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LoMA Black History Celebration 2021

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good afternoon and welcome to Roma's 2nd Annual Black History Month celebration navigation goes out to everyone who has worked tirelessly to make this endeavor a beautiful moment in time Super Bowl team nothing about this evening would be possible without his encouragement and motivation thank you also goes out to mr. Torres for his constant support and black history contributions and Innovation and thanks go out to mister task expertise dedication and creativity go on Power and now without further Ado we give you black Excellence Ben Terraria the German is one of West Africa's most widely known instruments and it said that the term gender originated from the Bambara people of West Africa means everyone gather together in peace the Djembe is a goblet shaped drum that is traditionally carved from a single piece of African hardwood and tile an animal skin as a drum head the Djembe drum belongs to the membranophone class of instruments in the percussion family your long illustrious career what are you most proud of that I'm still here you won't know how come I live so long I think it's a shame that I would have to be known as the most foremost black actress about time why because I would like to be known as a good actress of all time Show Business the veteran of TV the stage and Screen earned a reputation for playing strong women netting her countless honors all these awards that come what's this we also gay recognition for fighting for equality during the presidential medal of freedom and a Kennedy Center Honor it wasn't money that I was interested in I was interested in making an impact on people of the world about us as a race of people I can't I can't Oprah Kerry Washington so many women of color in Hollywood were mentored by the icon how does that feel when you look back over this audience of all these women you inspire and make a Mark I did what I was supposed to do I knew ultimately that if I married anybody it would be Miles Davis love with the legendary Jazz Trumpeter but when they first started dating in the 60s Cicely nearly left the business entirely I was perfectly willing to give it up then and just be with him people began to make both of us very conscious of the fact I had the talent which was being wasted and that I should really get back to work and he began to feel guilty about it too after her film career seventies they finally said I do in 90 do you want how does it feel to be married I'm deliriously happy I could not be happier really their marriage would ultimately end in divorce in 1989 two years before his death but Sicily would continue to honor Mi every year I go down to the club but we're miles used to play every year on my birthday and ask for her TV family Tyson was honored when Viola Davis asked her to play her mom on how to get away with murder but she went a little too method her first day on set by all of us standing at the door to welcome me and because in the script she and her mother had an estranged relationship I just walked right by her. The roller and Cicely five Emmy nomination she won three Emmys and honorary Oscar Tony and in 2020 was inducted into the TV Hall of Fame at age 95 but despite all the recognition Cicely Tyson was never ready to slow down especially in her fight for equality today that I think that I have arrived I'm finished I am still striving to get where he wants me to go I was born if I die I will die of fire and I will five all obstacles and probably die try but it's not going to stop me 233 is doctor's appointment in Nigeria salt and horses animated military after her brother's decimeter became the first queen of she met her first military campaigns at the Apollo Thunder hockey Maine The Story Goes that she was taking her husband after every battle executed in the morning she is known as a minion the woman as capable as a man interested we started talking about Queen 16th century was Queen Amina at the woman that are on my shirt the woman that have repeated them and a woman that will come out of myself as my mother my grandmother and my sister as my girlfriend and my nieces we are all black woman also known as Queen Queen girl you've done it again you are constantly raising the bar for all of us and doing so flawlessly you know that you're that girl right I hope that when you wake up in the look in the mirror you see how the find you are know that so many people want what you got you have dreams to fulfill and Promises to yourself that you must keep I know at times you feel underappreciated in this valued we all been there so it's necessary that you can count on yourself don't be afraid to celebrate the little wins as much as the big ones you missed a courageous you are Dynamic you are principled so baby girl just remember respect is a minimum this is Justice and knowing that the you are I was designed for you and you alone by yourself never goes out of style in a force to be reckoned with trust me people are and attention you're special and worthy of Praise don't shy away from it and you don't have to get your groove back because guess what you never lost it do your hustle doesn't get in the way of your health girl take love yourself the next time you want to second-guess yourself right now and relax relate release girl you make me so proud and I'll remember you are one hundred percent that history what is American history what exactly is a tree what is our history history of the African diaspora November 4th 2020 and January 20th 2021 the World with lyrics American history being made and swearing in of a minority woman of African and Asian different in