The Gist of Freedom Preserving American History through Black Literature . . .

The Gist of Freedom
  • 4.9 (13)
  • EDUCATION
The Gist of Freedom Preserving American History through Black Literature . . .

Join The Gist of Freedom for a live online discussion in celebration of the African American experience—honoring all the people, past and present, black and white—who have determined to preserve history in literature, craftsmanship and artifact.

  1. 06/18/2024

    Black Doll Creator Karen Byrd is hyped to watch Shonda Rhimes’ Black Barbie

    Shonda Rhimes'  documentary Black Barbie Premieres on Netflix on Juneteenth; Wednesday June 19th 2024! Join. Shellie Gaines and Black doll creator Karen Byrd discuss her dolls, their hairstyles and her company Black Girls United.

    19 min

  2. 12/26/2022

    Black Women's Club Movement The Phillis Wheatley Association

    Join Sherrie Tolliver as she shares her mother's artifacts and stories from her involvement in The Black Women's Club Movement.  Jane Edna Hunter  (1882-1971) –  Activist With the help of other women and $1,500, Jane Edna Hunter  opened the Working Girls Home Association, a boarding home for 10 women on East 40th, north of Central Avenue. The purpose of this voluntary association was to build a safe residence for the homeless, unprotected, newly arriving African American women and working women like herself. The purpose of the Department was to build a national network of Phyllis Wheatley Associations to house self-supporting, self-respecting African American women and girls and  provide a meeting place for club women. Hunter acquired a 2-story building and the name changed to the Phillis Wheatley Association, in honor of the late 18th-century Boston slavery survivor considered the first African American poet. The number of residents soon strained the capacity of the 23-room house. By 1919 the association purchased a 3-story building and An adjoining building,   The PWA was one of the first institutions designed to meet the needs of African American  social services  in Cleveland. Hunter wrote an autobiography, “A Nickel and a Prayer,” in 1940.

    56 min

  3. 12/08/2022

    Tamara Lanier Suing Harvard On Behalf Enslaved Ancestors Images

    Congratulating Harvard for appointing a Black President! Tamara Lanier is suing Harvard for perpetuating a eugenics racist experiement involving horrific dehumanizing nude images of her enslaved ancestors. Although enslaved Papa Renty was a self-taught literate patriarch Harvard purports his intelligence was equal to a 5 month old fetus. With unshakable faith and hope he educated his family and distant kindred. Once free Renty’s descendants overcame insurmountable challenges and accomplished miraculous success. Tamara Lanier and her stark resemblance to her Papa Renty is living proof of his level of intelligence and resilience. Renty’s children established and self-governed their very own towns. Books and movies continue to document Renty’s inspirational legacy. In spite of the voluminous wealth of documentation. Harvard refuses to acknowledge these facts because Renty and Tamara’s spiritual and physical bond are diametrically opposed to the images and the racist pseudo science they perpetrated.  In 2016, President Obama signed the Holocaust Expropriation Art Recovery Act - HEAR Act; introduced, 2016 by Senators Cronyn, Cruz, Schumer, and Blumenthal. “ Nations and civil society groups expressed a renewed interest in addressing the restitution of art lost in the Holocaust. The United States led these efforts. In 1998, 43 nations met and addressed the restitution of art lost in the Holocaust. They unanimously approved the Washington Conference Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art, which declared that Holocaust victims & their heirs "should come forward and make known their claims to art that was confiscated restituted".

    19 min

  4. 07/20/2022

    Sesame Place The History of Black Theme Parks Granville T Woods

    Before there was Sesame Street or Sesame Place, there was Coney Island,  “Granville’s Island”!  Granville T. Woods Known as the “Black Thomas Edison” was an engineer who invented and patented the electric roller coaster, which he introduced in the summer of 1909 at Coney Island. He developed dozens of innovative mass transit improvements.    ****** Join David Head  Edison sued Woods charging that he (Edison) was the first to invent the multiplex telegraph. After a costly court battle, Woods won the case. But even after losing to Woods, Edison remained so impressed with him that he offered the Black genius a partnership in one of his companies Woods was inducted into the Coney Island Hall of Fame, and an adja­cent street was renamed Granville T. Woods Way.Woods was inducted into the Coney Island Hall of Fame, and an adja­cent street was renamed Granville T. Woods Way.  List of BLACK RESORTS 1. Highland Beach, Maryland 2. Gulfside Assembly, Waveland, Mississippi 3. American Beach, Florida 4. Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts 5. Idlewild, Michigan . 6. Freeman Beach, Wilmington, North Carolina 7. Sag Harbor, New York 8. Bruce’s Beach, near Los Angeles, California 9. Buckroe Beach, Bay Shore and Mark Haven, Virginia 10. Gullah Sea Islands, Coast of Georgia and South Carolina The Idlewild Club House, Idlewild, Mich., September 1938.     ********* #sesamePlace #GranvilleTwoods  #GranvilleTWoodsPlace #GranvilleIsland’s #coneyisland

    1h 57m

  5. 06/13/2022

    Buffalo’s Volunteer Ms. Penny Beckham Director of Plate of Love Soup Kitchen!

