UofM Critical Conversations

The Maxine A. Smith University Center Dedication held on Oct. 29 celebrated the life and legacy of Maxine A. Smith, honoring her courage, leadership, and commitment to advancing the movement for civil rights. A host of speakers, dignitaries, relatives, and friends shared memories and reflections of Mrs. Smith's life and lasting impact on the University of Memphis, the city of Memphis, and the world.
Photo 1: (right) Clementine Ramsey-Sister of Maxine A. Smith
Photo 2: Johnnie Turner - Past Executive Director, NAACP Memphis Branch
Photo 3: Vasco A. Smith III - Son of Maxine A. Smith and Vasco A. Smith Jr.
Photo 4: Maxine Smith, Memphis Public Library

“Even controlling for population size and other variables — the number of lynchings was a “significant predictor” of the number of monuments in a given area.”

New UVA Study Finds Correlation Between Lynchings and Confederate Monuments A team of Batten and psychology researchers are bringing an empirical perspective to a national conversation.

On October 14, 1964, at the age of 35, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was named the Nobel Peace Prize winner, making him the youngest to receive the honor. In his acceptance speech, King said that this award "is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts."

"Until recently, Black history has often been bogged down by a bilateral vision of extreme tragedies and a handful of triumphs, starring many victims and few heroes. Its narrow chronology has de-emphasized regular Black life in the long Jim Crow period—the social events and endeavors of groups like the Hattiesburg Negro Business League, the Colored Citizens Welfare League, and the Negro Boys and Girls Improvement Association—in favor of stories of extreme oppression and exception.

But Black life during that time was too rich and complex to be reduced to stories about lynchings and Martin Luther King Jr. Technological revolutions offer a path to deliver vibrant, textured histories of places like Hattiesburg."

The Game Is Changing for Historians of Black America For centuries, stories of Black communities from the past have been limited by racism in the historical record. Now we can finally follow the trails they left behind.

"Since 1979, Robert Bullard has studied the disproportionate impacts of pollution on communities of color. He reflects on the past and future of the environmental justice movement."

Looking Back On The Career Of The Father Of The Environmental Justice Robert Bullard reflects on more than four decades of fighting environmental racism and the future of policy under a new U.S. administration.

Asian American Students at the UofM Demand Equality In Wake of Deadly Shooting

The Daily Helmsman

Asian American Students at the UofM Demand Equality In Wake of Deadly Shooting For spa goers at three different businesses in the Atlanta area, the soothing flame of a candle turned into the blinding flash of gun fire. Bullets ripped through their bodies

“Imagine being addressed with the wrong name or pronoun all the time, and being told that you are a problem just because you want to live your own life. Imagine being aware that your very right to exist is being debated as part of a huge civil-rights battle. And to go with all of that pressure, your reactions are constantly scrutinized for any proof that you're unreasonable.”

It's Time to Stop Policing Trans Rage Trans visibility means seeing us as we are, not as you think we should be.

"The Reconstruction amendments to the Constitution — the 13th, 14th and 15th — were designed to set the nation on an entirely new footing, by curtailing some of the traditional prerogatives of the states. The amendments empowered Congress to secure, across the entire nation, freedom itself, basic civil rights for all people and the right to vote regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

Perspective | The lack of federal voting rights protections returns us to the pre-Civil War era The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments tried to remove the power of the states to impede key rights.

"As SNCC veterans prepare for a belated 60th anniversary of the group’s founding... Cox’s celebratory mood is tempered by a harsh reality: Voting rights are under assault like no time since the post-Reconstruction era following the Civil War."

Perspective | A civil rights veteran’s advice for the next generation: Move beyond the protests One of the founders of the SNCC says activists need to protect voting rights and get elected to statewide offices where they can make an impact.

"While their stories may not be widely known, countless dedicated, courageous women were key organizers and activists in the fight for civil rights. Without these women, the struggle for equality would have never been waged."

Six Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement Though their stories are sometimes overlooked, these women were instrumental in the fight for equal rights for African-Americans.