the United States of America Madam Kamala Harris however she would not hold his current position today if it were not for the one such individual that I would like to pay homage to is Miss Shirley Chisholm Shirley Chisholm was born Shirley Hemphill unknown 1924 in Brooklyn New York black woman elected to congress representing New York 12th congressional district several terms from 1969 1983 in the 1972 United States presidential election Miss Chisholm became the first the first woman to run for the Democratic party's presidential nomination this isn't showing as the Congress caucus in 1971 as one of its founding members she also found the organization such as the National Organization for Women political caucus in 1996 he was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree my Stetson University in Florida Mr Graham died at the age of 80 on January 1st 2005 in Florida after suffering several Strokes that was not wear her Topeka Kansas 2019 the Shirley Chisholm State Park in East New York Brooklyn was finally opened in honor of Miss Chisholm the Park is open daily from 8 to 7 where many individuals from across the city and state are welcome to go nature and time with your family so we see that mysticism paved the way and that is part of our history black the first black woman to run for president meet Shirley Chisholm born in Brooklyn in 1924 Shirley was raised in the neighborhood she would go on to represent in Congress after graduating from Brooklyn College she worked as a teacher and eventually became an education consultant state of New York she developed a passion for politics and in 1968 ran for the House of Representatives with the slogan that would become her catchphrase unbossed and bought I am the only on board and unbothered politician and I mean that literally and I think that you have to recognize that because I am not quite because I'm not a male that I am not going to get the blessings of the power structure in which country Shirley want her seat was 67 percent of the boat making her the first black woman elected to congress and hired an all-female staff for her Washington office surely made history again in 1972 when she announced she was running for president first black woman to do that as well I spend before you today as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency of the United States of America after a hard-fought campaign we lost the nomination and returned to Congress where she served seven terms in 1982 she returned to teaching and began speaking urging young people to get involved in politics probably within our grasp we have it within our group we have it we can turn things around in which country Shirley died in 2005 but her life story continues to inspire he's been honored with a stamp and a state park and soon a statue uzo aduba will portray her on the small screen I want to be remembered as a catalyst for change in America I was asked to do a show that dealt with the emergent African nation and at that time I was wearing my hair as I am now straightened and comfortable in the woman's skin with that style of hair because I knew they didn't wear them their hair straightened in Africa and so I went to rehearsal with the straighten hair but the night before the show which was being done why I went to a barber shop in Harlem called the Shalimar will Duke Ellington used to have his hair and I walked in and I was greeted by a gentleman who was a barber and his name was streamline I told him I wanted him to cut my hair very short and then shampoo it so that it would go back to its natural state and so he sat me in the chair and proceeded to cut it cut it kind of short up to and I said that's not it I want you to cut it as close to my scalp as possible and then I want you to shampoo it so it's back to its natural state the cornrow in Sounder you know I knew during that period that women in the South cornrow their head so I said the Rebecca would wear her hair and but every time I change the hairdo it had naught to do with me it had to do with authenticating the character that I was pretty like when I first started being natural and never like really always feel comfortable about it like I am now because my hair is different from my sisters by moms she has like really like loose curls but mine's is more tired so that's when I started watching more videos about it and I learn how take care of it properly and that made me feel more comfortable with it I feel different because not everyone has the same hair as me so actually my grandmother when I first started going to Harris she was like just cut it all off do that I feel proud about being a Filipino because I get the best of both worlds but also comes with pros and cons like when I'm around my Spanish family I feel like I look different but when I'm around my black family I feel like I do I felt more comfortable around them but sometimes I feel out of place when I see after Latinas like me and makes me feel comfortable and proud to be who I am because if they can do it I can do it too she put you on the red carpet Oscars last year you changed your look kind of and it seems to flip people out like people were writing about this blogging about this and Debbie at the Olympics recently when she did really well I also saw people commenting about like her hair and stuff and I just thought it was really odd that people notice this so much did you find it strange that people comment on how you appear no because I'm an African-American woman and there is not enough time on the show to explain hair is real know that being said I took off my hair I took off my ring because I wanted to step into who I was and I felt like and listen I love wigs I do I is still wear wigs every once