TODAY IN BLACK HISTORY:
February 4, 1913: Rosa Parks Born

On December 1, 1955, forty-three year old Rosa Parks boarded a Montgomery, Alabama city bus after finishing work as a tailor’s assistant at the Montgomery Fair department store. s all black patrons were required to do, she paid her fare at the front of the bus and then re-boarded in the rear. She sat in a vacant seat in the back next to a man and across the aisle from two women.

After a few stops, the seats in the front of the bu became full and a white man who had boarded, stood in the aisle. The bus driver asked Parks, the man next to her, and the two women to let the white man have their seats. As the others moved, Parks remained in her seat. The bus driver again asked her to ove, but she refused. The driver called the police, and she was arrested.

The arrest of Parks sparked the bus boycott in Montgomery. After Parks arrest, community leaders spread the word that a one-day bus boycott was scheduled for December 5. On that col and cloudy morning, onlookers watched as the buses drove by with few black passengers on board. The boycott had been a success. The boycott continued and lasted for 381 days. On December 20, 1956, buses were desegregated.

Rosa Parks’ Childhood

Parks wasborn on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama to James McCauley and Leona McCauley. At the age of two, Parks, her brother, and her mother moved to Pine Level, Alabama to live with her grandparents. At the age of eleven, she began attending the MontgomeryIndustrial School for Girls, which was funded by liberal northern women. She later began attending Alabama State Teachers College.

Parks Works on Behalf of African Americans

Upon completion, she moved with her husband, Raymond Parks, to Montgomery. Parksand her husband joined the local chapter of the NAACP. She acted as the secretary from 1943 to 1956. She also worked to help improve conditions for African Americans. She worked on cases involving such issues as, flogging, peonage, rape, and murder.

After her stand against bus segregation in Montgomery in 1955, Parks lost her seamstress job. Parks and her husband moved to Detroit in 1957. From 1965 to 1988 she served on staff for United States Representative John Conyers.

Rosa Parks’ Work is Honored

In 179, Parks won the Spingarn Medal for her civil rights work. Also, in her honor the Southern Christian Leadership Council established the annual Rosa Parks Freedom Award. In 1987, after Raymond Parks’ death, she founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institutefor Self-Development to help young people. In 1996, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and in 1999 she received the Congressional Gold Medal.

REWIND: MARCH 2007

Despite controversy, Obama continues to denounce the Iraq war

The Iraq war, a deining issue of the 2008 presidential race, has turned into a proxy fight between Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama over credibility and leadership.

Obama has cast his early and forceful opposition to the war as a key test of presidential jdgment. The Clinton team has begun openly challenging his claim of political purity and authenticity on the volatile issue.

The matter came to a head Monday at a forum at Harvard University, where Clinton strategist Mark Penn squared off with Obama advise David Axelrod over the Illinois senator’s voting record on the war. But beneath the squabble lay an acute recognition of the depth of voter anger over Iraq, especially among Democratic primary voters.

Obama has made his early and steadfast opposition to he war a central theme of his presidential campaign. An Illinois state senator in 2002 when Congress gave President Bush the authority to use military force, Obama publicly called the proposed invasion of Iraq "dumb" and "rash." On the presidential campain trail, he jabs at rivals who voted in favor of the invasion, casting it as a key test of political and moral judgment.

"I am proud of the fact that I opposed this war from the start," Obama said to huge cheers at a rally Saturday in Oakland, Calif. "Tha I stood up in 2002 and said this is a bad idea. This is going to cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives."

Clinton, a New York senator who voted for the authorization in 2002, has been under siege from many party activists for her vote since launhing her presidential bid. She’s refused to repudiate her vote but has harshly criticized the conduct of the war, saying "if we knew then what we know now" she never would have voted as she did.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee makes the cut...Africans in American istory

No we weren’t about to spend $795 for the 8 volumes but maybe you should be ready to grab the new biographies of 4100 African Americans.

What is likely to become the definitive compilation of important Africans in American history and these volumestheir "official" life stories or conversely if you aren’t in there you don’t make the cut - a massive 8 volume project to be officially published in February (of course). Co-authored by well known African American Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and fellow schlar Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham the "African American National Biography."

