4 The Hampton Roads Messenger Editorial


Who to honor during Women’s History Month is your choice


will do something toward enforcing the Fifteenth Amendment. We are so helpless without the right of citizenship in that section of the country where we need it most.” It would be another 25 years before African American women’s right to vote was addressed in the Civil Rights Act of 1965.


In order to win the right to vote, African European American women like


Carrie Chapman Catt


Mary Church Terrell BY ANGELA JONES


During Women’s History Month


we often hear advice from others about who we should honor or exalt. Some of the people and organizations giving the advice have shown that they are not respectful of women, so why should we take their advice. Television networks that show soap operas, music videos and other disparaging programs which depict women in a disrespectful manner, are in no position to tell the public which women are worthy to be praised. The government also cannot be given the privilege of advising the public about which women are worth celebrating. I recently watched “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” and was appalled to learn that the FBI tried to set her up with drugs. She seemed to be strong and fragile at the same time because of her less than perfect upbringing and instead of protecting her, law enforcement officers took advantage of her weakened state. They harassed her simply because she wanted to bring attention to lynching through her singing of the song “Strange Fruit.” To me, she was someone who should be considered a civil rights activist.


The same is true of Sandra Bland.


She was criticized as being ‘too sassy’ in the officer's video but she was also a woman trying to bring attention to the plight of African Americans through the videos she posted online. Although they may not have been as ‘polished’ as Rosa Parks, Sandra Bland and Billie Holiday should both be considered civil rights heroes, as well.


In 1920, when the 19th


amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, Mary Church Terrell wrote a letter to then NAACP president Moorfield Storey. After African European American (White) women were given the right to vote, Terrell wrote, “The colored women of the South will be shamefully treated, and will not be alowed [sic] to vote, I am sure. I hope the Republicans


offered


their support for white supremacy. She wrote in a 1918 letter to North Carolina Congressman Edwin Webb, “[The] present condition in the South makes sovereigns of some negro men, while all white women are their subjects. These are sad but solemn truths. If you want white supremacy, why not have it constitutionally, honorably? The Federal Amendment offers the way.” Even today, voting is not guaranteed


a right for African


American women because of disenfranchisement. The right to be treated with dignity and respect is not guaranteed either. Just recently, America’s first National Youth Poet Laureate


Amanda tweeted, “A security suspicious.' I showed


Volume 15 Number 6 Women's Event FROM PAGE 1


leave attendees feeling like they can conquer any challenge.” The event is free and open to


the public. Women can RSVP for the event at


Dominion Energy the


FROM PAGE 1


Stoney stressed the significance of acknowledging


history of


Virginia to recognize those who ignited change in the state. The honorees for this year’s ceremony included Krysta Jones, Dr. Lerla G. Joseph, Senator L. Louise Lucas, Stan Maclin, and Evelyn Reid. Each


year, Dominion Energy


holds an essay contest for Virginia high school students to honor some of the great African American leaders in our country. However,


this year


Dominion held a creative writing contest, with the winners being given a new computer, an award and $1000 for their school.


This was the prompt given: Many Americans are confronting the long history of racial violence in the United States that is often ignored and that has manifested itself in our political and social systems. One definition of social justice describes it as justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges


within Gorman guard tailed


me on my walk home tonight. He demanded if I lived there because 'you look


my keys & buzzed myself into my building. He left, no apology. This is the reality of black girls: One day you’re called an icon, the next day, a threat.” Less than a month prior, on February 14, 2021, she tweeted, “Wow, a fantastic @washingtonpost piece by @nnekamcguire. We live in a contradictory society that can celebrate a black girl poet & also pepper spray a 9 yr old. Yes see me, but also see all other black girls who've been made invisible. I can not, will not, rise alone.” Luckily, her encounter with the security guard did not end like Sandra Bland’s and so many other African American females who dare to not “know their place.” As always, my suggestion on how to end sex discrimination is


to end racial discrimination.


