Voices of Change
Frames of History
Harmonies of the Soul
In Pursuit of Justice
Global Roots: The Black Diaspora
200
The first ruler of Haiti said this:
"We have dared to be free. Let us dare to be so by ourselves and for ourselves."
Who is Jean-Jacques Dessalines
200
This civil rights icon famously known for refusing to give up her bus seat, was commemorated in this 2022 film "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. ______" which delves deeper into her life revealing the intent behind her activism, her radical politics, and her courage.
Fill in the blank
Who is Rosa Parks?
200
"The Dreamer" by Common is a 2011 song that features this American poet
Who is Maya Angelou?
200
This gold-medalist boxer and three-time heavyweight champion, who could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, had consciousnesses objection to the Vietnam War and refused the Draft. He refusal shocked the nation, leading to his conviction, jailing, being stripped of his boxing titles, and even revoked his boxing license. Despite all this he did not waiver in his advocacy.
In 1970, the New York States Court of Appeals reversed the decision to strip him of his boxing license on the grounds that it was discriminatory. In 1971, in Clay v. United States, the Supreme Court overturned his conviction for avoiding the Draft.
Who is Muhammad Ali?
200
This term most commonly refers to the descendants of the native West and Central Africans who were enslaved and shipped to the Americas via the Atlantic slave trade between the 16th and 19th centuries, with their largest populations existing in the United States, Brazil, Colombia, and Haiti.
What is the Black Diaspora?
400
At 22-years old, she became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. This is an excerpt from one of her most famous works
"The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country"
Who is Amanda Gorman?
400
This 2019 documentary, "The Green Book: Guide to______" explores the life and work of Victor Green, a black postal carrier from Harlem, who authored "The Negro Motorist Green Book." Part travel guide and part survival guide, Mr. Green's book, informed African American motorists about where they could safely eat, drink, shop, and perhaps most importantly stay over night. Mr. Green's book helped African-Americans safely navigate across America well into the 1960s.
Fill in the blank
What is Freedom?
400
Although Beyoncé won best country music album of the year at the 2025 Grammys for "Cowboy Carter", this was not her first foray into the genre in her 2016 album "Lemonade" she released this country song which she later performed with the Chicks at the Country Music Awards.
What is Daddy Lessons?
400
The Reconstruction Era lasted from 1864 - 1877. It wasn't until almost 100 years later, when the U.S. would formally end segregation with President Lyndon B. Johnson signing this bill into law on July 2, 1964.
This law bans segregation in both public facilities (such as public schools, libraries, and swimming pools) and private business (such as restaurants, hotels, and theaters) and prohibits employment discrimination. As a result, this law is the single most sweeping reform of civil rights since Reconstruction.
What is the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
A closer look - Shortly after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the owners of the Heart of Atlanta Motel, a whites-only hotel, sued the federal government arguing that the law was unconstitutional because, in part, it violated their 13th Amendment right as it placed the motel's owners in a position of "involuntary servitude" by forcing them to rent available rooms to blacks. When the owners went before the Supreme Court, the owners lost and the law was upheld.
Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964).
400
Once called the Pearl of the Antilles, this nation was France's most lucrative slave colony. In 1804, after numerous slave revolts, this nation declared its independence from the French and thereafter, became the first nation in the world to abolish slavery.
Already a pariah amongst other western nations, in July 1825, the French King, Charles X, surrounded the nation, barely 21 years old, with an armed flotilla of warships and threatened that unless the country paid reparations to its former slave masters to the tune of 150 million francs, the nation would suffer severe consequences. At the barrel of a gun, the island nation agreed and for the next 122 years paid the French the astronomical sum. In today's dollars, this amounts to about $30 billion. The repayment of this unjust debt has been one of, if not, the greatest drain on this country's economy.
What is Haiti?
A closer look - The United States also worked to isolate a newly independent Haiti during the early 19th century and violently occupied the island nation for 19 years in the early 20th century. While the U.S. officially left Haiti in 1934, it continued to control Haiti's public finances until 1947, siphoning away around 40% of Haiti's national income to service debt repayments to the U.S. and France.
600
“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America."
Known as one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders, this activist at the age of 25 led over 600 marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama and faced brutal attacks by oncoming state troopers on March 7, 1965. Known as "Bloody Sunday", the footage of the violence collectively shocked the nation and galvanized the fight against racial injustice.
Later this activist entered Congress, where he continued the fight for the civil rights and protection of voting rights. One of the first bills he sponsored, led to the creation of a national museum to chronicle the history, culture, and successes of Black Americans. The National Museum of African American History and Culture located in Washington D.C. opened its doors to the public in 2016.
Who is John Lewis?
600
Ron Stallworth is an American retired police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the late 1970s. He was the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department. In 2014 Ron Stallworth released his memoir, which was later adapted into this 2018 film a biographical comedy drama directed by Spike Lee.
What is the BlacKkKlansman?
600
Originally written 1929 as a patriotic song about Cuba, this song has evolved throughout the years and has become a symbol in struggles for peace and justice across Latin America and the U.S.
In the U.S. this song has often been played as part of rallying cries for anti-war demonstrations, union strikes, marches demanding an overhaul of the US immigration system, and civil rights for immigrants.
In 1968, this artist known as the "Queen Salsa" recorded her cover of this song.
Name the song and artist.
What is "Guantanamera" by Celia Cruz
600
On January 6 2021, the same day as the attack on the Capitol, a mob in Georgia appeared at the home of these two Georgia election workers. The mob was convinced that the mother and daughter had helped to "steal" the 2020 election. Fortunately, the mother and daughter were not at home because, the FBI had warned them in advance that their lives were in danger.
The mother and daughter plaintiffs later sued Rudy Guliani, the former mayor of NY, for defamation, and emotional distress, claiming that his baseless accusations against the pair led to them being harassed and terrorized. The mother and daughter were successful in their suit and won a judgment for $148 million.
Who are Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss?
600
Mábel Lara, an Afro-Columbian journalist, who worked in television for 15 years, was an anchor for the news broadcast Noticias Uno. Mábel was known by viewers to sport long straight hair, but in February 2018, during a weekend broadcast, she did something with her hair that set off a firestorm in Columbia.
What is wear her natural hair?
A closer look at natural hair and beauty standards - Mábel's act of defiance resonated so powerfully within the country, because despite having a population that was 20% black, many Afro-Columbian women faced discrimination for choosing to wear their natural kinky curly hair. To avoid discrimination, many Afro-Columbian women would regularly straighten or lighten their hair, the process of which often caused extensive damage to the hair.
The control over one's hair is part of the larger history of Afro-Columbian self determination and liberation.
800
"Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought.
To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears.
To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool.
To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen.
To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies.
To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery.”
Parable of the Talents (1998)
Who is Octavia Butler?
A closer look - Octavia Estelle Butler (1947–2006), was an esteemed writer who drew on her unique experiences as a Black woman in America to expand the genre of science fiction, which at the time was dominated by white male authors. She quite literally wrote herself into the genre, building alternate worlds where Black people could be the heroes and heroines of their own stories. Blending elements of African mythology and folklore with futuristic technology and scientific advancements, she is known as the mother of the Afrofuturism genre.
Her books well ahead of their time, in hindsight, almost seem prophetic as they address many of the emerging crises of today. For example, "Parable of the Sower", published in 1993 and the first of the two-book Parable Series, explores an America set in the distant future of 2024, which is grappling with climate disaster, economic turmoil, wealth inequality, and violent social chaos. Recently the Parable Series has regained popularity because of thier relevance to today’s challenges of global warming, the COVID-19 pandemic, racial inequity, and social injustice.
In the sequel, "Parable of the Talents", published in 1998, the U.S. has elected a President who is christian-nationalist dictator and whose signature slogan is to "make America great again".
