 | “I’ve voted in every election since 1951.” Do you remember the first time you voted? Oh, yes. When I turned 21, my mother came to me on election day and said, ‘ok put your clothes on. It’s time for us to go vote’. I’ve voted in every election since then. My mother and father had to walk a long way from where we lived to get to their polling site. (In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 reducing the voting age from 21 to 18 in all federal, state, and local elections.) Why don’t more people vote? I don’t really understand it. I don’t think that a lot of people realize that they really don’t want us to vote because they know how much the Black vote counts. Plus so many young people don’t know their history. My daddy left Arkansas because he got into a fight with a white man who stole his dog. He told my mother to take us (the children) and stay with her parents until he could send for us. Mother begged him not to leave. But he said, ‘honey buns, you know what they will do to me. I got to go. |
|
0 Comments
 Jacqueline Cocroft, widow of Retired Brig. Gen. Robert A. Cocroft poses with her children Diana Cocroft-Killins and Robert Hunter Cocroft along with Eduardo M. Garza, Jr., President/CEO, Center for Veterans (CVI) Issues and Steve Gorzek, Board Chairman, CVI also Vice President and Regional Business Sales Manager, BMO Harris Bank.  Atlanta psychiatrist, Dr. Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA was elected 174th President of the American Medical Association (AMA) at its June meeting. She is the first African-American female to serve as president of the AMA, which represents medical doctors across the nation, in its 145-year history.
Emmy winning actress, Uzo Aduba is slated to portray the trailblazing Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm in the upcoming FX series “Mrs. America,” Variety reported. The “Orange Is the New Black” actress re-tweeted reports announcing her forthcoming role in May. She joins Cate Blanchett and other newly announced cast members, including Rose Byrne, Kayli Carter, Ari Graynor, Melanie Lynskey, James Marsden, Margo Martindale and Sarah Paulson.
 Unfortunately, too many older adults are hungry, alone, and desperate to maintain the independence of staying in their homes. For these people, Meals on Wheels (MOW) is a godsend toward satisfying that goal. Many housebound seniors are challenged by chronic illnesses and limited mobility. Consequently, preparing meals is a daunting chore. Drivers for MOW deliver 1,400 nutritious meals to these homes throughout the county daily. Individuals with disabilities that make normal activities harder, regardless of age, are also eligible for this service. Bekki Schmitt, Information and Outreach Coordinator for the Milwaukee County Department on Aging, administrator for MOW says, “We know that this need will continue to increase with the growing senior population. Aging Outreach conducted to determine the number of potential candidates in Wisconsin needing support services revealed that — 320,958 seniors are isolated and live alone; 142,379 are threatened by hunger, and 313,406 seniors live near poverty. Older adults who are physically able can enjoy lunch at the following senior centers —Clinton Rose, Kelly, McGovern Park, Washington Park, and Wilson Park in Milwaukee County. The suggested donations a hot meals is $3.00. 1220 W. Vliet Street, Suite 300 | Milwaukee WI 53205 | Phone: 414.289.6874 | Toll-Free 1-866-229-9695.
 Corey Lamar Adams, center, sits surrounded by a shield of love, his family—his brother Curtis, father Johnnie, with his mother Gwen and sister Carmen. Sitting in their living room, Gwen and Johnnie Adams recounted the nightmare of their son’s disappearance for 18 days. The cause of his death remains a mystery compounded by the fact that his family was never allowed to see his body.
Shaking her head in disbelief Gwen explained, “Our prayer is that no other family will have to go through the nightmare that we have.” Berniece and George Tillman Sr. pose with their son Hollywood writer, producer and director George Tillman, Jr. at a reception in his honor prior to screening of his latest movie “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete” at the fifth annual Milwaukee Film Festival.
Explaining her son’s extraordinary success Mrs. Tillman says, “It’s all by the grace of God. My husband and I taught our children to do their best, put their all into whatever they do and always be respectful of their teachers. We tell George especially no matter what you do, just keep your standards. Whatever you get involved in should have meaning and somebody should learn from it.” It’s that time again, time to gather with those we love and repeat the valued traditions that affirm who we are, who we belong to and what is genuinely important.
African Americans have always honored the traditions of family, food, song and spirituality. So Thanksgiving and Christmas are ripe with memories that bridge our past to the present. Traditions bind families and friends, creating a connectedness that transitions even life itself. Experts say that it is also during these activities that family beliefs and values are transferred as children witness the importance of friendship, unity and sharing. |
WriterLinda J. Concroft Archives
February 2020
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed