By Carole Copeland Thomas From my home to yours, I wish you rich blessings into the New Year. Here is a special article I created about the history of Watch Night Service in the African American community. The tradition predated the importance of the famous 1862 Watch Night Services and originated with the Moravians in Germany many years earlier. The first Methodist church in America to celebrate Watch Night in the 1700s was St. George United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, the home church of Bishop Richard Allen, co-founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. However, it has become particularly important in the Black Church, with its evolution in the early to mid-1800s. The word evolved from “Freedom’s Eve” to “Watch Night” as the freed and enslaved blacks “watched” the clock strike 12 midnight, turning the course of the Civil War and freeing three million slaves in the states of the rebellion. Wishing You The Best in 2020! Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA CDMP, CITM The History Of Watch Night Services In The Black Church
by Carole Copeland Thomas With the festivities of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa now on full display, there is still time to reflect on the ritual of my ancestors and many other African Americans, whose forefathers sat around campfires and wood stoves in the twilight of December 31, 1862. There they sang spirituals acapella, prayed, and thanked the Good Lord for what was about to happen the next day. In the North, Abolitionists were jubilant that the “peculiar institution” was finally about to get dismantled one plantation at a time. The booklet, Walking Tours of Civil War Boston sites this about this historic event: “On January 1, 1863, large anti-slavery crowds gathered at Boston’s Music Hall and Tremont Temple to await word that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the much-anticipated Emancipation Proclamation (EP). Those present at the Music Hall included Uncle Tom’s Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe, poets Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and John Greenleaf Whittier and essayist, poet and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Also present was Ralph Waldo Emerson, who composed his Boston Hymn to mark the occasion.” Now… Let’s Look Back...157 Years Ago Tonight... It was on January 1, 1863, amidst the cannon fire, gunshots, and burnings at the height of the Civil War that President Abraham Lincoln sealed his own fate and signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It begins with the following decree: Whereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, towit: "That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.” That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States." CAROLE' S TRANSLATION: Effective January 1, 1863, all slaves in the states in rebellion against the Union are free. Technically that is all that President Lincoln could do at the time. He used his wartime powers as Commander in Chief to liberate the "property" of the states in rebellion of the Union. The act did not free the slaves of the Union or border states (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, or West Virginia) or any southern state under Union control (like parts of Virginia). It would take the 13th Amendment (that freed all slaves in 1865), the Union Army winning the Civil War (April 9, 1865), and the assassination of President Lincoln (shot on April 14th and died on April 15, 1865) for all of the slaves to be freed. That included the liberation of the slaves in rebellious Texas on June 19, 1865 (Juneteenth Day) and finally the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 18, 1865, giving all black people freedom and permanently abolishing slavery in the US. So in 1862 on the eve of this great era, the slaves "watched", prayed, and waited. My ancestors, including Bishop Wesley John Gaines of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) (a slave in Georgia freed by the EP) and the other three million slaves, prayed for divine guidance and an empowered Abraham Lincoln to do the right thing. It is as important today as the tradition of black people eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck. Following the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves were freed in stages, based on where they lived, the willingness of the plantation owner to release them and when Union troops began to control their area. Black educator and community activist Booker T. Washington as a boy of 9 in Virginia, remembered the day in early 1865: “As the great day drew nearer, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. Most of the verses of the plantation songs had some reference to freedom. ... Some man who seemed to be a stranger (a United States officer, I presume) made a little speech and then read a rather long paper—the Emancipation Proclamation, I think. After the reading, we were told that we were all free and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children, while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see.” The longest holdouts were the slaves in Texas, who were not freed until June 19, 1865, two months after the Civil War ended. That day is now celebrated as Juneteenth Day around the United States. That is the history of Watch Night in the African American culture. May you and your family enjoy a spirit-filled New Year throughout 2020. Thank you for ALL of your support you have given to me and my business throughout 2019. -Carole
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By Carole Copeland Thomas Five international holidays converge onto the scene every December (and early January) to make our schedules hectic, exciting, and pressure-filled. Wrapping gifts while shopping at odd hours of the night either push us into the spirit of happiness OR help us find an escape path until all of the celebrations are over.
