educaon, according to my father, was nishing

college or obtaining a masters degree or Ph.D. He knew rst-hand that a

college educaon creates endless opportunies in life.

My father immigrated to America from Hai in 1969 with ve Haian dollars

in his pocket, the clothes on his back and his mothers address (who was the

only family member he had in America). His most important asset was his

educaon, which he used to get the jobs he needed to support and provide

for his growing family. His belief in educaon was so great that we lived in

the projects of Brooklyn, N.Y., so that he could aord to send us to private

schools. Through his example, he taught all of his children to realize and

understand the importance of educaon.

As I grew up, I realized that educaon is the cket to achieve anything in this

world. We may not all have the physical abilies or talents to become great

athletes or musicians, but we all have the ability to apply ourselves in school.I made sure that I had good grades in school and graduated at the top of my

high school class. I received a full academic scholarship to Howard Univer-

sity, majored in business and had several job oers upon graduaon.

My educaon has aorded me the opportunity to work for some great com-

panies, including Legg Mason, where I am currently an assistant manager in

our Corporate Insurance Department. I am able to travel and meet interest-

ing people through work and in my personal life. Educaon made it possible

for me to have and maintain a job in a dicult economy, and to dothe things in life I truly enjoy. If a child of Haian immigrants, born

and raised in the projects of Brooklyn can accomplish this much,

so can anyone else who applies themselves and nishes their

educaon.


12/16


By AFRO Staff

F

or those who supported and thrived on the brutish institution of

slavery, ignorance among the enslaved was a valuable weapon.

Believing that slaves could not be enlightened without developing

in them a longingfor liberty, not a few masters

maintained that the more brutish

the bondmen the more pliant

they become for purposes of

exploitation, wrote Carter G.

Woodson in The Education of

the Negro Prior to 1861.

And to perpetuate that

ignorance, slaveholders often

inicted severe punishment,in the form of nes and

imprisonment, on anyone found

teaching slaves to read and

write or on any slave found

committing that grave sin.

Conversely, knowledge was a

treasured and indispensable tool

to enslaved African Americans

in their struggle for freedom

and equality. Enslaved Blacksoften put themselves at grave

risk, meeting in secret, to learn

to read and write. Still, the

system of slavery was adept at

suppressing Black education,

so much so that over 90 percent

of the adult Black population in the Southern states was illiterate in 1860 at

the start of the Civil War, according to the Encyclopedia of African-American

Politics.

For that reason, early Black education in the United States was

concentrated among free men and women. And after the Civil War, it was this

inaugural Talented Tenth that worked with Northern White missionaries

who saw education as a means of spreading the Christian faith to Blacks and

philanthropists to advance education among Blacks.

But the former slaves werenot mere supplicants, according

to the Encyclopedia. The black

community, although hindered by

poverty, contributed signicantly

to the development of early black

education, it stated. In all of the

Southern states the black church and

other organizations solicited funds

to establish schools. In some parts of

the South, the schools organized byblacks were the rst to be established

in a town or village.

But Black communities or poor

White ones for that matter could

not afford the cost of sustaining

private schools. And it took

Reconstruction-era governments,

working mainly through The

Freedmens Bureau, a federal entity

created to serve the needs of theformer slaves and poor Whites after

the War, to advance education to the

Black masses. As one of its greatest

legacies, the Bureau established a

system of free public schools for

Blacks throughout the South, stafng

them mainly with White teachers from the North. The Bureau also founded

historically Black institutions such as Atlanta, Fisk and Howard universities.

The education program lasted until 1872 when support for the Bureau and


Photo Courtesy Library of Congress

One of the principal tasks of the Bureau of Freedmen, Refugees, andAbandoned Lands was to educate the 4 million former slaves after the Civil

War. Over the course of ve years, the bureau built over 4,000 schools

in the South. This engraving from Frank Leslies Illustratedshows aFreedmens Bureau schoolroom in Virginia.

After the Civil War

Black Education


13/16


Determinaon is the act of being persistent in order to reach a parcu-

lar goal. It is an important character trait. Unfortunately, determinaon,

as with other esteemed character traits, is something that is not easily

taught. Some are fortunate and seem determined and focused from an

early age. We have all heard stories of those who are very successful who

became so because they would not give up, even under dicult circum-

stances. For others, determinaon is a trait or an atude that is acquired

through life experiences.

Very early in my professional career, I was given the opportunity to work

on a challenging and excing project. The team worked diligently to ac-

complish the task at hand. Unexpectedly, when the work was complete,

the end result was not as expected. The problems were extensive. Being

so young, the experience aected me deeply since I hadnt personally ex-

perienced that kind of professional disappointment. I didnt know how to

react and began to have self doubts. As pressure mounted, my immediate

inclinaon was defensive, wanng nothing more than to remove myself

from the project. However, I had team members who were supporve and

wanted, foremost, to focus on nding a soluon. They were calm during

the crisis and remained respecul of others. Their example allowed me to

put the situaon in proper perspecve, and I became determined to con-

tribute to the success of the project. With a new focus and sense of deter-

minaon, I stayed with the project; learned from the mistakes that were

made; connued to work relessly; and, ulmately, helped with making

the eort a success.

For me, there were many lessons to be learned or rearmed from that experience.

Integrity, civility, and paence all come to mind, and these are all excellent character

traits to make your own. What I learned most from that experience, however, was

determinaon. Looking back, I clearly see that it was determinaon that took me

from a point of wanng to give up on the project to being a contributor to the nal

soluon. Determinaon helped me to overcome fears and to focus

on nishing the work. That experience became a dening moment,

as it helped me to understand the type of atude required to be

successful. As you embark upon your academic and professional

career, I encourage you to be purposeful in your decisions and de-

termined to follow through even when circumstances present an

unexpected challenge.

