Tag Archives: US History

House Votes 305-113 To Remove Confederate Statues From US Capitol Hall, All No Votes Were Republicans

Courthouse News reports: A bipartisan House voted to remove statues of historical figures who served the Confederacy from the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, giving the building’s architect $2 million and four months to complete the job. The bill, which passed the House by a 305-113 vote, mainly targets 12 statues in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall memorializing Confederate leaders, along with a …

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Activists And Politicians Hail Civil Rights Icon John Lewis

CNN reports: As news of Rep. John Lewis’ death rocked the nation, tributes to the civil rights leader and longtime Georgia politician poured in from activists and politicians alike. Lewis was the son of sharecroppers who survived a brutal beating by police during a landmark 1965 march in Selma, Alabama. He ultimately became a towering figure of the civil rights …

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Barack Obama Pays Tribute To John Lewis: “He Gave All Of Himself To The Cause Of Freedom And Justice”

ABC News reports: Rep. John Lewis “loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise,” former President Barack Obama said Friday night in paying tribute to one of his personal heroes. “And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom …

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BREAKING: Civil Rights Icon John Lewis Dead At 80

NBC News reports: Civil rights icon and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who has been receiving hospice care, passed away at the age of 80 at his home in Atlanta on Friday. Lewis, a Democrat, played a key role in the civil rights movement and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 in Selma, Alabama. He was the …

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Walmart No Longer Displaying State Flag In MS Stores

The Commercial Appeal reports: “We know the design of the Mississippi state flag is being discussed by various stakeholders,” Walmart spokesperson Anne Hatfield said in an emailed statement. “While the issue continues to be discussed, we’ve made the decision to remove the Mississippi state flag from display in its current form from our stores.” Hatfield said stores displaying state flags …

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Floyd Protest Signs To Be Curated For Museum Exhibits

Courthouse News reports: The demands for an end to police brutality and protection of civil rights for Black Americans on signs clutched by protesters as they marched on the nation’s capital are finding their way to historic preservation. The African American History and Culture Museum, the American History Museum and the Anacostia Museum have formed a coalition with staff, activists …

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WaPo Examines History Behind #LadyGraham Hashtag

Thomas Balcerski writes for the Washington Post: Last week, the hashtag #LadyGraham exploded on social media in response to allegations made on Twitter by gay adult-film star Sean Harding against Sen. Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina (the hashtag, along with the abbreviated form “Lady G,” purportedly refers to Graham’s nickname among male sex workers). What followed has been a …

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Army May Rename Bases Named For Confederates

From the military blog Task & Purpose: Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy is now “open” to renaming the service’s 10 bases and facilities that are named after Confederate leaders. “The Secretary of the Army is open to a bipartisan discussion on the topic,” Army spokesperson Col. Sunset Belinsky said Monday. The recent uproar over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis …

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WH Butler For 11 Presidents Dies Of COVID At Age 91

Washington DC’s Fox affiliate reports: Wilson Roosevelt Jerman, one of the White House’s longest-serving employees, died last weekend from COVID-19. He was 91. Jerman worked at the White House from 1957 to 2012 as a cleaner, a doorman, and butler. He served 11 presidents — from Eisenhower to Obama. Granddaughter Jamila Garrett said in an interview with FOX 5 DC …

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Trump Won’t Unveil Obama’s Official WH Portrait

NBC News reports: It’s been a White House tradition for decades: a first-term president hosts his immediate predecessor in the East Room for a ceremony to unveil the portrait of the former president that will hang in the halls of the White House for posterity. Yet this modern ritual won’t be taking place between Obama and President Donald Trump, according …

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California Governor Posthumously Pardons Civil Rights Leader Bayard Rustin For 1953 Gay Sex Conviction

NBC News reports: California’s governor announced Wednesday that he is posthumously pardoning a gay civil rights leader while creating a new pardon process for others convicted under outdated laws punishing homosexual activity. Bayard Rustin was a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a key organizer of the March on Washington in 1963. He also helped plan other nonviolent …

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Florida County Mulls Name Change For Dixie Highway

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: A movement to rename Dixie Highway — for some a painful reminder of a tragic, racist past — might be gaining steam in Broward County. The argument is being made by one of Broward County’s youngest elected officials after she heard of a similar effort in Miami-Dade. The name Dixie harkens back to an era …

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750+ US Historians Urge Impeachment Of Trump

From their announcement on Medium: We are American historians devoted to studying our nation’s past who have concluded that Donald J. Trump has violated his oath to “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States” and to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” His “attempts to subvert the Constitution,” as George Mason described impeachable …

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Construction Begins On USS Harvey Milk Ship [VIDEO]

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports: Construction began Friday on the future Harvey Milk, a fleet oiler named for the slain gay rights leader and the first openly gay man elected in the state. Milk was elected to the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1978 and was assassinated 10 months later by an ex-supervisor. His life was the subject of …

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Economist, Ex-Fed Chairman Paul Volcker Dead At 92

CNN reports: Paul A. Volcker, who helped shape American economic policy for more than six decades, most notably by leading the Federal Reserve’s brute-force campaign to subdue inflation in the late 1970s and early ’80s, died on Sunday in New York. He was 92. Mr. Volcker, a towering, taciturn and somewhat rumpled figure, arrived in Washington as America’s postwar economic …

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Former President Jimmy Carter Hospitalized Again

ABC News reports: Former President Jimmy Carter s back in the hospital, one of many recent stays for the 95-year-old Democrat. Carter is in the hospital with a urinary tract infection, according to The Carter Center. “Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was admitted to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Ga., this past weekend for treatment for a urinary tract …

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ALABAMA: Montgomery Unveils Rosa Parks Statue

The Montgomery News reports: A new statue of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks was unveiled in downtown Montgomery on Sunday afternoon. “This depiction will inspire future generations to make the pilgrimage to our city, to push toward the path of righteousness, strength, courage and equality,” said Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, who took office as the first African-American mayor of the …

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Jimmy Carter To Undergo Brain Pressure Procedure

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Former President Jimmy Carter was admitted into Emory University Hospital on Monday for a procedure to relieve pressure on his brain, stemming from his recent falls, the Carter Center said. The Carter Center released a statement that said his procedure is scheduled for Tuesday morning. “President Carter is resting comfortably, and his wife, Rosalynn, is with …

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All Broadcast Networks To Air Impeachment Hearings

The Associated Press reports: ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS will set aside scheduled programming to cover the House’s first open impeachment hearings on President Trump. The cable news networks CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CSPAN will also provide live coverage. The broadcast networks’ announcement Friday that they would televise the hearing, however, gives the event an extra measure of …

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Jimmy Carter Hospitalized With Fractured Pelvis

NBC News reports: Former President Jimmy Carter is recovering from a fractured pelvis after falling at his Georgia home, The Carter Center announced Tuesday. “Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter had a fall yesterday evening at his home in Plains, Ga,” The Carter Center tweeted. “He has been admitted to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center for observation and treatment of a minor …

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