Those who are not willing to end racial discrimination should not be allowed to be in a protected class themselves. Furthermore, I contend that those who are not willing


to


end sex discrimination should not be considered for a protected status either. With the current climate of the Supremacist


Insurrection Network


(SIN), African American women and men should be careful and travel in pairs during the day and at night, whenever possible.


a society. What does social justice mean to you? How has a lack of social justice throughout American history affected minority communities? What actions can you take in support of social justice? The winners of the contest were


Tamia Booker, Madisyn Ford of Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Zahria Ford, and Julie Thomas. Tamia put together a moving collection of images from the wave of protests in wake of the death of George Floyd. The images that she chose seem to perfectly captivate the roller coaster of emotions felt during the protests. Madisyn and Zahria both performed captivating poems that highlight the importance of knowing what it means to be Black in America. Julie Thomas


HBCU History FROM PAGE 3


impact is not only restricted to the work their graduates do. Historically Black Colleges have a positive impact of over $10 billion on the nation’s economy.


Established 2006 Angela Jones, Publisher Chris Parks, Editor


Sarah Parks, Graphic Designer Chance Meeting, Contributing Writer Sales and Information: info@hamptonroadsmessenger.com Copyright pertaining to contents of this edition. All rights reserved.


Karol Scott, who watched most of the 4-day event online stated, after hearing that Lincoln University sold a photograph of Albert Einstein teaching a class at the university, for a sizable amount, “I never knew that photos from Historically Black Colleges were so valuable.” Tuskegee University Archivist Dana Chandler spoke about what surprised him the most about the history of such a prestigious university as Tuskegee; “One of the things that really struck me when I came here was that not only was the school co-ed in 1881, but women taught men.” “This series about the history of HBCUs was enlightening inspiring,”


and said Barbara Jones,


another attendee of the virtual event. “Many of us don’t know the long history and struggles our ancestors endured to keep these


institutions


operational.” Jones expressed being pleased with the overall program. “The lunchtime schedule was convenient and the subject matter was thought- provoking.” The


career readiness


provided many helpful tips involving networking resources, social media


engagement, and proper job research to bring some ease to HBCU student’s transition into the work environment. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion panel, which featured Dewey Norwood, Jr. of Wells Fargo, Brandy Boatner of IBM and Angela Jones of the HBCU Advocate, involved inspirational stories of overcoming a lack of diversity in the workplace, as well as the importance of workplace diversity and the necessary research that needs to be done to discover what policies are in place to improve Diversity and Inclusion in one’s workspace. “The AAHM lunchtime offered


truly an opportunity


series for


faculty, staff, students, alumni and advocates of HBCUs to not only remember the past, but to also prepare for the future,” said Angela Jones, founder of the HBCU Advocate, the multimedia platform offering news and information about Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which hosted the event. “Thanks to sponsors and partners, like Robinhood and the FDIC, our organization will continue to create programs that are of value to


the panel entire HBCU community.”


Visit thehbcuadvocate.com for more information on future events including the Women’s History Month virtual event, 2021 Women Who Lead.


WWL2021.splashthat.com. Conference attendees looking for


March 2021


career opportunities can upload their resume while registering or email it to info@thehbcuadvocate.com to be considered for employment by our sponsors. Companies interested in sponsoring the event may also send an email to info@thehbcuadvocate.com, with 'Sponsor Inquiry' in the subject.


wrote a piece urging people to educate themselves on social justice issues, and informed them of the part that they can have in bringing attention to these issues.


recognition


Krysta Jones accepted with


a story about


her her


journey to improve representation in politics, which led to her founding the Virginia Leadership Institute. She is currently the President of the National Political Women’s Caucus of Virginia. Dr. Lerla G. Joseph spoke about her goals


to be a missionary. Drawing


inspiration from influences like her grandmother, Dr. Joseph knew that she was destined to be that person for someone else in need. Senator Louise Lucas began her lengthy career as a trailblazer as the Naval Shipyard’s first female ship lifter in 1971, she went on to become


an council accomplishments. The late Stan Maclin was heavily


influenced by the work of Dr. Martin Luther King and used his position in the church to promote justice and inclusion in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Rev. Maclin was also the president and founder of the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center to emphasize leadership. Lastly, Evelyn Reid Syphax comes from a lineage of African royalty, being the embodiment of determination and resolve. She earned her degree in English from Virginia


Union in 1948 and used


her teaching career in Arlington to establish the Syphax Child Care Center in 1963, which became the first preschool for African Americans. She was an advocate for African American and women’s rights, an important piece of the history in Virginia, and, like the others recognized, very deserving of this honor.


businesswoman, and the first black woman to be elected to the Portsmouth city


among many other


excellent


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