ShareBefore Christians joyously celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, they first must make a gruesome stop at a hill called Calvary. Two days before the trumpets sound, and churches—many opening for the first time in a year—fill their sanctuaries with lilies, dogwood, and alleluias, we first must witness the hideous trial of the sinless Lord, the bloody brutal scourging by Roman soldiers and his anguishing suffering and suffocating death on the cross, a day called “Good Friday.”The origin of the name “good” for such a grim and grisly day is unknown, but the earliest...…ShareBefore Christians joyously celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, they first must make a gruesome stop at a hill called Calvary. Two days before the trumpets sound, and churches—many opening for the first time in a year—fill their sanctuaries with lilies, dogwood, and alleluias, we first must witness the hideous trial of the sinless Lord, the bloody brutal scourging by Roman soldiers and his anguishing suffering and suffocating death on the cross, a day called “Good Friday.”The origin of the name “good” for such a grim and grisly day is unknown, but the earliest...WW…

ShareThe year was 1900 and the annual celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12 was being planned in Jacksonville, Florida. Carter J. Woodson, recognized as the father of , chose the second week of February for the first week-long celebration in 1926 because it marked the birthdays of two important men: Frederick Douglass, who escaped slavery and became an abolitionist and civil rights leader, and Lincoln, signer of the Emancipation Proclamation.Who else to ask for assistance with the special program, but one of the most prominent educators in the city? James Weldon Johnson,...…ShareThe year was 1900 and the annual celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12 was being planned in Jacksonville, Florida. Carter J. Woodson, recognized as the father of , chose the second week of February for the first week-long celebration in 1926 because it marked the birthdays of two important men: Frederick Douglass, who escaped slavery and became an abolitionist and civil rights leader, and Lincoln, signer of the Emancipation Proclamation.Who else to ask for assistance with the special program, but one of the most prominent educators in the city? James Weldon Johnson,...WW…

ShareFrom the time she was a little girl, Rosa Jinsey Young knew she wanted to be a teacher.  Even though there were no schools for black children in her community, she wanted to help “her people” learn.A small child with frequent bouts of illness, Young was an unlikely heroine. Born in 1890, the fourth of 10 children, Young grew up in Rosebud, in the heart of Alabama’s Black Belt, a swath of counties cutting through the center of the state with the blackest soil and the largest old plantations. Her parents were farmers; her father also preached as a circuit rider for the African...…ShareFrom the time she was a little girl, Rosa Jinsey Young knew she wanted to be a teacher.  Even though there were no schools for black children in her community, she wanted to help “her people” learn.A small child with frequent bouts of illness, Young was an unlikely heroine. Born in 1890, the fourth of 10 children, Young grew up in Rosebud, in the heart of Alabama’s Black Belt, a swath of counties cutting through the center of the state with the blackest soil and the largest old plantations. Her parents were farmers; her father also preached as a circuit rider for the African...WW…

By 1, 2021We stopped at the gas station to fill up the car. It was one of our rituals on my monthly visits: a trip to the hardware store, a fill-up.At 93, although my dad walked with difficulty, he was determined to pay for gas. He slowly pushed himself out of the front passenger seat, held onto the car for support, and used his cane to steady his movement. Now rail-thin and shuffling his steps, my dad nevertheless kept himself well-groomed in his familiar attire of khaki pants, a buttoned shirt, a jacket, and his World War II Veteran cap.As we fumbled with the gas pump, a young man walked...…By 1, 2021We stopped at the gas station to fill up the car. It was one of our rituals on my monthly visits: a trip to the hardware store, a fill-up.At 93, although my dad walked with difficulty, he was determined to pay for gas. He slowly pushed himself out of the front passenger seat, held onto the car for support, and used his cane to steady his movement. Now rail-thin and shuffling his steps, my dad nevertheless kept himself well-groomed in his familiar attire of khaki pants, a buttoned shirt, a jacket, and his World War II Veteran cap.As we fumbled with the gas pump, a young man walked...WW…

ShareThe small poster just below the knob on the front door was startling. It was a drawing of a muscular hand holding a pistol pointing straight at us, saying, “Nothing in here is worth dying for.”It was too late to run. We’d already knocked, and the door was opening. But there was no need for alarm. The homeowner greeted us civilly, listened to our 60-second speech, accepted our campaign material, and we left.My friend and I, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with our candidate’s name and “let’s go higher” campaign slogan, were campaigning in our small city of Selma, with its population of...…ShareThe small poster just below the knob on the front door was startling. It was a drawing of a muscular hand holding a pistol pointing straight at us, saying, “Nothing in here is worth dying for.”It was too late to run. We’d already knocked, and the door was opening. But there was no need for alarm. The homeowner greeted us civilly, listened to our 60-second speech, accepted our campaign material, and we left.My friend and I, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with our candidate’s name and “let’s go higher” campaign slogan, were campaigning in our small city of Selma, with its population of...WW…

ShareMy mother is a very independent and somewhat private person, and at 94 still lives in her own home, helps care for my father, and drives (cautiously). So I was surprised during my last visit when she asked me to go with her to her doctor. The doctor’s office had just started offering face-to-face appointments again and she hadn’t been feeling well.We wore our masks and sat in the socially distanced chairs in the spare waiting room. When they called my mother to the examination room, she asked me to join her. It wasn’t exactly protocol, but I was finally allowed to accompany her.When...…ShareMy mother is a very independent and somewhat private person, and at 94 still lives in her own home, helps care for my father, and drives (cautiously). So I was surprised during my last visit when she asked me to go with her to her doctor. The doctor’s office had just started offering face-to-face appointments again and she hadn’t been feeling well.We wore our masks and sat in the socially distanced chairs in the spare waiting room. When they called my mother to the examination room, she asked me to join her. It wasn’t exactly protocol, but I was finally allowed to accompany her.When...WW…