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Pleasant View Middle School focused on how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. changed life for African-Americans, by leading followers in non-violent protest and seeking fairness for his four children as well as fairness for all of the other parents and their children. Lexi Ogan stated “He hosted protests that were just walking in a large group and people still got hurt for walking. They were not being violent or being disruptive, or doing anything bad, but the white police still beat them and hurt them. It’s not fair. It’s not good. Just because somebody doesn’t look like you, does not give you the right to hurt them!” Lexi recounted “in the 1960’s, four students at a diner, sat at the counter reserved for whites. When the waitress asked them to leave, they politely said no. They were not arrested, to their surprise. The next day about two dozen students went to the diner and did the same thing. By the end of February more than 50,000 students had participated in the sit-ins at more than 30 locations in 7 states. Lexi Ogan says “life has changed since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He made it so blacks could even use the same bathroom as whites”. Lexi used an example of peaceful change “Thurgood Marshall once said that segregating children based on their race was against the Constitution. The Supreme Court agreed with him. In 1944, he said that judicial enforcement of racial restrictive comments was unconstitutional.” Lexi Ogan believes that Thurgood Marshall helped change black life a lot. Abigail Tiehes, a 7th grade
Abigain Tiehes researched through the Archives of MSU’s Dr. Katherine Lederer and found that at Lincoln Cemetery, one outstanding man was Myrl Billings who was part of the Harlem Hell Fighters that fought all through France. He was also the only African-American soldier from Springfield to receive the Croix de Guerre for gallantry in action during World War 1. Billings died in Springfield in 1920 because of poisonous gas injuries he attained sometime during war.” Tiehes also states: “The nine students known as Little Rock Nine were recruited by Daisy Bates who was president of the Arkansas branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As President of the Montgomery Improvement
Association, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote President Dwight D. Eisenhower requesting a swift resolution to allow the students to attend that school. The day all the black students finally made it into the school was September 23, 1957, and even though they had to be immediately rushed home afterwards, it was a historic day as one of the first cases where even just a small group of African-Americans went to school with white students”. Many students expressed their awe of the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and hoped that positive changes would continue in his name, for generations to come. On the cover: From left to right, Ginger Crabtree mother of Wyatt Helm, 7th grade winner of the MLK Essay Contest Pipkin Middle School, Gwen Marshall, SPS Diversity and Inclusion and Ann Steinberg.
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Building Empowering Connections In Our Diverse Community
The Norman Jackson Band Releases A New CD by Bon Tindle Unite Contributing Writer
Middle School Students submit papers to Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest Stor y on page 5
Event Calendar
See Springfield African American Hertitage Month Calendar of Events
continued from page 10 Februar y 17- “Rites of Passage” Play, MSU, Plaster Student Union Theater 7:00 p.m.
Continued on page 10
Februar y 20- “Soul Food” featuring PAGES Matam – National poetry slam champion, educator and activist, MSU, Plaster Student Union Theater 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Februar y 26- Faculty Recital featuring Dr. Richard Todd Payne, A one man opera entitled “Movin’ on Up in the World” MSU, Ellis Recital Hall 7:30 p.m.
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2015 Minorities In Business Heritage Award Banquet is set for Feb 17th The Italian Americans
The series peels away myths and stereotypes to reveal a world uniquely Italian and uniquely American. Stanley Tucci narrates Trace the evolution of Italian The Italian Americans is a proAmericans from the late 19th duction of WETA Washington, D.C., century to today, with Tony Benand Ark Media, in association with nett, David Chase, John Turturro, John Maggio Productions. CorpoCongresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Gay rate funding is provided by DelTalese and more. Once "outsiders" Grosso Foods. Foundation funding viewed with suspicion and mistrust, is provided by the NEH, the Arthur Italian Americans are today some of Vining Davis Foundations and the the most prominent leaders of U.S. Annenberg Foundation. Major fundbusiness, politics and the arts. ing is provided by CPB and PBS.
February Is African American Heritage Month Celebrate!
8 p.m. Tuesday, February 17 On Ozark Public Television
Yolanda Lorge
Continued on page 6
The Norman Jackson Band is a sound unlike any other. With a heavy foundation of blues and old school rock, the quartet fluidly changes genre while the crowd taps their feet and smile. Rick Shortt plays a hearty saxophone and covers the backup vocals. Danny Williams plays the bass, and the mystery man known only as Boogeyman is on drums. Then, of course, there is Norman himself on vocals and guitar. The music is terrific, and the banter between Shortt and Jackson keeps the audience laughing while they move to the next song. When asked about what he continued on page 2
Photo Provided by The Norman Jackson Band
continued from page 5
student at Pipkin Middle School said, “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was and still is known as one of the biggest heroes against segregation and racism. He said our goal is to create a Beloved Community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives. He envisioned the Beloved Community as a society based on justice, equal opportunity and love of fellow human beings. The “Beloved Community” is a term that was first devised as a new phrase in the early days of the 20th century by the philosopher-theologian Josiah Royce, who e founded the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was also a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, popularized the phrase with many of his speeches.”
Photo courtesy of the Springfield New-Leader
MLK Essay Contest
February 2015 Volume 25/ Number 2 • A Monthly Publication by Unite of Southwest Missouri, Inc •
R to L: Danny Williams, Boogeyman, Rick Shortt & Norman Jackson
Stories of the African American Community in Greene County Springfield, MO – On March 4, 1830, the families of white settlers John Polk Campbell and his brother-in-law Joseph Miller, traveling from Tennessee, camped for the first time at a freshwater spring on the current location of Founders Park, creating the settlement that would become Springfield. That story is familiar to many Springfieldians; less well-known is that six slaves, their names lost to history, accompanied these first settlers on their
History Museum on the Square Opens New Exhibit February 9th - March 21 Fox Theater Exhibit Open Mon-Sat. 10:30 am to 4:30 pm Adults $5, Children $3 Premier Exhibit Opening and Reception Monday, February 9th 10:30 am
journey. Though their names and backgrounds are unknown, these men and women began what has become a rich tapestry of contributions
to the life and growth of this area by African Americans. “We’ve Always Been Here” – Stories of the African American Community in Greene County will feature photos and archival material telling the stories of many of the residents who played a significant part in the growth of this area from its very beginnings to today. The Exhibit will open Monday, February 9, and be open Monday through Saturday until March 21st.