in awhile I'm wearing right now so was every time I put on a wig that I was apologizing for who I was being a dark-skinned woman very curly hair I felt like I was hiding it and I felt like I was saying that okay my characters aren't very glamorous but look at me you know see me on I pretty and I felt like I didn't want to do that anymore Monday Spin City hello my thank you so much for having me again this year at your annual Black History Month celebration I wish I could be with all of you in person but I'm just happy to feel your energy right now I can feel it from the crib okay where do you know we're here we understand each other I could feel your energy from the Chris you can still mine I'm sure so I'm really happy to be here with all of you happy black history month thank you so much, for bringing me back this year thank you Miss Nixon and I hope you have a great rest of your shift what is the Schomburg center to me it is home the place where we come to see who we really are not just somebody else's reflection of who we are the Schomburg Center is a place of culture the place in history the place of knowledge this number sent it to me as a repository of all of the things that he has documented all sense of worth as a people for me that means that it is a place of immense Power Center is a public research library in a cultural Institution for the study of Pan African world it is perhaps the best in the world my son brake sensor is a giraffe on social a head black history and culture in intellect exists at a time when most people didn't he collected those evidences became the beginning of the collection now a world-class institution 10 million items brings to light what we have people of color have done but we continue to do the universal that animate everyone's like I've been here for all people the chambre for me one of the center pillars of Harlem when I started the Journey of finding out about Red Rooster in Harlem the very first place I went to walk to Schaumburg researchers from around the world come in you what we have here I could not have written just about any of the books that I've written without the Schomburg Center's archives resources lifelong learning and exploration Junior Scholars Program is a Saturday program with students from 5th grade to senior year in high school to help them learn about black history and culture quiet how many pounds is a brilliant people that walk the quarters of this amazing institution over the years from Octavia Butler to Toni Morrison and Ella Fitzgerald Haley and Harry Belafonte who graced the stage in this room of the American  theater play some folks great memories it was a gift to us in our community. try to find that space reflect expressions of black experience I just knew that the environment but I saw these young African-Americans doing with a place I needed to be what is mine number Center I'm standing here at the cosmo Graham which underneath holds the ashes of the port of Langston Hughes on the evening when this Cosmic that was dedicated people begin Diadora torium a jazz Trio stock up and to my amazement Amiri Baraka went over and asked Maya Angelou for that and they started to dance on top of the causeway now I'm on top of the ashes of Langston Hughes what a fitting way to keep the memory of my son the Schomburg Center is a research institute and a library but it's so much more than that talk about their creative Craft Center collection helped to tell stories even beyond our walls the Schomburg Center is here in this Exhibition at One Way Ticket Jacob Lawrence's migration. We depend on the resources of the Schaumburg to enable us to tell the story thinking about the implications of the past on the present is absolutely crucial for understanding the next understanding what we have to do to go forward we today have the responsibility of making sure that new artists and activists new Scholars and Poets know that this place continues to be a resource and a source of inspiration for the work that we must continue to do the Schomburg Center is knowledge the Schomburg center to me is education family it is foundational job Center is inspiration numbers with me and everything that I do community inside and out this is us is you and we invite each and every one of you by your hello this is Mister Colin and I am so happy to get to introduce James Baldwin as part of loam is Black History Month celebration James Baldwin is a true hero of mine not just for his activism but also because of his amazing ability as an artist and a writer I didn't want to keep those in need to leave this country in order to write an expression self basically live freely highlights the fact that this country has their ability for potential greatness the greatness of this country itself James Baldwin's courage to leave this country in the face of racism and oppression and find a place to live where he could pursue his own greatness is tragic and inspiring hopefully the inspiration of James will move this country to become a place people never have to sleep in order to thrive novelist playwright poet and essayist James emerged as the spokesman of the civil rights movement because he was so skilled at eloquently described and what it was like to be black in America born on August 2nd 24 in Harlem New York James Arthur Baldwin was a Pentecostal preacher at age 14 left the church three years later and was already an accomplished brighter when disgusted by prejudice against African-Americans he left the United and moved to Paris in 1948 and write freely are honestly in America and perhaps more particularly Couldn't Write freely or honestly from the ghetto in Europe Baldwin completed Go Tell It on the Mountain one of modern Library 100 