EVENT: WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 2022 MARCH 19 | 11 AM – 1 PM ET
Program Description
Join us for our Women’s History Month 2022 Celebration of women in farming. Meet two urban farmers: Georgia’s youngest certified farmer, 6-year-old Kendall Rae Johnson with her mother Ursula Johnson; and Rochester, New York’s Pamela Reese Smith, urban farmer and member of Black Farmers United NYS.
Discussion topics include the legacy and future of Black farmers, both historically and personally.
“She’s a registered farmer — and she’s only 6 years old. Kendall Rae Johnson is breaking barriers in an industry that has long been White- and male-dominated.”
aGROWKulture Urban Farm byKendall Rae Johnson, Georgia’s youngest certified farmer, is a 6-year-old, born and raised in Atlanta. Kendall Rae Johnson, Georgia’s youngest certified farmer, is a 6-year-old, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Kendall Rae, as she is known by most, has been playing in the dirt since she was 3 years old.
She was inspired by the teachings of her great grandmother Laura “Kate” Williams. Although Kendall Rae doesn’t quite remember her great-grand, she remembers hearing her saying, “Don’t throw my collard green stems away, put them back in the dirt.” That’s when it all started…on a small, but mighty, little patio pouch with Grandma. This tranquil and comforting place was where they planted seeds of cucumbers, peppers tomatoes and broken collard green stems.
Kendall Rae was fascinated by what was once tiny seeds or stems now had grown into a beautiful garden with colorful vegetables ready to be eaten by the family. Kendall Rae Johnson indeed has a dedicated, loving, forever growing, one of a kind team to support her. Her mom Ursula Johnson,mother, wife, and former concert dancer, guides the family business and research. She is the glue that holds the family together.
Pamela Reese Smith
“Farming is a calling. Black farmers have answered this call for centuries. Our ancestors were enslaved to work this land, and through farming we have found pathways from oppression to self-reliance, and from slavery to sovereignty.”
Pamela Reese Smith is a native of Harlem and now lives in Rochester, New York. Pamela is an urban farmer and raises specialty mints and herbs for tea and organic vegetables, and flowers on her small urban farm in the City of Rochester.
Pamela graduated from the University of Rochester in 2007 with the highest distinction in her class. She was awarded the Community Champion Award in 2012 from the Rochester Business Journal, for her work in the community. Pamela assisted the residents in a challenged neighborhood by organizing, finding resources, that led to establishing beautiful community gardens on unsightly vacant lots in the City of Rochester.
Pamela’s favorite work was being part of a team that built the Children’s Garden. Pamela is also a member of the Interim Steering Committee for Black Farmers United NYS, a group of more than 60 Black farmers, educators, and food justice advocates from across the state. In addition to all of that, Pamela also serve as the President of the Rochester NY Branch of ASALH.
MODERATOR
Anita Russell, MEd VP of Media Relations, Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch
The topics of the discussion are the importance of family support and mentorship in public office; the effects of religion on public service and community discussion; the impact of social policies on family structure and education; and mental health-counseling resources.
Hear from Black men and women who share their insight on the best practices of leadership, advocacy, and community development to improve the lives of our children.
Moderator
Dr. Kathy Humphrey President Carlow College
Panelists
Russell and Kathy Bynum Bynums Marketing and Communications Inc.
Rev. Dr. B. De Neice Welch Sr. Pastor Bidwell Street United Presbyterian Church
Rev. Dr. John C. Welch Sr. Pastor Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church
Rev. Edward and Lavonia Bailey Bethel AME Church Lancaster PA
Linda Sturdivant, MEd, LPC, CEAP Owner Sturdivant & Associates Pittsburgh PA
Dr. Stephanie Myers National Co-chair and Founder pdf Black Women for Positive Change, Author, Co-owner R.J. Myers Publishing & Consulting Co. Washington DC
Did you catch the students from 3 universities—Frostburg University, Howard University, and Hampton University—test their knowledge of Black History? If you missed it you can read the Press Release below for the outcome.
