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National News: All Grown Up, A Group of Hero Teens Are Honored; Some want the Black Revolutionary War monument revived
August 12th, 2008All grown up now, a group of hero teens are honored.
It was 50 years ago that a group of teens in Wichita, Kansas, pulled a Rosa Parks on the old Dockum Drug Store and sparked a national sit-in movement. On Saturday, hundreds turned out to honor that group of unwitting civil rights giants for their three-week resistance effort that led to copycats in other cities. It was the original Wichita resisters who helped bring about an end to segregated public accommodations. “We simply wanted to make a change and we did,” said Carol Parks Hahn, one of the original squatters. Disgusted at a policy that required Black patrons to go to the end of the lunch counter and ring a bell for service, the defiant teens marched into Dockum’s every day for three weeks and sat at the lunch counter. Of course, they weren’t served. “The owner came in one morning and said serve them I’m losing too much money. I happened to be there that day,” Parks Hahn said. “That’s how simple it was to get rid of a long history of discrimination. We changed the policy of the largest drug chain in Kansas, others in Wichita followed suit. We were very pleased we were successful.” Added Joyce Glass, another participant. “It’s a blessing to be recognized. It’s something I never dreamed of.”
Some want the Black Revolutionary War monument revived. In Virginia, some are pushing for a monument to the Blacks who fought in the Revolutionary War, saying it’s important to let the world know that everybody who fought for U.S. independence from Britain didn’t have pale skin and powdered wigs. One of those making the case for the first memorial on the mall to honor Black colonial soldiers is Maurice Barboza, a Virginian and former lobbyist, who runs something called the National Liberty Fund D.C. In the 1980s, Congress approved the concept, but poor fundraising initiative led to the demise of the project.
I would like to say Thanks to all who help prove a point. Job well done.
Today our teens are less interested in moving on their own. It seems like their idols are the ones on B.E.T. music shows. Thats ok , but what are they learning from them. I can’t judge them all because I don’t know all who is giving back to the African American community. But If they would all work together in a collective manner and focus a portion of their money along with average people and our churches alot of our children would benefit from a few vocational schools. I have mentioned this before B.E.T ! would be a great start can you see it!…. B.E.T Vocational shool. A school where a youn person can learn the ins and outs of the bussiness and get that knowledge from their peers on B.E.T.
It is past time that the media recognize the efforts of Black soldiers in the Revolutionary War, Korean War, WWI & II, Civil War, Vietnam War and include Iraq and Afganistan Wars. Most people know there were some Black men in these wars, but have never seen movies with Black men in them. That is why Spike Lee was so upset. And we as Black people ought to boycott that movie and support Spike in his efforts to make a movie showing the true facts of those wars.