best english-language novels of the 20th century Go Tell It on the Mountain was an important novel in part because there were not many novels being widely read about black urban life from the perspective of black people the semi-autobiographical tale really stuff in a profound way issues having to deal with family relationships organized religion human sexuality it was certainly one of the finest book publishing America in 1958 he wrote Bonnie's room a controversial novel that featured only white characters and explicit homo  content Giovanni's room was one of the first novels in American literature to tackle the issue of homosexuality when he published that novel that was a daring thing to do that was a taboo topic Baldwin the fire next time published in 1963 discuss the uneasy relationship between Christianity and a black Muslim movement within the civil rights movement and landed him on the cover of Time magazine in terms of his essays terms of his route to be popular fiction he was the voice that was calling America's attention to the Prejudice and the racism that persisted in society was the year of the March on Washington everybody the fire next time it was an angry outcry at the racism going on in the United States and the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement with the assassination of major civil rights leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Baldwin return to Europe where he lived most of his adult life and continue to reflect the racial upheaval of America through his work he wrote criticism Republican film he was what you might call it creative journalist he looked into the glass Child Murders late in his career and wrote a series of powerful essays about those given that country's highest honor commander of the region of Honor he died from stomach cancer on November 30th 1987 in Saint Paul De vence France and was buried in Harlem New York impact on American society collected the times and remains a powerful source for an understanding of a vital. Of our Natural History the Civil Rights Movement the most important moral Crusade of the late 20th dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first ever heart surgery in 1893 without the assistance of x-rays antibiotics or modern anesthesia doctor Dan is he was known was born in Pennsylvania and received his medical degree from Chicago Medical School in 1891 he founded Provident Hospital the first interracial Hospital in Chicago on the City southside the hospital established the first black nursing school one fateful day two years later a young black man named James Cornish was brought to Provident hospital with a serious wound on his chest what is patient bleeding heavily William saw only one option he perform surgery on James chess fixing the severed artery and then close the wound James was discharged 51 Days Later fully recovered another 20 years proving the success of doctor dance operation Garrett a Morgan was an African American inventor born in 1875 in Kentucky one night Cleveland Water Works construction crew became trapped underground in a cloud of toxic fumes when they're tunnel beneath Lake Erie exploded First Responders made two unsuccessful attempt to rescue the workers with timer doubt the authorities summon Garrett and his brother Frank they arrived with a gas mask Morgan Had patented two years before earlier breathing devices were unreliable so Morgan invented something better firefighter Engineers chemist and other workers who regularly encounter dangerous gases were already using his breathing device in other cities he later upgraded his mask with his own Air Supply and it became great importance during World War one and later Ward at the Cleveland disaster site the Morgan brothers and two volunteers strapped on the gas mask and made several Brave trips through the darkness of the 200 ft long toxic tunnel they rescued more than 20 Morgan was awarded a medal from the International Association of Fire engineers the gas mask was not his first or last invention Morgan worked as a handyman at a sewing machine stop in Ohio and at age 26 sold his belt fastener for sewing machine eight years later he opened a tailoring shop was manufactured dresses and suits after only one year Morgan and his wife purchased a home where they even really raised three sons after accidentally discovering a hair straightening substance in 1913 Morgan established the ga Morgan hair refining company the prophet supported his continued research in 1923 Morgan patented an automatic traffic signal which led to the overhead and sidewalk traffic lights that keep us safe to this day I always knew I'd go to space Mae Jemison the first African American woman astronaut once said Jemison born in 1956 is also a physician teacher and the founder and president of to technology companies the Jameson group and advanced medical device company Bayou sentient Grayson born in Alabama and raised in Chicago Jemison was fascinated with science from an early age her father and mother were very encouraging she said my parents were the best scientists I knew because they were always asking Jemison entered Stanford University on scholarship when she was only sixteen years old she graduated with a Bachelor of Science and chemical engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in African and African-American studies in night play D12 received her doctorate from Cornell University Medical College Jameson practice medicine in Los Angeles California before serving in the Peace Corps as a medical officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia for 2 years addition to speaking English Jameson speak Swahili Russian and Japanese inspired by the life of Sally Ride the first woman