. . . So much of our energy is spent in overcoming the constricting environment in which we live that little energy is left for creating new ideas or things. Whenever, however, one breaks out of this rather high-walled prison of the “Negro problem” by virtue of some worthwhile contribution, not only is he himself allowed more freedom, but part of the wall crumbles. And so it should be the aim of every student in science to knock down at least one or two bricks of that wall by virtue of his own accomplishment. –
Charles R. Drew to Mrs. J. F. Bates, a Fort Worth, Texas schoolteacher, January 27, 1947
Charles Richard Drew was an American surgeon and medical researcher. He researched in the field of blood transfusions, developing improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge to developing large-scale blood banks early in World War II. To earn money for medical school, he took a job as athletic director and instructor of biology and chemistry at Morgan College (now Morgan State University), in Baltimore. Drew attended medical school at McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montréal, which had a reputation for better treatment of minorities. His research served as the basis of his doctorate thesis, “Banked Blood,” and he received his doctorate degree in 1940. Drew became the first African American to earn this degree from Columbia. He trained a generation of black physicians at Howard University. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.
Keynote Presenter: Dr. Roosevelt Wright, Retired Captain USN
“The Golden 13: The Navy’s First African American Naval Officers “ Dr. Roosevelt Wright, Retired Captain USN is a native of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and has been blessed with a career that has explored three areas of professional activity—the world of Academia, Professional Broadcasting, and the U.S. Military. The “Golden Thirteen” were 13 enlisted Sailors who became the first African-American commissioned and warrant officers in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
PRESENTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AFRICAN AMERICAN ALUMNI COUNCIL
For more information about our program, please contact Latara Jones at upittaaac.programs@gmail.com or call 412-383-0830. FREE and open to the public. Face Coverings are required.
The Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch of ASALH and the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society jointly present the Annual Carter G. Woodson Birthday Celebration!
Assistant Professor of Education and African & African American Studies at Harvard University. He specializes in the history of African American Education and his first book, Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching, was published in 2021 by Harvard University Press. His research has been supported by fellowships and grants from the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the William F. Milton Fund, and published in peer-reviewed journals such as the American Education Research Journal, Souls, Harvard Educational Review, and Race Ethnicity and Education. Professor Givens earned his Ph.D. in African American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
“…in the wake of unprecedented uprisings during the summer of 2020, American education has been roiled by the place and possibility of “antiracist” protocols for instruction.”
In January 2020, More Rivers to Cross: A Report on The Status of Black Professors at Penn State University (UP) Part 1, an independent analysis of the status of black professors at Penn State’s University Park (UP) campus, was released. Since then, our nation and particularly communities of color have been ravaged by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, in the aftermath of the videotaped police murder of unarmed citizen George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, our society has been severely challenged by the “great racial reckoning” and the most massive street protests in the nation’s history, organized and led by communities of black people throughout the country.
Penn State joined the chorus of academic institutions decrying this horrible tragedy and issued statements of “support” and “compassion” for communities and individuals long subjected to what President Eric J. Barron identified as “trauma, pain and frustration” created by everyday U.S. cultures of “hate, bias and racism.”
Dr. Barron’s subsequently convened a Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias and Community Safety and released a set of draft recommendations at the conclusion of 2020. Glaringly omitted from the Commission or President Barron’s declared priorities or specific implementation plans, in advance of his retirement in 2022, are any references to increasing the underrepresentation of black faculty throughout the academy.
1 The 100 black professors presently comprise 3.1% of 3,214 faculty and has remained at that level for the last 20 years. About the same proportion of black faculty are represented at the Commonwealth Campuses (CC, see Appendix A). We can only imagine what the first black Penn State professor, Mary E. Godfrey, would have to say about the progress that has been made in this area since 1956.
