Above: This year's reception on Martha's Vineyard
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THE NATION'S LARGEST AFRICAN AMERICAN ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVE
August 17, 2018 - Vol. 1, Issue 46
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The HistoryMakers
A Week on the Vineyard
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This past week on Martha’s Vineyard was a rousing success for The HistoryMakers. In partnership with Toyota, we hosted a panel discussion on
The History of Blacks in Business: Untold Stories
which also featured individual testimonials from panelists and attendees who reflected on the impact of the event and the state of black business in America. On Monday August 13
th
, The HistoryMakers Founder and President
Julieanna Richardson
along with the fourteenth Librarian of Congress
Dr. Carla Hayden
, were live on Sirius XM radio with
Joe Madison
to discuss the importance of archives and preservation of African American history. The following evening,
The HistoryMakers on Martha’s Vineyard
reception was held at the future home of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. It was well attended with over 200 guests, including 89 of our HistoryMakers who were acknowledged during the evening's ceremony. The event also featured speakers from the nation’s most prominent archival institutions along with a special appearance by renowned poet and author
Nikki Giovanni
.
In the eight years since her first interview with The HistoryMakers, Dr. Hayden sat down with Ms. Richardson to discuss African American collections across the U.S. and reflect upon her career as a librarian. We were also pleased and honored to announce that The HistoryMakers’ twentieth anniversary celebration in 2020 will be held in Washington, D.C. at the Library of Congress, thanks to the efforts and generosity of Dr. Hayden.
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African American Women and the
Equal Rights Amendment
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Above: Thousands marched on Congress to plea for extension of the Equal Rights Amendment ratification deadline in 1978
.
1
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The Honorable Maxine Waters
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Although the deadline for states to pass the Equal Rights Amendment expired in 1982, recent events -- specifically the #MeToo movement and Women’s March -- have brought the legislation to light once more. Following Nevada’s ratification of the ERA in March of 2017, Illinois became the thirty-seventh state to ratify in May of this year, thirty-six years after the original deadline was set by U.S. Congress. The ERA is now only one state away from being reconsidered as an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
2
In a study conducted by the Fund for Women’s Equality, it was reported that 80 percent of Americans believe that women are protected equally by the U.S. Constitution. Yet, women are still facing unequal pay and other manifestations of discrimination. This is especially true for African American women who face discrimination based on both their gender and race. Studies show that women make 80.5 cents for every dollar earned by men, but according to the 2017 census, that amount is dramatically reduced to only 63 cents earned for African American women.
3
Historically, it has been perceived that the struggle for women’s rights going back to the suffrage movement has been the work of white women. Historian and professor
Rosalyn Terborg-Penn
spent a portion of her career trying to dispel this belief. “
And what I found, to everybody’s surprise, was that black women were very involved in the women’s suffrage movement from the early days…what I was finding was the argument in the 1970s that black women were really not committed to suffrage and that black men were against women wanting the vote all together. So what I had to do was prove that was wrong
."
4
[
Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, THMDA 1.3.1
]. Terborg-Penn’s research found that there were a number of organizations committed to women’s rights throughout history including the National Association of Colored Women, the American Civil Liberties Union and today’s #MeToo movement, which is headed by civil rights activist
Tarana Burke
.
There were also individual leaders fighting for women’s rights, like civil rights activist and suffragette
Mary Church Terrell
. She was one of the first African American women to earn a college degree. Similarly,
The Honorable Maxine Waters
worked alongside
Bella Abzug
and
Gloria Steinem
at the 1978 National Women’s Conference where they created a twenty-six plan resolution to be presented to
President Jimmy Carter
. These resolutions addressed the ERA and the rights of minorities, among other things. In her interview with The HistoryMakers, Waters commented on the struggle of being a black women within the women’s movement, “
I had to learn to balance my activities with the women’s movement that was basically white, that could literally consume you, and the time that I spent in African American communities and my community, and working with African American women, who many didn’t like the language and the definition of the women’s movement. We had to try and make all that work and come together, and it eventually did
."
5
[
The Honorable Maxine Waters, THMDA 1.3.7
].
Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, there were both strong supporters and opponents to the Equal Rights Amendment. Ultimately, the legislation failed to be ratified by the required number of states by the 1982 deadline. Women’s rights advocate
Aileen Clarke Hernandez
explained that, “
During the whole Equal Rights Amendment, you got crazy things being said…it diverted a lot of the discussions and [the ERA] is still not passed. We got very close, but then it sort of died. And it hasn’t been able to be resuscitated to get to the final three [states] because many people now think we don’t need it
."