in space Jemison apply to NASA and in 1987 she became one of only 15 people chosen out of 2000 candidates for their astronaut Corps jemison's first and only spaceflight began on September 12th 1992 when the Space Shuttle Endeavour took off for its second mission Jameson served as a sign Mission specialist on the 8-day mission which was a joint effort between the United States and Japan Stephenson resign from NASA and March of 1993 to form the Jameson Group Incorporated which highlights ways to bring Science and Technology to read a light the following year she found at the Dorothy Jemison foundation for excellence named in honor of her mother which includes an international space camp for high school students called Earth we share in 2011 the what military chose this Foundation to receive $500,000 in funding to help launch the 100 Year Starship project our tasks our mission Jemison explained it to make sure all the capabilities needed to the human Interstellar Mission exist Jameson and Visions public participation from everyone regardless of who they are or where they come from someday perhaps more people will be able to confidently declare I always knew I'd go to space hello I am Doctor Michael Reid I'm a neuroscientist I have a PhD in cell biology and Neuroscience which I did in Germany I've done Reese search mostly on how sound is encoded in the brain that's the work I took most of my time on but I've also worked on how vision is encoded in the brain and central nervous system I spent most of my life at the lab in recent years I've decided not to do so much research Aldo I'm still Philly ated with Cornell Cornell University but the Medical College in Manhattan is the Consortium for the advanced study of brain injury but doing great work. you should look at the website sometime and see all the amazing things our guys are doing there and bring you people back from unconsciousness after being there for decades sometimes but today as I was saying I spend a lot of my time doing other things besides Neuroscience I do a lot of Consulting for healthcare investors people who want to invest in science he will want to invest and technologies that help people do Healthcare and medical devices I've done most of my work in the past and the Max Planck Institute in Germany agree to University in Frankfurt and the UPS fell in Los Angeles with children which is where we started a small biotech company and that's sort of what led me into the threshold between finance and which I am happy I still serve that purpose today because today we're in the time of a pandemic you know something we haven't seen in over 100 years just about 100 years 1918 on this scale leaving now we're not on the scale of the 1980 1919 Spanish flu which it shouldn't even be called the Spanish flu because it really came from the United States but that's another story so today because I'm like most people having to work from home the fight what part of who I am is taking Center Stage I am not able to go into a lab not able to participate to much in the scientific question it is a matter of fact the entire research department at Cornell Medical and Rockefeller university has basically started to focus on this pandemic figuring out what star is close to is doing to us stopping it and they've been doing some great work over there is miso I was I am speaking on behalf of my family who's asked me to make this a short video my face he also traveled with me quite a bit. If you don't know when you're a scientist to do still have opportunities to travel if you like to travel and know if you go into Investment Banking if you were certain kinds of attorneys you get to travel Eagle Physicians can travel a bit but it scientist there's a nice community of scientists and the major wealthy countries of the world Japan China increasingly so spend more money on research and development than just about any other country in the world South Korea Singapore across not all of your but definitely switch one in the Netherlands Germany and the UK he's a great places to do research and then also has a few places in that America where you could actually go and do world-class research and return to United States and still have a chance of having a career working with the best people in the world at the best places so what I encourage anyone in a young person to be a scientist it's a hard life it's not easy you work every day you work very hard and I daresay as an African-American you may have to work harder than most people if I grant the basically your whole existence as a professional is dependent upon other people and factors that are external to the merits of your work many times and that's that can be a vulnerable position where it's if you're a physician or are they said earlier an investment banker you have more security because you can move your mobile you can get pick up and move anywhere and yet you still have to apply for licenses and it's still very regulated but it is not as subject to the whims of other people as being a scientist but but as a scientist if you love it it's something that you could pursue and you could ask yourself whatever question you want to ask and pursue it and find out the secrets of Nature and that's very fulfilling I mean where will we be now if it weren't for these amazing scientist and Beyond deck and Pfizer and moderna and no book bags and chance and he's all scientists who are coming up with these vaccines to get the world back or kill so it's it could be important work thankless work a lot of people don't see what you do but it could be very satisfying if that's what you want to do you don't necessarily become rich you can increasing numbers of very successful scientist who made products