…on the institutional and interpersonal levels, perpetrated by students, colleagues, administrators as well as the academic culture in which we work. In addition, this document provides an analysis of the particular challenges and experiences faced by black professors at the CC. Lastly, we offer our transitions toward equity and justice. Some of the key findings of our report are listed below:
The survey revealed that 8 out of 10 black professors reported experiencing racism at Penn State UP and slightly more at the CC. Almost half encountered racism within the first year of their appointment and one-third within 1-3 years.
More than two-thirds (67.7%) of respondents reported that they have experienced racism within the last 3 years from students either “sometimes” (41.5%) or “often” (26.2%). About 3 times as many CC faculty compared to their UP colleagues (44% vs 15%) reported that they experienced racism from students “often” within the last three years. Black faculty have been “called racist names by students” and racial invectives have appeared on their vehicles or written in student ratings of teaching effectiveness (SRTEs) including the epithet “nigger”.
A faculty member stated that “Calling me a monkey that has to be sent back to Africa may be a joke but deeply hurtful because of the history behind the dehumanizing language.” One professor lamented that “student[s] complain every time I teach about enslavement”. In fact, two-thirds of all respondents (63.5%) indicated they have “sometimes” (34.9%) or “often” (28.6%) experienced racism by way of their SRTEs within the last 3 years. One black professor succinctly summarized the issue: “Students evaluate me differently on SRTEs than my white colleagues.”
Over half of black faculty (53.1%) stated that they had “sometimes” (35.9%) or “often” (17.2%) experienced racism from administrators or supervisors. For example, black faculty reported, “the discussion of excellence (without any clarification) whenever minority, specifically black, are proposed as a target faculty candidate or graduate applicants”; or hearing “that hiring Black and Brown people is vital to the department so long as it is not at the risk of the reputation of the program”.
Another professor stated, “When I received tenure I received a smaller raise than my white male counterpart who got tenure the year before. I know because they told me what they got. I spoke to [administrator] and [this person] made an excuse that they were more ‘experienced’.”
A majority of black professors (56.2%) reported that they had experienced racism either “sometimes” (45.3%) or “often” (10.9%) from their colleagues within the last 3 years. One professor listed the following: “Being forgotten on credits for projects, unintentionally for sure but it has happened many times. Not being invited to events, lack of response to communications, lack of greetings in meetings, these are things that indicate that in spite of people saying you are important, you are not. Not made to feel like a part of things. These are not wrongdoings but you do not feel a part of things.” Other professors recalled unsettling interpersonal encounters with their colleagues such as: “A ‘colleague’ telling me I speak so well… and another ‘colleague’ asking if I smoke weed when they found out I was from [a certain country]”.
The survey revealed that 70% percent of black professors either “sometimes” (37.7%) or “often” (32.5%) did not believe the academic culture at Penn State would in the next decade become an equitable environment for the pursuit of learning, teaching, and scholarship for black Americans. Black faculty echoed a fairly consistent theme in commenting about the academic culture and prospects for racial justice, as noted in this statement, “Historically, Penn State fosters a conservative climate and culture; therefore, it is difficult to feel included when institutional leaders do not champion diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
A professor stated, “I was stopped while walking. I was surrounded by campus police. I have been followed around campus by police.” Another faculty member remarked, “The culture of silence to racism is pervasive, and you become the monster by standing up for your rights.” One other faculty member stated, “I question whether Penn State can authentically improve how it handles systemic racism and/or individual acts of racism.”
The vast majority of respondents (73.1%) who experienced racism chose not to report it to the administration, for various reasons. According to one respondent, “Racism is normalized at Penn State so it’s futile to report to white administrators or people of color who uphold whiteness about my experiences.” A black UP professor offered this perspective about not reporting, “I would not expect anything to be done about it. Further, racism is deeply ingrained into the Penn State system. It is part of the culture and climate. One complaint will not address institutionalized racism” (see Appendix B for the fully array of comments of black professors).