A landmark scholarly achievement publishing February 2008 in 8 volumes—Order early and save $200! The African American National Biography will present history through a mosaic o the lives of thousands of individuals, illuminating the abiding influence of persons of African descent on the life of this nation from the arrival of Esteban in Spanish Florida in 1529 through to notable black citizens of the present day. Available initally as a handsome 8-volume set containing over 4,000 entries written and signed by distinguished scholars, the AANB will continue to grow along with the field of African American biographical research, and continuous updates to the online edition will brng the total number of lives profiled to more than 5,000. This is a remarkable achievement, an eightfold increase over the number of biographies contained in 2004’s award-winning and substantial African American Lives. In addition to Frederick Douglass, Boker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr., the AANB will include a wide range of African Americans from all time periods and all walks of life, both famous and nearly-forgotten. In the words of AANB editor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., "Thse stories, long buried in the dusty archives of history, will never be lost again. And that is what scholarship in the field of African American Studies should be all about."

About the Author

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Prfessor and Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, Harvard University. Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham is Professor of History and Afro-American Studies at Harvard University and editor of The Harvard Guide to Afrian American History.

The nation’s first lesbian, African-American mayor

E. Denise Simmons won the Cambridge, Mass. mayorship on Monday, Jn. 14.

As the presidential primaries continue to unfold, nightly news__casts are quick to remind viewers that a major historical pre_ce_dent may be only months away: There’s never been a stronger chance that voters will elect either the first African-Amrican president or the first female president.

But when it comes to equal opportunity politicking, Mayor E. Denise Simmons can claim one better.

When City Council elections gave Simmons the mayorship of Cambridge, Mass. on January 14, she became America’sfirst openly gay, female African-American mayor.

"This is what’s great about the City of Cambridge," says Mayor Simmons of the new chapter she has authored in the history books. She sits smiling in her City Hall office, a dignified space that emanates thesame characteristic air as the New England City she calls her own: warmth and welcoming combined with aristocratic academia.

Her features are wide and open, her manners gracious and kind, and her eyes crackle with a certain sense of spirit; maybe it’s th focus of a maverick woman who has blazed her own trail, or the energetic ambition of a politician who has not only goals, but the will and willingness to realize them.

"It’s wonderful to be in a high-profile position, and to be in it as you are," says Smmons, emphasizing the last three words to underscore her comfort as an openly gay mayor.

Indeed, she’s happily been herself throughout her rise in the political ranks; during her 10 years on the Cambridge School Committee and four terms on the City Counil, Simmons has navigated the tricky gaze of the public eye while running a small, insurance business and raising four children and three grandchildren with her female partner of six years.

What’s more, she’s done it with strong acceptance from her collegues and constituents. "My partner is as welcomed and as honored as the spouses of my colleagues," she says of Cambridge’s progressive social atmosphere. "My children can go to school feeling that it’s OK to refer to their two moms, without people foldingup like a fan."

Indeed, Cambridge is a city with world-class universities and a strong GLBT presence; it marked another unique first as the first American city to issue license applications for same-sex marriage.

Cambridge is widely considered a bastionof liberal politics and Simmons’ role as the first openly gay female African-American Mayor follows the groundbreaking tenure of her predecessor Kenneth Reeves, who had previously served as the first openly gay male African-American mayor.

Interestingly,it was exactly one week after Mayor Simmons’ historic appointment that Senator Barack Obama—himself out to stake his first-in-the-nation claim—commented publicly on a perceived enmity between the gay and African-American communities.

On January 21, Obama commemorated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on the steps of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and chose to remark on the dream of fairness and equality imparted by its most famous Pastor:

"For most of this country’s history, we in the African-Aerican community have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man," insists Obama. "And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our commnity has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community. We have shunned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them."

From her perspective as a member of both the gay and African-American communities, Mayor Simmons’ experiences hallenge those words.

"I don’t think there is a political rift [between the two communities]," says Simmons. "The most I ever saw of that was in the marriage-equality debate and we were on both sides of that rift: the progressive and not-so-progressive Arican-Americans."

Obama is not the first political leader to acknowledge a sentiment, justified or not, of perceived antagonism between the communities. But Simmons is of the opinion that ideology, not skin color, is the source of whatever conflict may eist.

"Because we’re in Cambridge, being gay is not an issue. You can focus on policy issues that are meaningful to all people ... regardless of our gender and who we choose to love."

"I think it’s more along the lines of fundamentalist Christian-types [oposed to] non-fundamentalist Christian types," says Simmons. "And some of the fundamental Christian types happen to be African-American."

Simmons is candid speaking on her experiences as a gay woman, as an African-American woman, and how those experience have informed her ideals.

Yet, as with her nonchalant take on the supposedly dangerous intersection of race and sexuality, she is also quick to note that GLBT concerns are not the only issues at stake in her new role.

"Because we’re in Cambridge, beinggay is not an issue," says Simmons. "You can focus on policy issues that are meaningful to all people: employment, housing, safety in the streets, issues that affect us all regardless of who we are, regardless of our gender and who we choose to love."