Here are related links to five holidays with religious and nonreligious implications. You'll learn some interesting facts and figures that will make you scratch your head in amazement. The marathon includes Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. Learn new stuff and pass it on as the merriment continues throughout the holiday season. ========== Links and Resources For The Five Holidays 1 Hanukkah https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/3840625/jewish/13-Hanukkah-Facts-Every-Jew-Should-Know.htm?gclid=CjwKCAiAmO3gBRBBEiwA8d0Q4pDJz2VX1LG1_sN0V5SAZbinichpFp5px9yfA6E7saEpk0daVFLqnRoCncwQAvD_BwE 2 Winter Solstice https://www.farmersalmanac.com/get-ready-for-the-winter-solstice-23294 3 Christmas Parenting Article Written For Kids https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/20-interesting-facts-and-information-about-christmas-for-kids/ Inc Magazine https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/10-weird-facts-about-christmas.html History of the Christmas Tree https://www.historytoday.com/alison-barnes/first-christmas-tree 4 Kwanzaa Official Website: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml PBS Article http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/connect/talk-back/what-is-kwanzaa/ 5 Three Kings Day https://www.newsweek.com/when-three-kings-day-and-how-it-celebrated-epiphany-772690 Here Are Your Zoom Video Instructions:
Topic: Street Smart Skills When Responding To Racism Time: Aug 15, 2019 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/533444608 Or Join By Landline Phone or Cell Phone: One tap mobile +1 646 876-9923, US (New York) +1 669 900-6833,US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 533 444 608 By Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, CDMP, CITM If we’re not careful, the violence, destruction, and disruption our country is facing will permanently define the quality of life in America for generations to come. Hate crimes are on the rise and have been so since the November 2016 presidential elections. According to a recent article in Forbes Magazine:
“A news report from The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, headquartered at California State University in Santa Barbara, has found that hate crimes rose 9% in 30 major American cities in 2018. That is the steepest rise since 2015, and the total number of hate crimes has now gone up for the fifth consecutive year. That is despite overall U.S. crime rates continuing to fall across the cities included in the report.” This is no illusion. You just have to blink twice before the next mass shooting takes place. And there have been 250 mass shootings in America (where four or more have been killed) since January 1, 2019! The latest guns-blazing tragedy in Dayton, Ohio left nine dead (ten with the shooter) and dozens injured. That’s nine dead in 32 seconds because of a high powered killing rifle. Not to mention a young white supremacist drove more than 650 miles from Dallas, Texas toEl Paso, targeted a Walmart populated by back to school shoppers in a Latino neighborhood, and killed 22, leaving dozens more injured. And don’t even talk about the countless school shootings our country faces each year. They embody the horrors of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018. Enter an ex-student who hated Jews, African Americans, Mexicans and Muslims, who executed 17 students and teachers and wounded 17 more with a semi-automatic rifle he had legally purchased to conduct his killing spree. It would take ten more commentaries to detail the other horrific mass shootings that have happened all too frequently in the last three years. This does not minimize previous shootings and murders that have occurred in America. From the 2015 Emanuel AME Church hate crime murder spree (with nine murdered) to the Columbine High School tragedy of 1999 (15 dead), these incidences are all reminders that violent explosions of rage and hatred symbolize the worst of American people. Jewish Synagogues, Sikh Temples, Muslim Mosques, Yoga Studios, Movie Theaters, Night Clubs, and Hotel Complexes overlooking Country Music Festivals. Just a sampling of where these executions have occurred in recent years. Too many. Too frequently. Too commonly repeated. It’s just hard to ignore that the frequency of these killings is up since 2016. And as a diversity professional, I can’t just stand by and say nothing! I recently posted this self quote on my Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram accounts: "Staying silent when others are mistreated signals your approval of the actions of the oppressor. Speak Up. Speak Out. Use Your Voice!" Now more than ever, it’s up to reasonable and rational Americans to stand up and reject the violence that is ripping our country apart. Too often it’s gun violence manifested through weapons that should remain in the hands of military personnel, not