Further, racism is deeply ingrained into the Penn State system. It is part of the culture and climate. One complaint will not address institutionalized racism” (see Appendix B for the fully array of comments of black professors).
Our transitions toward equity and justice address concerns in which the University, by way of President Barron’s Commission or noted comments, fall short with respect to the recruitment, hiring, and retention of black professors and promoting an antiracism agenda.
In addition to mere numbers, we contend that culture matters too. What takes place within the classroom and individual departments in interactions with students, colleagues, and administrators impacts the wellbeing and mental health of black faculty and their pursuit of teaching, research, and service.
These transitions toward equity and justice undoubtedly build upon the previous reports and study groups of black faculty who have contributed to this undertaking and whose ideas, proposals, implementation plans, and challenges have gone unheeded and indeed ignored. Most notably, some of the ideas and programmatic initiatives needed to address the status of black faculty at Penn State campuses and the systemic racism embedded in the institution are presented below in an abridged format and explored in further depth later in the report:
Recruitment and hiring plans and measurable implementation to increase black faculty over the next 5 years.
Implementation of an antiracism and social justice agenda by/for the Board of Trustees, university administration, deans, departmental heads and program and center directors and faculty at all ranks.
Particular and immediate attention devoted to the transformations needed at the Commonwealth campuses with regard to black faculty and their interactions with students, colleagues, and administrators.
Establishment of an antiracism progress and accountability committee consisting of internal and external stakeholders.
Commissioning of an external study to examine salaries and equity over the last 15 years.
Immediate disuse of the racially biased system of student ratings of teaching effectiveness.
Restructuring of present organizational units such as the Office of Affirmative Action, Office of Educational Equity, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion functions to reflect an antiracism agenda.
What we find so sadly lacking from the platitudes of President Barron and the Commission is an action agenda as well as a timetable to address systemic racism at UP and CC similar to other Big Ten universities such as Ohio State University, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University.
Lastly, this report reminds the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, students, and the citizens of the Commonwealth that changing the status and plight of black professors as well as other faculty of color at Penn State will require a concerted and sustained set of systemic initiatives motivated not only by goodwill but by a commitment to social justice and “doing the right thing.” Penn State can and must do better to be truly, “WE ARE”…
Authors: Gary King, Ph.D.; Marinda Kathryn Harrell-Levy, Ph.D.; Mildred R. Mickle, Ph.D.; Kevin Bell, Ph.D.; Darryl Thomas, Ph.D.; and Julia Green Bryan, Ph.D.
Acknowledgments: We acknowledge the valuable contributions of research assistants Amari McDuffie and Alex Koehl. We also express our gratitude to black faculty who participated in the survey and those who contributed to the discussions and review of this report
On September 8, 2020 MR CHARLES STERLING WIGGINS celebrated his 103rd birthday with family and friends. At that time Mr. Wiggins was the oldest living member of ASALH. Just shy of entering his 104th year, on Saturday August 28, 2021, Mr. Wiggins entered his resting place instead. Though we mourn the loss with great sadness, we celebrate the life with equally great joy—the life of an incredible man, known as “Uncle Charlie” to family and friends, honored, loved, revered, and respected by all who knew him.
The Testimony of Mr. Wiggins
Interview with Mr. Wiggins by Alonna Carter Aspiring Public Historian, Accomplished Writer, and Excellent Public Speaker, Historian for the Edna B. Mckenzie Branch of ASALH
“…We came by train,” Mr. Wiggins told me, “the train left Alabama and then came to Cincinnati—that’s a route. And from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh.” Traveling alone and unfamiliar with the North or any place outside of their homeland, relatives put written tags on the children’s clothing in case they got lost or separated. Fortunately, they arrived safely and settled in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.”