Ms. Butler was once asked by a student whether she believed all of the troubles she described would take place. She replied: "I didn’t make up the problems. All I did was look around at the problems we’re neglecting now and give them about 30 years to grow into full-fledged disasters.”
800
During World War II, the US Army suffered from a 3-year backlog of 17 million letters that had yet to be delivered from service men on the front lines in Europe to their families back home in the US. The first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color, comprised of 855 women were deployed in 1945 to Europe and given 6 months to resolve this backlog. A task that was already daunting because many letters were mislabeled or had incomplete addresses, was further complicated by the overt discrimination these women faced, which included being relegated to segregated housing and poorly maintained buildings often lacking light and heat. Through sheer will and ingenuity, these service women remained undeterred, creating a community of their own, complete with a mess hall, hair salon, and even refreshment bar. Working around the clock in three 8-hour shifts, these service women resolved the backlog in 90 days - half the time allotted.
Their contribution to improving morale during a critical time of the war went unacknowledged until just over 70 years later in 2018 when a monument was dedicated to them at the Buffalo Soldier Monument Park at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Their story was finally brought to big screen in this 2024 film.
What is the "The Six Triple Eight"?
These 855 service women belonged to the 6888th Central Postal Directory.
800
In 1955, Nemours Jean Baptiste, a Haitian saxophonist released the album "Ensemble Aux Callebasses". By introducing Latin and jazz influences to this existing dance style, he modernized the dance and spawned a new genre called "Kompa". Kompa, sometimes written as konpa or compas, is Haiti's modern take on this dance style and source of great national pride.
The dance style in question takes its name after the popular french dessert made from sugar and egg whites, possibly because of the dance's light and frothy quality or because of its short, precise rhythms.
What is the dance style?
What is méringue?
Fun Fact - Haiti's méringue is inspired by, but should not be confused with, the meregue, the national dance of Haiti's neighbor - the Domincan Republic.
Although the exact origins of the Dominican Republic's merengue are not known, there are two popular stories behind its origin. One story alleges the dance originated with slaves who were chained together and, out of necessity, were forced to drag one leg as they cut sugar to the beat of drums. The second story alleges a great hero was wounded in the leg during one of the many revolutions in the Dominican Republic. A party of villagers welcomed him home with a victory celebration and, out of sympathy, everyone dancing felt obliged to limp and drag one foot.
800
On August 9th 2014, 18-year old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri. As a result, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice launched an investigation into both the shooting and practices of the Ferguson Police Department. In the DOJ's report, they found that 23% of the city's annual budget came from fines and fees. Such fines and fees were disproportionately born by African American residents due both to racial profiling by the Ferguson police and the excessive fines imposed by municipal courts. Data from the Ferguson Police Department from 2012 to 2014, showed that African Americans accounted for 85% of vehicle stops, 90% of citations, and 93% of arrests made by FPD officers, despite comprising only 67% of Ferguson’s population.
As a result of these findings, the City of Ferguson entered this agreement with the DOJ, to ensure protection of the constitutional and other legal rights of all members of the community, improve Ferguson’s ability to effectively prevent crime, enhance both officer and public safety, and increase public confidence in the Ferguson Police Department.
What is the name of this agreement?
What is the Ferguson Consent Decree?
800
If you visit Cartagena, Columbia you will likely see these brightly dressed women walking the streets selling fruits and other irresistible sweet treats such as coconut cake, cereal balls, syrups, tamarind balls, peanut balls, sugared papaya, traditional cheeses and more.
Who are Las Palenqueras?
The untold story of the Palenqueras - During the Spanish colonial period, Cartagena was a major hub for the transatlantic slave trade. In the early 1600s, groups of enslaved Africans, who were trafficked to Cartagena, escaped their captors and fled into the nearby jungles, where they created fortified communities called palenques. San Basilio de Palenque was one of the most successful of these settlements. In 1713, the Spanish crown issued a decree officially freeing the runaway slaves in San Basilio de Palenque, making this small village the first free town in all of the Americas.