civilians. Gun violence fueled by hateful and misguided citizens who have “drunk the Kool-Aid” of conservative cable propaganda news organizations. And too many misguided young white men who follow the rhetoric of the White House in an outrageous display of hatred, bigotry, anti-semitism, anti immigration and xenophobia, all in the name of “Make America Great Again.” I cannot sit by quietly, because it could be my loved one next!! A few weeks ago, it could have been my older daughter. She’s married, has two children, is gainfully employed, a homeowner, is an elected school committee member in her town, and has an earned doctorate in clinical psychology. Yet despite all of that, an older white man drove next to her car in a quiet Connecticut shopping center and blurted out the “n” word directly to her! Unannounced, with no provocation! THAT HAPPENED TO MY CHILD. It could have ended badly. Thank God it didn’t. Who’s next? Who will stand up with me to denounce this madness?? Who has the courage to speak out against these atrocities in a fearless way that can push back on this cancer that has gripped our country? If not you…WHO? The great German theologian and Lutheran pastor, Friedrich Gustav Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) ultimately took a stand against Hitler, even though he initially supported his leadership. It cost him when he was thrown into a concentration camp until the end of World War II. Yet, he still spoke out against the madness of the Third Reich. Niemöller said it this way: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. If we’re not careful, there will be no one left for us to protect and stand up for our rights. Gun violence, hateful white supremacy, and anti-immigration fear-mongering has to stop! If we don’t stand up and speak out, “there will be no one left to speak for me.” ================== Sources Hate Crimes Rising: https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/08/01/report-hate-crime-is-rising-in-30-major-american-cities-infographic/#6f7f7f4bb8d0 The Number of Mass Shootings in 2019: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/251-mass-shootings-in-us/ President John Adams and President Thomas Jefferson Read what happened to them on 1826 in this blog post. May Independence Day bring good fortune and celebration to you wherever you are. As the United States celebrates its birthday, here is a link to other countries with the dates of their Independence Days.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_independence_days
And here are some fun facts of other historical events that have also happened on July 4th. (Source: https://www.onthisday.com/events/july/4) 1636 City of Providence, Rhode Island is formed 1776 According to popular legend the Liberty Bell rings for the Second Continental Congress 1776 US Congress proclaims the Declaration of Independence and independence from Britain 1796 1st Independence Day celebration is held 1802 US Military Academy officially opens (West Point, NY) 1803 The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people by President Thomas Jefferson 1826 Past presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both die on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, President John Quincy Adams calls "visible and palpable remarks of Divine Favor" 1827 Slavery abolished in New York 1831 "America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)" is 1st sung in Boston 1838 Iowa Territory is organized from Wisconsin Territory, lasting until 1846 1840 The Cunard Line's 700-ton wooden paddle steamer RMS Britannia departs from Liverpool bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia on the first transatlantic crossing with a scheduled end 1845 Henry David Thoreau moves into his shack on Walden Pond (Massachusetts) 1845 Texas Congress votes for annexation to US 1862 Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) creates Alice in Wonderland for Alice Liddell on a family boat trip on the river Isis (Thames) in Oxford (England) 1863 General Lee's army withdraws from Gettysburg (Turning point during the Civil War) 1863 Vicksburg, Mississippi surrenders to Union forces 1865 First edition of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll is published 1868 Maori leader Te Kooti and 300 of his followers captured the schooner Rifleman in the Chatham Islands and sail for New Zealand; landing at Whareongaonga six days later 1873 Aquarium opens in Woodward Gardens, San Francisco 1875 White Democrats kill several blacks in terrorist attacks in Vicksburg 1876 1st public exhibition of electric light in San Francisco 1876 Batholdi visits Bedloe Island, future home of his Statue of Liberty 1881 Booker T. Washington establishes Tuskegee Institute (Alabama) 1883 Buffalo Bill Cody presents 1st Wild West Show, North Platte, Nebraska 1884 Statue of Liberty presented to US in Paris 1886 1st scheduled