“Every day there’s obstacles out there. We have to say it’s going to take a lot more yet to overcome them. And I think education is number one because we got to know what’s going on through education to keep up with what’s going on. If you get behind it they’re not going to give it to you. I am not one of these smart people to learn all that. But there’s youngsters out there who are great. They’ll get it. Might not be in my time. But they’ll get it.“
This is just one of the stories captured from the new project, Unfinished Business: Pittsburgh’s Great Migration and the Movement of Black Lives. This project unpacks and showcases the untold stories of Black elders and the ways the distinctive history of Pittsburgh’s Great Migration (1916-1970) connects to contemporary Black social movements. This work leaves audiences to wrestle with the profitability of justice and their role to address our “unfinished business” of race.
This work further highlights the entrepreneurial spirit of Blacks in Pittsburgh, as they faced persistent discrimination and systematic racism on the job in the city’s steel and iron mills, at the polls, and in everyday life. Thousands of elders migrated to Pittsburgh in two major waves before and after World War I from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
To Honor and Celebrate the Life
Mr. Charles S. Wiggins 1917 – 2021
Click images to enlarge
Alonna Carter & Mr. Wiggins
WWII Navy Veteran
Mr. Wiggins Informal
Mr. Wiggins Formal
Mr.Wiggins Contributor
103rd Birthday Celebration
What the People Say about Mr. Wiggins…
“What a joyous day it is for me to be able to send birthday greetings to you—the oldest member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. God has blessed you with a long life, and you have in turn blessed us with your presence and service. As a veteran, a contributor to the welfare of Pittsburgh, and a member of the Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch, you are loved, valued, and remembered with sincere appreciation on this, your special day.” —Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, the ASALH National President, obtained by the New Pittsburgh Courier
With deep sadness and regret I inform you that ASALH oldest member in the United States of America, Charles S. Wiggins passed this morning after a long bout with illness. Mr. Wiggins would have been 104 years of age on September 8, 2021. What a treasure! He made the world a better place with the joy he brought so many. Our prayers and condolences are extended to the family of Mr. Wiggins. —Ronald B. Saunders, President of the Dr. Edna B. Mckenzie Branch of ASALH
zaila: an avant-garde spelling bee champion (I am always amazed at how children’s names often seem to fit them to a tee.)
A wonder teen from New Orleans, became the champion of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The winning word: murraya, “a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees (family Rutaceae) having pinnate leaves and flowers with imbricated petals.” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Murraya)
She is the first Black American to be crowned winner of the Bee. She attends Clover Lane Homeschool and was sponsored by New Orleans Chapter of The Links.
Zaila’s home community in New Orleans celebrated like a true village supporting one of its own. The music, the drumming, and the dancing represented a celebration for the Black community across the nation.
For me her story brought home the nostalgia of watching the 2006 film, Akeelah and the Bee, with my then younger children. For me Akeelah was like the black panther of words. The scenes in the movie where the community supported and encouraged Akeelah, cheering her on—these are the things that come to mind as I watched the community celebrate Zaila. This is as it should be. It takes a village to raise a child also means the village must celebrate that child in their accomplishments, cheering them on as they grow and dream and reach new heights.
Dribbling While Spelling. How many kids do you know can dribble three basketballs while spelling “machiavellian”? Or dribble six basketballs while spelling “amaryllis”? Or dribble three basketballs while standing on a foam roller and spelling “portmanteau”?
This delightful teen rocked it on the Jimmy Kimmel show when asked to do multiple tasks involving dribbling while spelling. Her personality swept the audience off its feet along with the host and Bill Murray.
Guinness Book of World Records:
As of July 9, 2021, Zaila Avant-garde holds the world record for:
What’s Next for Zaila? With her gifts, talents, passion, and Black girl magic, I’d say just about anything her heart desires! I hear she aspires to attend Harvard University, play in the WNBA and is considering a career at NASA. Can’t wait to see the fruit she bears…
THE PURPOSE OF THE BEE. Our purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness That most frightens us. We ask ourselves Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. —Marianne Williamson
DR. EDNA B. MCKENZIE BRANCH OF ASALH 
