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If You Know Your Family’s Roots, You Might Want to Thank Alex Haley

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Family, friends, and supporters celebrated Alex Haley’s 98th birthday over the weekend at his childhood home in Henning, Tennessee. In 1976 Haley introduced America to the triumphant resilience of Black Americans when he wrote, Roots, which told the generational story of his own family, starting with the capture of his ancestor, Kunta Kinte, in Africa and the harrowing Transatlantic Slave Trade which delivered him to America. The book was made into an award-winning television movie that conferred cultural significance upon knowing your family history.

“He inspired so many to delve into their own history to learn more about those upon whose shoulders we stand,” said Owen Woodard, a filmmaker who attended the event. “How profoundly resilient and beautiful we as a people are!”

The book spent more than 40 weeks on The New York Times Bestseller list and was made into a television movie in 1977 (a remake of the miniseries was released in 2016), making household names of “Fiddler”, an older enslaved man who mentored a young Kunta Kinte in surviving plantation life, and Kizzy Kinte and “Chicken George” who were descendants of Kinte and Haley’s ancestors.

“I could definitely feel his spirit and the spirits of those whose lives we merely saw on our television screens five decades ago,” Woodard added.

Haley attended Alcorn University in Mississippi, enrolling when he was only 15-years-old. He served 20 years in the Coast Guard and fought in World War II and the Korean War. And, it was during his time in the military that Haley began to write, often penning letters for other servicemen to send their girlfriends. In 1965 Haley wrote his first book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X which was based on more than 50 interviews with the subject.

“Happy Birthday”

Organizers invited a St. Louis-based singer to lead the “Happy Birthday” tribute. Dr. Marty K. Casey manages the ‘Show Me Arts Academy’.

Casey said singing at Haley’s birthday celebration “reminded me of the power of a strong legacy.” She also wrote a poem for the occasion which will be hung in the Haley museum.

“We did not just celebrate his birth, but we honored him in life because he lived with a purpose that we all can still benefit from today,” added Casey. “He encouraged us all to get to know our past because our futures are worth more than what we didn’t know.”

Woodard is looking forward to preserving his family history. Later this month he plans to attend his great-aunt’s 95th birthday celebration.

He said, “I’m not going to squander the opportunity to learn about my family’s history…I can’t wait to dig into my own family history and discover the heroes and sheroes in my own bloodlines as Alex Haley found through his.”

Black History

Trump Signs Executive Orders That Will Impact HBCUs and Black Schoolchildren

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and establish a White House Initiative on HBCUs to “deliver high-quality education to a growing number of students.”

According to the White House, the Initiative will help develop private-sector partnerships, institutional development and workforce preparation in technology, health care, manufacturing and finance. 

The president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Dr. Harry L. Williams said, “Today’s executive order serves as strong reaffirmation of President Trump’s support of investment of historically Black colleges and universities. This executive order should serve as a call-to-action for corporations, foundations, members of Congress and state lawmakers to redouble their efforts to support HBCUs and their students. TMCF looks forward to continued engagement with the administration and Congress to deliver results for HBCUs and the students they serve via appropriations and other legislative actions.”

On the same day, Trump signed another executive order that removes safeguards for African American schoolchildren by eliminating an Obama-era initiative to protect Black schoolchildren from excessive disciplinary action.

During the Obama administration, the first Black president’s administration created guidelines that sought to prevent school discipline from having a disproportionate effect on minority students. Trump revoked the civil rights initiative during his first term and Biden did not formally restore it. 

At his signing today, Trump said his decision was especially important to the current Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who held the signed order.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, schools were forced to consider equity and inclusion when imposing discipline,” McMahon said in a statement. “Their policies placed racial equity quotas over student safety – encouraging schools to turn a blind eye to poor or violent behavior in the name of inclusion.”

She added, “Disciplinary decisions should be based solely on students’ behavior and actions.

Studies show that Black students are punished more often than their white counterparts.

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President Jimmy Carter Appointed the First Black Woman to Lead a Federal Agency

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President Jimmy Carter advanced opportunities for African Americans throughout his life,
advocating for justice and peace consistent with the Christian values he embraced. Since his
death on December 29 at age 100, Mr. Carter’s praises have been sung from his home state of
Georgia to points around the globe. And while the former president’s one-term in the White
House is dismissed by some political pundits for a lack of policies or accomplishments that
changed the course of history, his character and integrity set him apart.


Carter became the first president to appoint a Black woman head of a federal agency. He chose
Patricia Roberts Harris to lead the Housing and Urban Development when he took office in
1977.


Harris said, “I feel deeply proud and grateful this President chose me to knock down this barrier, but also a little sad about being the ‘first Negro woman,’ because it implies we were not
considered before.”


Senator William Proxmire questioned Carter’s choice, saying Harris came from too much wealth and influence to be an effective leader. But Carter stood by his decision, and Harris stayed in the position for two years.


The 39th president’s name is also included on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.


Civil rights activist, Rev. Al Sharpton recalled a conversation he shared with Carter.


“It was very significant, I was talking there at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, and I was talking to President Clinton and President Carter,” Sharpton recalled. “And when Clinton and I finished talking, President Carter touched me on my arm and said, ‘How are you doing with your ministry, Al? I see you out there with your activism. Don’t leave your ministry … keep your prayer life going.’ And you could tell he sincerely meant it. He was not one who talked about his religion as a political kind of something you could say to voters.”


President Joe Biden declared January 9, 2025, a national day of mourning. Millions watched the former president’s funeral on television as he was remembered as a man of honesty,
compassion and faith – which included championing the rights of Americans who knew firsthand the struggle of injustice

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The Congressional Black Caucus Prepares for “Important” Work

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The Congressional Black Caucus started the 119th Congress with its largest membership. There were 62 members sworn in today.

“On behalf of the entire Congressional Black Caucus, congratulations to the members of the Executive Committee of the 119th Congress. 53 years after our Caucus’ founding, our work to improve the lives and conditions of Black people in America is more important than ever before,” said CBC President Steven Horsford.

Photo Credit: Ron Busby, U.S. Black Chambers Inc.

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