and put it into the market and changed the world and became quite wealthy but there are easier ways to become wealthy so you don't do it for money it's just something else driving you if you decide to be a scientist there's a lot of questions that still need to be answered questions surrounding sickle cell anemia questions around Cancer all kinds of elm that still need to be addressed so we do need our time too and you can have a decent life with it but is you don't you don't necessarily become wealthy or being a scientist is just a feeling things to do and it's still a lot of hard work so I don't know if this is any of this with useful I'm not sure if I stuck to the script that I was supposed to but I hope this is helpful and happy black history month thank you it's better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener at War Warriors in the garden is my Collective accident I'm just walking down Fifth Avenue just like a photo of work or whatever and I see a thousand people walking down the street and I'm like why I like this is something who's leading it to get to the front of the line meet one of our leaders and I'm like why I like your your kid like crazy and I just asked wake me up by Black Sabbath my black queen I know I think they're going to let you know we need this girl I'm so here I am it's every new probably bring up we must bring up the solution I don't know Hindustan full of white supremacy is multi-faceted I mean you need to be protesting we need to be posting online we need to be voting and we also need to be running to this position power my name is Chio say I'm 22 years old so I am done. I'm black I'm queer I'm running for city council District 36 which is Crown Heights in Bed Stuy I'm more tired my political Ambitions are the funding the NYPD reallocating those funds back into education in the neighborhood that they dance to I also want to tackle the housing crisis and one of my guns are as in terms of changing law enforcement is how important in which Community because if we change it what stopping an officer Friday the same where they doing the problem is that you are but we still on time we're still going to call and then we're coming to reach our goal with my running for city council is a win-win situation even if I don't win the election I think I'm starting a conversation and not only will the city here but the country will hear what I have to say and I think I'm vocalizing what needs to be both collide can kids change the world it all started with a trip the year was 1958 a little girl named Ariana Zuma was 7 years old she and 19 other kids went on a trip far from their home in Oklahoma they went up north to New York City in New York the kids notice something white people and African American people could use the same water fountains they can eat in the same restaurant they could even sleep next door to each other in hotels that may not sound strange to you but it was strange to Ariana and her friend they were African American kids from the south at that time the southern part of our country was segregated that means that African-American people and white people were kept apart in Oklahoma city where the kids live water fountains had signs that said whites only African American kids and white kids couldn't go to school together they couldn't eat in the same restaurant the kids were amazed at how different New York City was from the south when they got back to Oklahoma they said why do we have to live this way they knew the way their Community was set up what's wrong white people have more rights than African-American people the kids made a plan to fix things but would it work it decided to get the restaurants and change so that African American people were allowed to eat in them it could be dangerous to try to do that many people would be angry but the kids were Brave they planned a sit-in a decision you sit in a restaurant and ask to be served you don't leave until you are served it's a peaceful way to change something that is unfair the kids went into training with a group of African-American adults in training these adult talk to kids about non-violence they talk about dr. Martin Luther King jr. many people didn't want African American people to eat in a whites-only restaurant the kids learned that people would be unkind the kids learned that they had to say, and be peaceful no matter how bad the others behaved in training the adult yelled at the kids they threw water on them the kids practice being calm and not yelling back they were ready to do their first sit-in the kids first didn't was that the cat's Lunch Counter it was a whites-only restaurant Ariana went with about 12 other kid they all wore the best close they went in and sat down they were polite I asked for a hamburger and a Coke the waitress said no the other customers were angry they didn't like the African American kids with trying to change the restaurant they did not want it to be who created so that everyone is allowed to eat there the other customers yelled at the kid they put ketchup and coffee on them Ariana said I wasn't scared I knew I was doing the right thing the kids didn't yell they didn't fight they sat quietly and talk with each other they had brought magazines and coloring books at the end of the day the restaurant closed the kids had to go the next day they went back they ordered food again no one gave it to them but they not going to give up they were determined on the third day the kids ordered food this time the waitress brought it to them from that day on the cat's Lunch Counter with integrated one couldn't bear the kids were so happy they had made one place in their Community better Ariana had learned something she says I was little