He "gay is not an issue" sentiment is reinforced by her public persona. Simmons’ platforms on employment, housing and public safety are all discussed at length on her City Councilor Web site. Her platform on GLBT issues is absent.

Then again, actions speaklouder than words. Simmons has a long history of implementing policy changes for the benefit of the GLBT community.

As City Councilor, she led the formation of Cambridge’s GLBT Commission, a four-member group that focuses on advocacy issues, "crafting orinances, and making it [GLBT issues] an established part of the municipal process," says Simmons.

Among the commission’s most recent efforts have been sensitivity training for Cambridge police and oversight of the hiring process for the current Commissioer of Police.

During her 10 years on the Cambridge School Committee, Simmons also worked to establish the LGBT Family Liaison. The intermediary role helps communicate concerns and address relevant matters between schools and LGBT families.

"Being on theschool committee and being openly gay, I had every gay parent on the phone," recalls Simmons of advising these parents on various issues. "I said [to myself], ’I’m glad to do this, but this is really a [separate] job!’"

And while Simmons helped enable thse conversations, she’s struggled to alter the semantics within. "We always said the term ’parents,’" says Simmons of the language that accompanied the years before her arrival. "I said that we needed to stop saying ’parents’ and start saying ’families.’"

"’Parents’ evoked [the idea of] mom and dad, like Ozzie and Harriet or the Huxtables," elaborates Simmons. "It didn’t evoke the idea of my family of two moms, or a family of two dads. So I said, let’s stop talking about ’parents,’ which is exclusive. Andstart talking about families."

To that end, Simmons implemented the inclusive language of Cambridge Public Schools’ Family Involvement policy, a procedural guide dedicated to keeping families deeply involved in the schooling experience of their children.

Moving forward in her role as Mayor, Simmons has several major initiatives she’s eager to pursue, including the cultivation of Green Jobs: a workforce specializing in a new age of environmentally concerned and eco-friendly careers.

She’s also eager to fnd ways to coordinate the City’s child services—including those in health care and education, among others—to best provide a suite of fully encompassing programs and attentions aimed at fostering the overall development of the child.

And of course, Simons is eager to "more hands-on work with the GLBT commission," she says. "I’m looking forward to that... we have a unique opportunity, having someone in the center chair [note: in City Council meetings, the mayor takes the center chair]. How do we use this opportunity to accelerate the GLBT community?"

ChocolateBrides.com Tops 93 Million Hits in 2007

"Mainstream media is still trying to tell us Black people don’t get married" are the words New York radio personality and ChocolateBrides.com founder, Kesh Monk has recited often.

ChocolateBrides.com was created in 2003 as a messageboard for black women seeking ideas and tips in regards to the wedding planning process. It has grown into a social net_working website connecting black brides from around the wold. The message_board has helped the site garner over 93 million hits in 2007. In four years over 10,000 weddings have been planned using the resources of ChocolateBrides.com. Furthermore, Choc_olate_Brides.com has blossomed into a print publication. Choclate Brides Magazine hit newsstands in the spring of 2007 and has rapidly racked up subscribers in 46 out of 50 states and seven countries.

Eugene Myrick, ChocolateBrides.com co-founder and husband of Kesha Monk adds, "Many potential advertisers who shie away from us originally, have come back asking questions. Black advertising executives have told me, ‘Black people don’t get married’. Meanwhile, I have a website that received over 93 million hits last year from Black women seeking helpful advice for thir wedding planning process. In addition to the thousands of women who frequent our website daily, I’ve noticed many other mainstream magazines lurking around our messageboard for information."

Kesha Monk and Eugene Myrick were featured in the July 2007 ssue of Black Enterprise Magazine. The couple admits that the Black Enterprise article spiked subscriptions to Chocolate Brides Magazine from women excited about their concept. That article also brought a new flock of vendors to ChocolateBrides.com.

Whenasked what’s next, the coupled smiled and rambled off a series of projects in the works. Kesha Monk stated, "I believe our next stop is television, WE (Women’s Entertainment) has Monica Taylor’s Hair Trauma and TBS has Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, both sows with Black Executive Producers. We’ve been able to pitch to mainstream outlets in addition networks that are geared specifically to Black audiences."

Eugene Myrick ended by saying "We’re in the process of working on a really big ChocolateBrides.com Bidal Expo in New York. Depending on how it goes, we’ll consider taking it on the road. The world is beginning to take notice of what we’re doing. We’ve seen a number of duplicate websites out there. The good news is Chocolate Brides from around win by havng more resources available to them; however, as a business we have to try to remain one step ahead of competition that didn’t exist when started."