"It’s important to remember how Black women shaped the world we live in — whether they’re crafting laws in Congress, or just inventing better ways to brush your hair. Here are 12 Black women whose advancements transformed history."
https://buff.ly/2YKQDJq

These 12 Women Are Black History Icons Get to know these names.

"Black history is not a monolith; it is a multifarious chorus of many ideologies, personalities, and methodologies competing and complimenting each other in the interest of understanding the past and shaping the possibility of a more equitable future through the potential of present."

6 Black history documentaries that speak to Black present The films honor Black power, Black lives, and Black legacies

"Art has long been a tool of expression and documentation in times of revolt, protest, and upheaval. Whether during periods of revolution, war, or social change, artists have always strived to capture the spirit of the moment. It was no different during the Civil Rights Movement—when the raging undercurrents of indignation and disgust at the unjust treatment of African Americans bubbled to the surface of America’s consciousness during a period of dramatic struggle for equal rights."

8 Artworks of the Civil Rights Movement That Exemplify the Struggle for Equal Rights How many of these artworks have you known about?

"Black history lessons in classrooms shouldn’t be limited to the names of men and only a few women, especially when there are countless women who’ve made enormous strides for the black community."

35 Queens Of Black History Who Deserve Much More Glory Let's not forget about these trailblazing women this Black History Month.

Great interview about Vertis Hayes from friend of the Institute Earnestine Jenkins (UofM Art History Department).

Vertis Hayes, one of the most renowned muralists of the New Deal-era, came to Memphis in 1938 to lead the Federal Community Art Center, a branch of the New Deal’s Federal Art Project. In his time in Memphis, he became the first chair of the art department at LeMoyne College, founded the Hayes Academy of Art, completed works across the city and influenced countless Memphians. Yet it’s hard to find a mark of his work in the city today. We speak with University of Memphis historian, Earnestine Jenkins, to learn more about his life, legacy and what's been lost with the physical loss of his work.

Editor's Note:
Please note the following corrections that Earnestine Jenkins was kind enough to point out in the recording:
President Sweeney was not the president of LeMoyne College at the time of Vertis Hayes' appointment. The appointee at that time was President Andrew J. Steele.
Aaron Douglas, and not Alain Locke (of note as a philosopher of the Harlem Renaissance), taught at Fisk University.

S1E3: The Lost Art - and Lasting Impact - of Vertis Hayes: A Conversation with Earnestine Jenkins — The OAM Network Vertis Hayes, one of the most renowned muralists of the New Deal-era, came to Memphis in 1938 to lead the Federal Community Art Center, a branch of the New Deal’s Federal Art Project. In his time in Memphis, he became the first chair of the art department at LeMoyne College, founded the Hayes Acad...

Performance was a platform for Tyson. She used that platform to address civil rights issues at a time when the country was raging through turbulent change. “I was on the stage. Every play I did had to do with the civil rights movement. Every single piece addressed it.”

Cicely Tyson: An Actress and Civil-Rights Icon for the Ages Stephen Lovekin/GettyCicely Tyson’s legacy in art and entertainment is one that feels infinite—as if she’s always been there and always will be. An almost-divine figure for generations of fans, peers and disciples, Tyson, who died on Jan. 28 at the age of 96, married brilliant dramatic perform...

Ovide Duncantell, Founder and Executive Director of the Black Heritage Society, Inc., discusses the different camps of the Civil Rights Movement.

Different Camps, Same Goal

Just a day after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, at the formal announcement of her nomination to assistant attorney general for civil rights, Kristen Clarke made it clear where she stands on hate and discrimination.

DOJ nominee Kristen Clarke wants to make the promise of 'justice for all' a reality Kristen Clarke could become first Black woman to lead the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division if confirmed by the Senate.

Walgreens has named Rosalind Brewer as its next CEO, making the Starbucks executive the only Black woman to currently run a Fortune 500 company. There have been only 18 Black chief executives of Fortune 500 companies since 1999. Two have been women.