but my voice was what is important as everyone else's voice but their work wasn't done so many restaurants in their Community were segregated over the next six years the kids did sit in that restaurant more and more kids join each time the restaurant owners got pretty clever about trying to keep the kids away at One Restaurant workers took away all the chairs there was no place to but would that stop the kid no Ariana's little sister Lana had the right idea when she didn't have a chair to sit on she just leaned on the table in most places people wouldn't let the kids use the bathroom that wasn't going to stop the kids either one by one the kids integrated the restaurants in their town the kids had changed their City one small group of kids had made their Community better for everyone they may have been little but their voices were huge sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just stand up this is the story of Claudette Colvin my name is Donovan Livingston and I came to address you in the best way I know how but you have to forgive me I have to take this moment in for a little while when I spoke when I spoke in my high school graduation several years ago my high school English teacher how to replace me on the program or cut my microphone when she found out that I was interested in doing a poem as a part of my remarks so I am internally grateful or being able to share this piece of myself my most authentic voice with you this afternoon so a dentist on participation so if you feel so compelled Snap Clap throw up your hands rejoiced celebrate class of 2016 this is your address and this is your day education then beyond all other devices of human origin is a great equalizer of the conditions of men Horace Mann 1848 at the time of his remarks couldn't read I couldn't write any attempt to do so punishable by Death for Generations we have no knowledge is infinite power yet somehow you have never questioned The Keeper of the keys. audience of information unfortunately I've seen more dividing and contouring in this order of operations a heinous miscalculation of reality for some the only difference between a classroom at a plantation it's time how many times must we be made to feel like photos like tokens and coin phrases diversity inclusion there are days I feel like one like only a lonely blossom in a Briar Patch a broken promises but hey I've always thorn in the side of Injustice disruptive talkative a distraction with the passing that transcends the confines of my own Consciousness beyond your curriculum beyond your standing as I stand Here a manifestation of love pain with veins popping Revolution I am the Springs fruit that grew to write for the poplar tree I am a Dream Act Dream Deferred incarnates the movement an amalgam of memories America which are to forget my past alone allow me to sit still so my body like my mind cannot be contained as Educators rather than raising your voices over the rustling of our change take them off uncover unencumbered by the lumbering weight of poverty and privilege policy in ignorance I was in the seventh grade When Miss Parker told me Donovan we can put all of your excess energy to good use it's he introduced me to the sound of my own voice she gave me a stage a platform she told me all stories are the ladders that make it easier for us to touch the Stars so climb and grab them keep climbing grab them still your emotions in the Big Dipper and pour out your soul light up the world with your Luminess Allure the edges requires Galileo like patients today when I look my students in the eyes all I see are constellations if you take the time to connect the dot you can plot the true shape of their genius shining in their darkest hour I look into my students in eyes and see the same lights that aligned Orion's Belt in the Pyramids of Giza I see the same twinkle that guy that ever hit the freedom I see them beneath their Mast and their Mischief existing authentic frustration and enslavement to your standardized assessments at the core none of us were meant to be common we were born to be Comet darting across space and time leaving or Mark as we crashed into everything a crater is a reminder that something amazing happened here and indelible impact That Shook Up the world are we not astronomers searching for the next shooting star it in hopes of turning content into rocket ships tribulation in the telescopes or child can see their true potential right where they stand in a Justice is telling them they are starved without acknowledging the night that surrounds them and Justice is telling them education is the key while you continue to change the locks education is no equalizer rather what is the sleep that precede the American dream to wake up wake up lift your voices until you patch every hole in a child's broken Sky wake up every child so they know of this Celestial potentials I've been the black hole in a classroom for far too long cuz of dubbing nothing without allowing my life to escape what do those days are done I belong Among the Stars and so do you and somebody's together together we can Inspire galaxies of greatness for generations to come to know know sky is not the limit it is only the beginning lift off well I got eyes in the back of my head Wunderground across the river freedom, and I know surrounded by be hard and I just jewels of the sky Grand River black history is not only American history it has global history and it should be fairly and properly represented 365 black history is an intricate part of a root of human progress we hope you enjoyed and appreciated like excellent then and now thank you for joining us we look forward to seeing you again

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