Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Cynthia E. Griffin-  |   OW Managing Editor
Jan 17 2013

The founder is gone, but his vision endures

For 27 years Larry E. Grant was the engine that drove the annual Los Angeles Kingdom Day Parade, but in 2013, with the 86-year-old Texas native and former Carson resident gone (he died in August), it is Grant’s spirit and vision that are guiding those at the Congress of Racial Equality California (CORE-CA), which has assumed organization of the parade.

Stanley O. Williford  |   OW Editor
Jan 17 2013

Rev. James Lawson recalls his days with King

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. James Lawson were both 29 when they first met in Oberlin, Ohio, in 1957. Like Lawson, whose birthday is in September, King would have been 84 on Tuesday, Jan. 15, had he lived.

David L. Horne, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Dec 6 2012

Practical Politics

Even though the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s and the 1960s has regularly been called the “moral movement for the soul of America,” and other such lofty names, essentially the movement was about getting the federal and state governments to enforce the laws that protected citizens from abuse by government, or the passage of new legislation in the absence of such effective protection. The movement was about law and law enforcement.

Jeff Mays  |   OW Guest Contributor
May 10 2012

Women formed the backbone of the efforts

Mothers are the most-honored family members around the world for their selflessness and the love they give to their children. That’s why this year, NewsOne will provide a number of daily posts about mothers until Mother’s Day. Enjoy!

Cynthia E. Griffin-  |   OW Managing Editor
Jan 19 2012
Empowerment Congress turns 20

Perhaps more than at any time in recent history, this year’s recognition and celebration of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is paying homage to his legacy of social justice for all.

One element of this locally was the 20th anniversary celebration of the Empowerment Congress, marked on Saturday at USC. The event featured the Rev. Al Sharpton as the keynote speaker, and he challenged the audience of thousands to maintain and protect the hard-won civil rights that Dr. King and his generation fought to achieve.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”