Determination Will See You Through

Mark StirlingSystems EngineerT. Rowe Price


14/16


equal standing with their former

masters, a truth that many Whites

could not swallow. The Klans goal,

then, was to reestablish the dominance

of the pre-war plantation aristocracy.

The Klans creation was a centerpiece

of widespread protest, mostly violent,

by the former planter aristocracy

against Blacks.

But it was economics thateventually caused the demise of Black

political involvement. Economic

depression turned public opinion away

from the sociopolitical plight of the

Negro. The Republican Party began

to split. And dissident Republicans

(called scalawags), disgusted by

the corruption, high taxes and high

state debts of Republican President

Ulysses Grants administration, joinedex-Confederates (Democrats) in

regaining control of state legislatures

and putting an end to the system

instituted by radical Republicanism.

Even Black leaders began to focus,

less on political progress, and more

on individual economic progress like

many of the White elite.

That period, from 1873-1877,

known as the Redemption, saw a

wane in Black political inuence.

Blacks continued to vote and were

elected into the 1880s. But after

1901, when George Henry White,

the last Southern Black of the post-Reconstruction period to serve

in Congress, retired, not a single

Black served in Congress until 1966

when Edward Brooke was elected

to represent Massachusetts in the

Senate. And the consequent institution

of Jim Crow laws, a philosophy of

segregation, ushered in one of the

darkest periods in Black history.

** The AFRO appreciates the assistance of thestaff of the Martin Luther King Library Black

Studies Division.This article was originally published inthe AFRO, February 17, 2007 edition underthe headline, The Political Language ofFreedom.

Black PoliticsContinued from Page 6

Black TownshipsContinued from Page 9The graphs show their increased movement to urban areas in the north

such as New York City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago and Missouri.

The pattern thins out but is still discernible in Western states including

Oklahoma, New Mexico and California.

After the 1860s, the Black population in free states had increased by 50

percent, indicating a sizable Black exodus from the south, said Johnson.

But Blacks battled opposition in the northern states, as well. The

North was also hit by economic depression, and enraged White people

rioted against African Americans, who they accused of stealing their jobs,

according to Africans in America.While some traveled to the Northeast, a large number migrated to mid-

western states. Blacks and other races, attracted to the relatively cheap and

available land, ocked to these areas. The rural labor was also comparable

to the work former slaves were accustomed.

From 1879-1880, about 20,000 Blacks, called exodusters, migrated

to some part of Kansas, said PBS. One such group of migrant ex-slaves

traveled from Kentucky to northwestern Kansas. Six Blacks and two

Whites established the Nicodemus community in 1877. At one point,

the area thrived with about 500 residents. Nicodemus, now a registered

national historic site, is the only remaining western town established byBlacks during Reconstruction.

The more than 180,000 Black men, who had served as union soldiers

in the war, had the most resources to migrate. The Army helped many

of these men resettle in the mid-western states, and after a great deal of

agitation, their pay had become comparable to Whites by the end of the

War, Johnson said.

Many of these men had an opportunity to move to some place and start

a life there because they had a little bit of money, he said. More money

than frankly poor farmers and laborers had even outside the slave system.

Still others set sights on Liberia. During the last three years of the1870s, approximately 388 Blacks voyaged to West Africa, most leaving

from the Carolinas or Arkansas, according to the historical book Nation

Under Our Feet.

The turn of the century would see even more Black migration. During

World War I, some 500,000 southern Blacks would travel to northern cities

in search of factory jobs. Then, from 1916 to 1970, more than six million

Blacks would abandon the South. By the end of those periods known

as the great and second great migrations, almost half of all Blacks lived

outside of the South.

goodwill that fueled Reconstruction began to wane.

The system of public education

though hailed by many within the

Black community as a signicant

step toward universal Black

education was nonetheless founded

on principles of White supremacy

and inequality. The 1896 Supreme

Court decision, Plessy v. Ferguson

enshrined the idea of separate butequal in all matters relating to Blacks

and Whites, including education.

However, history shows that while the

mandate to separateness was rmly

enforced, equality in education

and otherwise would be an ongoing

struggle that sparked the Civil Rights

Movement and continues to be a

problem today.

Black EducationContinued from Page 12


15/16


Icy - Its More Than Just a Name

Icy BartonConsultant, Maryland Consumer

and Sales DepartmentVerizon

My name is Icy Barton and I am Verizons last line of defense. Iwork as a consultant in our Maryland Consumer and Sales de-

partment specializing in retaining our customers.

I began my career with Verizon in 1998 as service representave

in collecons. Thanks to Verizons tuion assistance program,

I earned my masters of business administraon (MBA) degree

in 2007 from Washington Advenst University. People always

ask me how I got a name like Icy. My job requires that I talk to

hundreds of people every week and to remain cool and posive.

A typical day might include a customers yelling at me or, even

worse, trying to bully me. I listen to what they say and dont

take it personally. Instead, I tell them how I am going to x their

problem.

In my spare me, I visit a nursing home once a month because

our senior cizens are great to be around. I am member of Toast-

masters, a nonprot organizaon that helps me to strengthen my

speaking ability. I also am a solider in the Army Reserves. Last

year, I wrote and directed my rst play, Welcome Home, The Story

of the Prodigal Son. I even used real pigs in the play.

The best character trait that has been inslled in me is integrity.

Watching my parents gave me the best example. No one wants to

deal with a dishonest person. Integrity will help you live long and pros-

per. Its essenal in achieving success not only in business but with your

relaonships, family and friends.


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 the AFRO.

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 4

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