While the men of San Basilio de Palenque protected their village and provided for their families, the women took on the responsibility of trade. They would walk from their village to Cartagena, carrying baskets of fruits, vegetables, and sweets to sell in the city’s markets. Over time, these groups of women, Las Palenqueras became a familiar and essential part of Cartagena’s economy, known for their skill in negotiating and their ability to provide fresh produce to the city.
The Palenqueras and San Basilio de Palenque still remain vibrant symbols of Afro-Columbian heritage to this day.
1000
While imprisoned, this American civil rights leader wrote these remarks in response to the critics of his activism.
We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.
I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
Who is Martin Luther King Jr.?
Sample from his famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
1000
Born in December 23, 1867, just two years after the end of slavery, Sarah Breedlove often struggled with hair loss. She experimented with a number of home remedies and other hair care products. This eventually led her to produce her own hair-care line specifically for African American women. She sold this brand under the name Madame C.J. Walker. Her small hair care business took off causing her to become one of the first self-made millionaire women in the US.
In the 2020 Netflix mini series "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker", Madame C.J. Walker is portrayed by this Academy Award winning American actress who is also known for her roles in these films:
The Help (2011), as Minnie
Hidden Figures (2016), as Dorothy Vaughan
Who is Octavia Spencer?
1000
Originally called "hillbilly music", this music genre is the result of blending Irish ballads and folk with Caribbean and West African influences.
What is Country?
A closer look: The story of country begins with the banjo, which is a descendant a West African instrument, made from gourds, called the Akonting.
When enslaved persons were taken from Africa to America, their instruments came with them. For hundreds of years, enslaved people created their own music, hymns, spirituals, and field songs—all with roots in African music.
In the 1840s, the banjo was seen as an exclusively Black instrument; it was unheard of for a white person to play the banjo. It wasn't until the 1850's with the rise of minstrel shows, a terribly racist form of satirical entertainment in which white people would dress in Blackface to mock Black people and Black culture, that white audiences would be exposed the banjo. Although the banjo was a tool meant to portray African-Americans as lazy, stupid, and foolish, white audiences almost unintentionally fell in love with the banjo and soon appropriated the instrument.
It is from there, that the banjo spawned a whole new genre of music known as hillbilly music, which today we call country.
1000
In 1846 an enslaved man and his wife Harriet, sued for their freedom in St. Louis Circuit Court. They claimed that they were free due to their residence in a free territory where slavery was prohibited.
In this infamous pre-Civil War decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that enslaved people were not citizens of the United States and, therefore, could not expect any protection from the federal government or the courts.
To overturn this ruling, when the 14th amendment was enacted it specifically drafted to say: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." This is the origin of birth right citizenship in the United States.
What is the name of this Supreme Court Case?
What is Dredd Scott v. John F.A. Sandford (1857)?
1000
Of the 5 million enslaved Africans brought to Brazil, tens of thousands managed to flee plantations and form communities in rural areas. These communities still in existence today have a name that is borrowed from the Bantu language, spoken in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, meaning "war camp".
What are "quilombos"
A closer look - the people of quilombos, the Quilombolas resisted slavery until it was abolished in 1888. In the modern day, the Quilombolas find themselves in an ongoing struggle to maintain their existence. Despite having lived and worked on the land for more than a century, many Quilombolas never obtained legal title to their land. As a result land developers have started asserting ownership claims against their ancestral property.
The story of the resistance of the Quilombolas continues to be a source of inspiration for Black Brazilians in urban communities who continue to face overt racial injustice. Black Brazilians are creating spaces that explicitly celebrate Black identity and power their resistance to racism. Black people in cities are forming urban quilombos, while others are pushing to aquilombar — the word’s verb form meaning to form a quilombo — on social media and in art and literature. Black political activists have even discussed forming a quilombo in Congress.