This Is Our History
Madam CJ Walker was born Sarah Breedlove in Delta, Louisiana in 1887. After moving to St Louis in 1888, she worked at a laundry and became a part of the community. She learned about haircare from her brothers who were barbers. She became an agent for Annie Malone, who owned a company that catered to African American hair care. Walker would later become Malone’s biggest rival.
Walker moved to Denver in 1905 to sell Malone’s products and start to create her own. She met and married Charles Walker. She began selling her products door to door, and her market grew to the point where she could hire other people to sell them for her. She opened a college where she taught other women how to take care of their hair. She also opened a manufacturing plant to make her products. She created a method of grooming that helped promote healthy hair and scalps. Her goal was to teach women how to live better.
She became a millionaire and her products were sold all across the US and the Caribbean. She supported organizations like the YMCA and scholarships for education of African Americans. She tried to fulfill a need in the community.
In this image it spoke to a woman who was able to be where she was. It did not limit her.
Book of the Quarter
This week we focus on business. In this section of the book we take a moment from when Zo is having a chat with her new friend Andrew. She is running her plans by him. Remember this is 1912.
“I gonna run by Mr. Sweet tomorrow an see if he will let me write for his paper.”
“His newspaper?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Girl, he won’t let no woman do that kind of work.”
“I have experience. I even have some bylines.”
Andrew sighed.
“You will be better going to clean someone’s house. I know this little family that can use someone.”
She looked at him like he had insulted her. He needed to know she as not some ordinary heifer. She was capable of much more.
“I don’t clean other people’s houses. I am an educated woman.”
Destiny’s Dilemma
An African American woman moved home to take care of her dying mother giving up the opportunity to experience a world beyond segregation. Zoraida Hughes Williams finds that some things have changed about her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas while some have stayed the same, like Hell’s Half Acre, an area where saloons, prostitution and gambling runs wild. Like most of the residents, she wants to keep her head down and stay away from trouble, but it comes in the unlikely form of an Anglo Baptist preacher. He messes up everything and almost gets them killed.
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We Love This
These Sistas have stumbled across on some animation that makes them cheer. What on earth could make them excited that doesn’t involve good food, sexy men or free airline tickets? Listen.
Episode We The People
TV Talk and Black History
This week we are celebrating Black History and Love! As part of Black History Month we listed movies that tell stories of black love. Regina and I have put together our list of the top Black Movies to share. We have added some altered movie posters of our favorites. What are your thoughts?
This Is Everyone’s History
People of African descent have made significant contributions to society. This month is an opportunity to look at those achievements and celebrate our people.
This month’s sweat Everybody’s History
Black History is Music History
Art of the Month
Common Era history would have you believe that there is no history from the continent of Africa that would require chronicling.
I disagree.
There is rich valuable information that can be determined from this history. It just needs to be presented so that each individual can make up their own minds.
We have established through a biblical context that people of African descent have been viable since history keeping began. After walking the road with Jesus and Simon of Cyrene, we move to another part of the continent and a little later in time.
Between the 2 and 3rd Century AD, the Kingdom of Aksum (which is now present-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia) traded gold and ivory into Middle East, India, and China. This was a wealthy civilization that thrived for centuries. They also exported frankincense, myrrh, emeralds, salt, and live animals. It established economic strength, noted in the image as the coin, which held the image of its leaders.
Meanwhile a tribe of about 4,000 people in 200 AD grew to about 26,000 by 800 AD in a settlement in Northern Nigeria. They developed a method to grow rice using tools made of iron. This system would become a game changer later in history. It is noted in the image as white mountain. The other mountains represent gold and copper which were also items other nations wanted.
Different tribes throughout the continent of Africa would gather their natural resources and trade them with countries around the world. Although many of the tales will never be told, Africans began globalization by 150 BC as notes from Chinese Courts tell of ambassadors from Ethiopia bringing goods.
By 1000 AD, Madagascar was part of the route to trading with China through the town of Kilwa on Tanzania. Archeological digs in the town reveal Chinese porcelain.
Stereotypes of people from African countries show them as primitive uneducated people who didn’t know how to manage their own lives, less alone build booming economies. For a very long time they have been the innovators that make the world a better place.
Affirmation
Both of Bessie Smith’s parents died when she was young, because of that she did not get a formal education. To raise money for her family, she and her brother become street performers. Yet she was able to transform her life to become one of the biggest blues singers in the country.
She had to believe she could do it, in order to do it.
Tell yourself you are able. You can do it. Whatever it is.
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