Walgreens picks a Starbucks executive to be its C.E.O. AdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyWalgreens picks a Starbucks executive to be its C.E.O.Rosalind Brewer is currently the chief operating officer of Starbucks and was previously the chief executive of Sam’s Club.Credit...Jason Redmond/Agence Fran...

26 Little-Known Black History Facts You May Not Have Learned In School
These span various topics that will inspire you to take your research beyond Black History Month.

26 Black History Facts You May Not Have Learned In School These span various topics that will inspire you to take your research beyond Black History Month.

"We all have a stake—equally. Because if we do not save the environment and save the Earth, then whatever we do in civil rights or in a war against poverty will be of no meaning, because then we will have the equality of extinction and the brotherhood
of the grave.”

James Farmer
Civil Rights Activist

When activists ascend to elected office, Cori Bush is a good example of bringing Black Lives Matter to Congress

Cori Bush Wants to Bring the Movement to Congress Our January cover star has already left her mark on DC.

"You can imagine it as something of a whiteness water cycle, wherein racism is the rain. That rain populates the earth, giving some areas more access to life and resources than others. The evaporation is white privilege—an invisible phenomenon that is both a result of the rain and the reason it keeps going."

What Is White Privilege, Really? Recognizing white privilege begins with truly understanding the term itself.

"There's a whole army," Jones points out, "workers who are mostly Black and Brown, who really are the custodians of Congress."

The 'Racial Caste System' At The U.S. Capitol After the Capitol was cleared of insurrectionists on January 6, there was work to be done — and it wasn't lost on many that cleaning up the mess would fall largely to Black and Brown people.

"We all get sick and injured, especially as we get older, and we all need access to health care. But health isn’t just the absence of sickness but the capability to choose and lead the healthy lives we want with dignity."

When Medicare Helped Kill Jim Crow By making health care broadly available, the government helps ensure our freedom.

The Rev. William J. Barber II, a fiery North Carolina preacher and anti-poverty crusader, will deliver the homily at the official inaugural prayer service at Washington National Cathedral, the inaugural committee announced Tuesday.

Civil rights leader Rev. William Barber to deliver homily at official inaugural prayer service Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have selected Barber, a fiery preacher and anti-poverty activist, as one of several Black clergy to bless their incoming administration.

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) -A Mississippi Civil Rights icon has died. Meredith Anding Jr. died Friday of Leukemia at the age of 79-years old.

He was an active member of the NAACP where he worked closely with Medgar Evers.
In 1961, was one of nine Tougaloo College students who challenged segregation by participating in sit-ins at the all-white Jackson Main Library.

Mississippi Civil Rights activist Meredith Anding Jr. dies at 79 He was an active member of the NAACP where he worked closely with Medgar Evers.

"Before he defended Rosa Parks and became a leading legal force, Fred Gray grew up on an avenue named for Jefferson Davis in Montgomery, Ala. Now a push is underway for a new name for the street: Mr. Gray’s."

https://buff.ly/38DUDjk

"When U.S. Rep. John Lewis died last year, Lankford’s photos of Lewis leading marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 were among the most widely republished photos of Lewis. Lankford took pictures of the “Bloody Sunday” beatings of Lewis and other marchers in Selma on March 7, 1965."

Civil rights photographer Tom Lankford dies of COVID-19 Tom Lankford covered many of the most important moments of the civil rights movement.

Rev. C. T. Vivian was a man of vision — a humanitarian who saw in the unfinished American project the possibility of a “beloved community” where all are accorded dignity, respect and equal rights.

https://buff.ly/2KQK3hh

"At age 98, Richardson has not softened an aggressive stance that sometimes put her at odds with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and others in the civil rights movement."

Gloria Richardson pushed aside a bayonet as a ’60s civil rights activist. Now 98, she wants the new generation to fight on. In a rare interview, she praised the diversity of today’s demonstrators who protested George Floyd’s death.

"Part of the problem is that a lot of discrimination is structural; not in people’s attitudes but in organizational practices and the way society is set up."

Opinion | 2020 Taught Us How to Fix This Our current model of social change isn’t working.