6
[
Aileen Clarke Hernandez, THMDA 1.6.4
].This movement is still present today, despite recent events surrounding sexual discrimination and renewed focus on women’s rights. With thirteen states left to consider the ERA and only one ratification needed, the legislation is on the cusp of returning to the U.S. Congress with the potential to become a constitutional amendment.
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In Remembrance of
Aretha Franklin
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Below: Aretha Franklin early in her career.
7
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This week we celebrate the life and legacy of the Queen of Soul,
Aretha Franklin who passed away on Thursday August 16, 2018 at the age of 76. She began singing in the choir at her father
Reverend C.L. Franklin’s church, New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. Though her vocals had their roots in gospel, Franklin brought that righteous fervor to secular music. Her songs had depth beyond the romance and love songs of the ‘60s and ‘70s, her hits like, “'
Do Right Woman — Do Right Man,' 'Think,' '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' and 'Chain of Fools' defined a modern female archetype: sensual and strong, long-suffering but ultimately indomitable, loving but not to be taken for granted."
8
Aside from her indelible talent as a performer, Franklin will also be remembered for her kindness and spirit.
Clarence Waldron, senior editor and writer for Jet magazine, recalled his many interviews with the Queen of Soul, “
Aretha is Aretha. Again, I think that Aretha--I don't think, I know, is the most generous and thoughtful entertainer I've ever interviewed, just very, very generous, very thoughtful.”
9
[
Clarence Waldron, THMDA 1.6.3
].
Her accolades and music speak for themselves; over 100 singles on the Billboard charts, which include 17 top 10 pop singles and 20 No. 1 R&B hits. The 18-time Grammy Award winning artist also became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and she was honored with a lifetime achievement award in 1994. Franklin also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 and sang at the inauguration of
President Barack Obama in 2009. She leaves behind an untouchable legacy as someone who inspired generations of musicians and performers, and whose body of work defined an entire genre of music that has rightfully earned her the title as the Queen of Soul. In the words of jazz singer
Carmen Lundy, “
Aretha was everything to everybody.”
10 [
Carmen Lundy, THMDA 1.3.4].
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The HistoryMakers Welcomes
the College of William and Mary
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Our community is growing! We are so glad to announce the College of William and Mary as our latest subscribing institution to The HistoryMakers Digital Archive, bringing our total to 49 subscribing institutions.
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THE HISTORYMAKERS' FAVORITE QUOTES:
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"Out of every adversity, there is a seed of equal or greater benefit, so bring on the challenges."
-
James Speed
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Please share with us your stories of how you incorporate The HistoryMakers Digital Archive into your curriculum and research. We'd love to hear from you!
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STAY TUNED FOR NEW CONTENT IN
THE HISTORYMAKERS DIGITAL ARCHIVE
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1. BANNER PHOTO: Thousands marched on Congress to plea for extension of the Equal Rights Amendment ratification deadline in 1978, Getty Images,
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/thousands-of-exuberant-backers-of-the-equal-rights-news-photo/867540964#thousands-of-exuberant-backers-of-the-equal-rights-amendment-marched-picture-id867540964.
4. Rosalyn Terborg-Penn (The HistoryMakers A2004.078), interviewed by Racine Tucker Hamilton, June 15, 2004, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 1, Rosalyn Terborg-Penn discusses her studies of discrimination of African American women.
5. The Honorable Maxine Waters (The HistoryMakers A2001.076), interviewed by Julieanna L. Richardson, July 29, 2001, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 7, Maxine Waters describes the women's rights movement of the 1970s.
6. Aileen Clarke Hernandez (The HistoryMakers A2007.134), interviewed by Larry Crowe, April 12, 2007, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 6, story 4, Aileen Clarke Hernandez remembers the challenges to the Equal Rights Amendment.
9. Clarence Waldron (The HistoryMakers A2014.022), interviewed by Larry Crowe, January 25, 2014, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 6, story 3, Clarence Waldron recalls his favorite celebrity interviews.
10. Carmen Lundy (The HistoryMakers A2014.256), interviewed by Larry Crowe, November 12, 2014, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 4, Carmen Lundy describes the musical influence of Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack and others.
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The HistoryMakers Digital Archive
? We want to fix it! Send a brief description of the error to:
digitalarchive@thehistorymakers.org
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We're here to help! Please direct questions about
The HistoryMakers Digital Archive
to:
digitalarchive@thehistorymakers.org
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