transcontinental passenger train reaches Port Moody, British Columbia 1887 Future founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, begins his studies at Sindh Madressatul Islam University in Karachi 1892 Western Samoa changes the International Date Line, so that year there were 367 days in this country, with two occurrences of Monday, July 4 1894 Republic of Hawaii proclaimed, Sanford B Dole as president 1895 Katherine Lee Bates publishes "America the Beautiful" 1901 William Howard Taft, former Federal judge, is installed as the first governor-general of the Philippines and declares amnesty for all insurgents who take an oath of allegiance 1902 Civil government is established in the Philippines by a proclamation from US President Theodore Roosevelt, who offers a general amnesty to insurgents 1906 Great Britain, France, and Italy declare the independence of Ethiopia (Abyssinia), but all lay claim to their own 'spheres of influence' in that land 1910 "Fight of the Century": African American Jack Johnson beats "The Great White Hope" James J. Jeffries by TKO in 15 in Reno, Nevada to retain his world heavyweight boxing title 1917 Troops of the Russian Provisional Government opened fire on protesters in Petrograd during the 'July Days' of unrest (Russian Revolution) 1918 Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI ascends to the throne. This signaled the end of the Ottoman Empire and the beginning of modern-day Turkey following World War I. 1927 Sukarno and friends form the pro-Indonesian independence party, the PNI (Perserikatan Nasional Indonesia) in Batavia, Dutch East Indies 1934 Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard patents the chain-reaction design for the atomic bomb 1939 Lou Gehrig is first MLB player to have his number (4) retired on his "Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium, makes iconic "luckiest man" speech 1941 Latvia partisans shoot 416 Jews dead during World War II 1941 Howard Florey and Norman Heatley meet for the 1st time, 11 days later they successfully recreate penicillin 1944 1,100 US guns fire 4th of July salute at German lines in Normandy 1944 1st Japanese kamikaze attack, US fleet near Iwo Jima 1946 Anti-Jewish riots in Kielce Poland, 42 die 1946 Philippines gains independence from the US 1946 President Manuel Roxas inaugurated as the 5th President of the Philippines and the first president of the Third Republic at the Independence Grandstand, Manila 1950 Harry Truman signs public law 600 (Puerto Ricans write own constitution) 1950 The first broadcast by Radio Free Europe. 1954 Dr. Sam Sheppard's wife Marilyn is murdered (he is accused of the crime) 1954 Meat and all other food rationings officially end in Britain, nine years after the end of World War II 1959 Island Records founded in Jamaica 1966 Beatles attacked in the Philippines after (unintentionally) insulting Imelda Marcos 1966 President Lyndon B Johnson signs Freedom of Information Act 1975 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Billie Jean King outclasses Evonne Goolagong 6-0, 6-1 for her 6th Wimbledon singles title 1975 Ted Bundy victim Nancy Baird disappears from Layton, Utah 1976 Operation Entebbe - Israel rescues 229 Air France hostage passengers In Uganda (3 hostages die along with Ugandan soldiers and Israeli soldier) 1987 Nazi Klaus Barbie, "Butcher of Lyon" sentenced to life in France 1990 400 New Kids on the Block fans treated for heat exhaustion in Minnesota 1993 Pilar Fort crowned 25th Miss Black America 1994 Rwandese Patriotic Front occupies Kigali 1996 Hot Mail, a free internet E-mail service begins 2003 LA Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant is arrested in Eagle, Colorado for sexual assault, charges eventually dismissed 2004 The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City. (This was largely a symbolic event; actual construction would not start for several weeks) 2006 Richard Branson sells Virgin Mobile to NTL for £962.4 million 2006 Sri Lanka sets new ODI cricket record score 443-9 in a World Cup win over the Netherlands in Amstelveen (Jayasuriya 157, Dilshan 117no) 2009 The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public after 8 years, due to security reasons following the World Trade Center attacks 2017 North Korea tests first successful intercontinental ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan 2018 Hong Kong'stop court rules same-sex couples entitled to equal visa rights in a landmark case 2018 Wildfire in Yolo County, California, grows to 82,700 acres with 2,800 firefighters battling the blaze 2018 Chinese technology company Baidu announces it has begun mass production of self-driving buses, the 14-seat Apolong
Love Letters from 1915 and 1916 from my maternal grandparents,
​Rev. James A. Charleston (1887-1961) and Mrs. Nora Dean Branch Charleston (1893-1968). They enjoyed a five year courtship before marrying in 1916.
By Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, CDMP, CITM
The road to Black History is paved with genius, talent, hardships, unending tragedy, amazing opportunities and everything in between. This two+-part series will examine the role of the black community in America and why Black History is integral to our past, our present and our future.
Black History IS American History in every sense of the word! Today, as a Valentine’s Day Tribute, we’ll explore the lives of Rev. James and Nora Dean Charleston, my grandparents and their 50-year love affair. Get out your pen and notebook and let’s examine the realities and dreams of black people throughout the land!
By Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, CDMP, CITM
The Who, What, Where, How, & Why of Black History
Part One: Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Black History Since 1619 The road to Black History is paved with genius, talent, hardships, unending tragedy, amazing opportunities and everything in between. This two-part series will examine the role of the black community in America and why Black History is integral to our past, our present and our future. Black History IS American History in every sense of the word!. Get out your pen and notebook and let’s examine the realities and dreams of black people throughout the land! Black History ResourcesArticle 1 Section 2 Clause 3 "American Caste System" Click Here To Download Dr. Carter G. Woodson Click Here To Link To His Historical Organization Black Culture Guidebook Click Here For Details March 14th Black History Breakfast www.mssconnect.com Movie: 12 Years A Slave Click Here For More Information Finding our voice in a mixed up and very noisy world isn't easy. When you have a specific viewpoint about diversity, multiculturalism or inclusion, sometimes you may take as a risk to make your voice heard. However, always keep in mind that your perspective might bring a ray of sunshine in a very dark place. Or your voice may be a breath of fresh air to clear out the overbearing stuffiness that most people want to end. Speaking up at work is never easy. That's why so many remain voiceless, letting the pioneers on the team take the hit for daring to be expressive. Or there may be so much conversation in your office that no-one can get a word in edgewise. With careful deliberation, practice, and confidence, you can be the voice of reason and a trusted leader for the voiceless. Here's a 5 Step Plan to jumpstart your strategy. Once you develop your personal action path, you'll bring honor and dignity to yourself in a whole new way. 1. Know the Issues!! Read multiple newspapers, magazines, online media sites, and study different points of view. Your opinion is simply NOT enough. You must understand what the issues are on all sides as you state your case. 2. Let the demographics help you make the case for diversity. In America, our ethnic base IS changing. Check out www.census.gov for population numbers in the United States. Data from the 2017 Estimated Census Numbers: Census Quick Facts: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/IPE120217 Brookings Projection: The US Will Become “Minority White” in 2045 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2018/03/14/the-us-will-become-minority-white-in-2045-census-projects/ 3. Listen with your EARS, not your MOUTH. So often when we debate an issue, as soon as the other person or opposing side starts talking, we get to work formulating our response. STOP long enough to HEAR what the other person is saying!!! Try NOT to interrupt them unless their story, argument, case, or situation starts rambling with extenuating details. You can even say, "I hear what you're saying and I respect your opinion. Perhaps you can look at it this way to understand my point of view." 4. Watch your email replies! If you have commented on an office policy that excludes people of color and detailed the concerns you have, don't be surprised if you get hate mail. Pioneers like you must prepare for naysayers, haters, resentful colleagues, or co-workers who just don't understand. Before you whip off a terse rebuttal, STOP, breathe and cool off before you respond emotionally. Try sitting on a response for 24 hours and see if your answer can be made more tempered. And remember that an angry response that is sent to "ALL" lives on forever. 5. Consider altering your opinion if necessary! Perhaps YOU need to change!! Or maybe it's WHAT you say that comes across harshly to others and triggers a negative response. Of course, if your opinion is justified, fair, equitable and inclusive, stick by it. It may cost you something, like a job promotion, title, or access to key stakeholders. But if your opinions and recommendations ultimately are made for the good of your division, department, community, or organization, then stick to your principles. In the long run, the voiceless will be grateful for your bold action, bravery, and courage.
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