    Join The Gist of Freedom as we welcome Miss Penny Beckham, the volunteer director of The Plate of Love Soup Kitchen located at State Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Buffalo.    Beckham recalled many times seeing one of the victims of the massacre, Deacon Hayward Patterson take soup kitchen patrons aside while they waited for their food and give them needed encouragement. "If you were down, he’d always say something to encourage you or lift your spirits," she said. "He was one of those people who’d build you up. Even if you didn’t think you did much, he’d make you feel like you did." ******* Coordinator ...Missionary Laura Beckham Chefs: Jeffrey Peace & Terry Wideman Soup Kitchen Hours of operation: Saturday, 10am-12noon Wednesday, 12noon State Tabernacle, in the spirit of love, serves dozens in the community and those in need of a hot meal. The number of people served continues to grow and include not only individuals but entire families. It is set apart from many other soup kitchens in that we offer breakfast meal on Saturday when most other serve lunch. State Tabernacle partners with WNY food bank and generous donors to bring this much needed service to a community with high unemployment, low income families and a growing homeless population. We are expanding. Various individuals, ministries or auxiliary of the church assist in operation of the soup kitchen. Volunteers are Welcome

    46 min

  6. 05/28/2022

    Detroit River Project and the Vigilance Committee: Kimberly L. Simmons

    Join Kimberly L. Simmons as she lectures on the Detroit River Project and the Vigilance Cmmittee.

    32 min

  7. 05/22/2022

    Mary Ann Shadd Black Militant Abolitionist |Attorney | Newspaper Publisher |

    The Life of Black Abolitionist Mary Ann Shadd as told by her descendant Scholar Irene Moore Davis! A ceremony unveiling the statue of Mary Ann Shadd took place Thursday, May 12, 2022, at Windsor University in Canada.  Sculpted by local artist Donna Mayne. Watch it on the University of Windsor'sYouTube channel. Shadd a black abolitionist was one of the first Black female newspaper publishers and female journalists in Canada. Shadd founded The Provincial Freeman in 1853.  Shadd also helped her cousin, Osborne Perry Anderson pen the book “Sole Survivor, A Voice From Harper's Ferry” which is an account of his extraordinary and courageous role in John Brown’s Harper’s Ferry Raid! The event was live-streamed from the University of Windsor's downtown campus for the greater community.

    30 min

  8. 05/21/2022

    Buffalo Massacre Dr. Manisha Sinha’s Monthly Black History University Recap

    Buffalo Massacre Dr. Manisha Sinha’s Monthly  Black History University Recap! ****** In honor of one of the ten victims, Ms. Pearly Young we ask that you donate food to your local food bank. Mrs. Young ran a food pantry and every saturday, for 25 years she donated food. *********** R.I.P #BuffaloSaints~ NY state abolished slavery in 1827, but Black people remained in danger of enslavement & kidnappings. In 1835, to fight back, Black abolitionist David Ruggles helped to found the N.Y. Committee of Vigilance an hybrid of the Black Panther Party & The NAACP. Black New Yorkers remained in danger of enslavement or re-enslavement through widespread kidnappings. Black sailors would go missing from ports. Children would disappear on their way home from school. In 1835, to fight back against the onslaught of oppression, Black abolitionist and businessman David Ruggles helped to found the New York Committee of Vigilance (NYCV), a multi-racial organization a hybrid of the Black Panther Party and The NAACP, would defend Black New Yorkers from predatory whites.  Jamila Brathwaite, authored “The Black Vigilance Movement in Nineteenth Century New York City,” writes, Ruggles fearlessly boarded ships in the New York harbor in search of Black captives or for signs of participants in the illegal slave trade. He published a list bounty hunters kidnappers and the free black traitors who aided them. His work would not have been possible without the efforts of the Black community and leaders like William Wells Brown, a promenient Black Aboltitionist from Buffalo. Brown along with unnamed black people passed along intelligence, fed, clothed, and sheltered fugitives. They also noted suspicious activities and people. Ruggles’ bookstore on Lespenard Street. It is the first known Black-owned bookstore in the United States.

    31 min
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Join The Gist of Freedom for a live online discussion in celebration of the African American experience—honoring all the people, past and present, black and white—who have determined to preserve history in literature, craftsmanship and artifact.

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