VIDEO: Stepping Up When Duty Called

President Obama invited six special senior citizens to visit the White House to honor as unsung heroes, in recognition of Black History Month. These individuals strengthen their communities through extraordinary everyday acts of service -- reliably committed, but seldom recognized.

Watch our interviews with these six amazing Americans in "Honoring Unsung Heroes":

Lucy Parsons: labor activist, writer and revolutionary

A Liberation Black History Month profile

 
“I hope even now to live to see the day when the first dawn of the new era of labor will have arisen, when capitalism will be a thing of the past, and the new industrial republic, the commonwealth of labor, shall be in operation.”
— Lucy Parsons
 
Women of every oppressed nationality are often at the helm of revolutionary movements. Unfortunately, the contributions of women are frequently dismissed or forgotten.
 
The legacy and revolutionary spirit of Lucy Parsons is a constant reminder of the sacrifice, dedication and leadership provided by female activists. The Chicago Police Department described her as “more dangerous than a thousand rioters.” (Read on)
 
Source: Liberation News (owned and run by the militany Leninist Party for Socialism and Liberation who want desperately to overthrow the U.S. government. Highly recommended all citizens remain vigilant against the PSL.)

Who is Henry Winston?

Who was Henry Winston?

 

An unsung hero of Black History.

 

Winston was an African American. A Cold War political prisoner.  A communist.

 

Imprisoned with other communist leaders for a “conspiracy” to teach revolution, Winston was stricken with a brain tumor behind bars.

 

Thousands around the world rallied for his release.

 

Fidel Castro offered to trade the imprisoned Bay of Pigs mercenaries for his release.

 

President John F. Kennedy granted him executive clemency, but his release was too late.

 

Henry Winston went blind from medical negligence while serving a prison term because of his belief in a Socialist USA.

 

Come celebrate the life of Henry Winston.

 

Speakers:

Angela Y. Davis, professor, activist, former political prisoner

Jarvis Tyner, Executive Vice-Chair, Communist Party

Charlene Mitchell, labor and political activist, founder of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism

Danny Rubin, National Board, Communist Party

 

Special Tributes:

Vinie Burrows, veteran actor and activist

Harmonic Insurgence, a cappella choral group

 

MC:

Judith Le Blanc, National Field Director, Peace Action

 

Sunday Feb 19, 2012

2:00 PM

Henry Winston Unity Hall

235 W. 23rd Street, 2nd floor

New York, NY

 

Fruit, Wine And Cheese Reception to Follow

Donation: $10 in advance • $15 at the door • $5 Low-income

For more information call: 646-556-7409

Make checks payable to: People Before Profits Education Fund

 

Sponsors

People Before Profits Ed. Fund • Communist Party USA

Young Communist League • PeoplesWorld.org

Black History Month: Black Southerners in Confederate gray

February marks the beginning of Black History Month – a remembrance of important people and events of African American origin that began in 1926.

 

There have been many major contributions to our nation and to our society by black Americans some that have changed history – and are continuing to do so today. One area that has never received the recognition it deserved and has even been over-looked to a certain degree was that of black Southerners who fought for the Confederacy.

 

One would have to ask, “Why haven’t we heard more about them?”

 

Ed Bearss, National Park Service Historian Emeritus, made the following statement: “I don’t want to call it a conspiracy to ignore the role of Blacks, both above and below the Mason-Dixon line, but it was definitely a tendency that began around 1910.”

 

And, Historian Erwin L. Jordan, Jr., calls it a “cover-up” which started back in 1865. He writes, “During my research on pension applications, I came across instances where black men stated they were soldiers, but you can plainly see where ‘soldier’ is crossed out and ‘body servant’ or ‘teamster’ inserted.”

 

Another black historian, Roland Young says that “he is not surprised that blacks fought ... some, if not most, would support their country, and that by doing so they were demonstrating that it was possible to hate the system of slavery and love one’s country.”

 

This same principle was exhibited by African Americans who fought for the colonies during the American Revolution, despite the fact that the British offered them freedom if they would fight for them. Peter Jennings, an early settler of Rutherford County, was one of more than… (Read more)

 

Source: Southern Heritage 411

Black History Month: take action for equality

This week begins African American History  Month. Black history is central to American and working-class history.  The Communist Party celebrates Black history in a number of different ways. 
 
Events:
The Communist Party hosts Black History  Month events across the country. This year is the 100th anniversary  of the birth of Henry Winston, former national chairman of CPUSA and  a leader in the working-class and African American freedom struggles.  On Feb. 19, a special tribute will be held to honor Winston. Professor  and political activist Angela Davis will headline the event, and it  will be livestreamed so if you can’t get to New York then tune in  online for this exciting Black History Month event.
 
Connecticut, Northern California, Chicago,  Wisconsin, Eastern Pennsylvania will also be hosting events. Information  on where and when will be forthcoming. 
 
Actions:
Black history, like American history,  is full of struggles for equality, democracy, economic justice, solidarity  and unity. Those struggles continue today in different forms. CPUSA  Black History Month events tie history with the present struggles. There  are ongoing actions and organizing for racial justice and equality,  including the 2012 elections and the imperative to defeat the far right/corporate  cabal.
 
Thousands of people fought and died  for the right to vote. And this year, the Republicans, in state after  state, have passed laws that disenfranchise millions of people. You  can take action. 
 
Colorofchange.org has a national action  campaign to expose the corporate dollars behind the vote suppression  laws. http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/alec/?source=coc_website
 
Taking action also means finding and  building on points of unity in the struggles of today. In this article,  “Whitewashing Black History” author Gary Younge links the struggles  of African Americans to the current battles taking place in Arizona  around immigration and the banning of Mexican American and other “ethnic  studies.”
 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/feb/01/black-history-month-whitewashing?newsfeed=true
 
Interested in learning more about African  American history? 
 
The national theme for Black History Month this year is African American  women in U.S. history and culture.  Peoplesworld.org editors suggest  our focus be Black women and their contribution to the trade union  movement. 
 
Plus, there are many archived articles on Black history and  African American leaders in the people’s movements including the CPUSA.
 
Politicalaffairs.net is another resource  for in depth articles for Black History Month.
 
Please share these articles on Facebook  and other social media. 
 
Plus, check out http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/, which lists events hosted by the National  Parks Service, Smithsonian and Library of Congress. Check out your local  public library, too, they have Black History Month book selections and  events. 
 
One more reason to make sure our libraries  are funded!
 
Yours in struggle,
 
Teresa Albano
Co-editor PeoplesWorld.org

Source: e-letter from CPUSA