historic things
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New York Burning by Jill Lepore
Othello’s loved ones’ options were limited where his funeral was concerned. In West Africa, night funerals are common. He couldn’t be buried at night. The Common Council had ruled that because funerals present the opportunity for uprisings to be planned, slaves had to be buried during daylight. Pallbearers were not allowed to carry his coffin.… Read more
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Ida B. Wells
Last year I did one or two biographies for Black History Month. I don’t think I’m going to do that for the most part this year, but since I neglected to publish my biography for my favorite historical African American figure, I figured why not start things off right? When I first learned about Ida… Read more
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Gerald Ford (1913-2006)
He was the only president not elected to national office by the people of the united states (well technically they are all elected by the electoral college, but that’s another civics lesson for another time). Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. in Omaha Nebraska. His parents separated before he was born.… Read more
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James Brown (1933-2006)
Say it Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud), Santa Claus (Come Straight to the Ghetto), Please, Please, Please. Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, A Man’s World, the list goes on and on and on. James Joseph Brown Jr. (who later removed the Jr. designation from his name) was born in South Carolina during the… Read more
TJs Things 