Authored by Elisabeth Omilami | Humanitarian
I’ve heard that Martin Luther King Jr. did not want my dad, Hosea Williams, to march this time. Hosea had led many marches across the southeast by then; he was hired by Martin King because of his success in organizing and leading working people to march. Hosea was sent to this small Southern town to manage the movement there until Dr. King could get there. They had a phone call about the rising sentiment of the people there, especially about the murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson and the decision was that it was too dangerous to lead the people. But, the decision had already been made by the people for the people, exacerbated by the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson and a march was going to take place, with or without leadership from SCLC. The people were hurt, angry and they were ready to march, and they were going forward. Rev. …
Today, the nation is finally recognizing the leadership and power of Black women. With the first Black woman as a Vice Presidential nominee for a major political party, we have finally broken the shackles that have held us back. Black women have consistently shown up to the polls, using their vote as their voice in the democratic process — and now, America is taking notice.
But, this wasn’t always the case. This year, we commemorate 100 years of women voting after the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920. Yet, many forget that it wasn’t until 1965, when most Black women could participate in our electoral process, even after centuries of working for equality. …
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