TheMenoftheTenthInc. February2012

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BlackHistory 2

ThelifestoryofBenjaminBanneker.

Poem 3

J.C.Gastondefineswhatitmeanstobecool.

Obama 5

PresidentObamareflectsonhowreadingblackhistoryaffectedhim.

Segregation Must Die

Let’snotfoolourselves,wehaven’treachedthepromisedland,NorthorSouth.WestillconfrontsegregationintheSouthinitsglaringandconspicuousforms.WestillconfrontitintheNorthinitssubtleandhiddenforms.Segregationis

stillafact.Nowitmightbetruethatoldmansegregationisonitsdeathbed.Buthistoryhadproventhatsocialsystemshaveagreatlast–minutebreathingpower.Andtheguardiansofthestatus‐quoarealwaysonhandwith

theiroxygententstokeeptheoldorderalive.

(ExcerptfromTheAutobiographyofMartinLutherKing,Jr.,1998)

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BenjaminBannekerwasaself‐taughtmathematician,outstandingastronomer,authorofalmanacs,surveyor,humanitarianandinvestor.HewasbornnearBaltimore,Maryland,in1731;hewastheonlychildofafreemulattomotherandAfricanfather,whopurchasedhisownfreedomfromslavery.Bannekerlivedallofhislifeonhisparent’sfarmonthePatapscoRiverinBaltimoreCounty.YoungBenjaminattendedintegratedprivateschools;heobtainedaneighthgradeeducationbyage15,andexcelledinmathematics.Hetookoverhisparents’farmandbecameanexcellentfarmer.

JosefLevi,atravelingsalesman,showedBannekerapocketwatch,somethinghehadneverseenbefore.HebecamesofascinatedoverthewatchthatLevigaveittohim.Hetookthewatchhomeandspentdaystakingitapartandputtingitbacktogether.In1753,usingthewatchasamodel,BannekerproducedthefirstwoodenclockeverbuiltintheUnitedStates.Itwasmadeentirelyofwood,andeachgearwascarvedbyhand.Hisclockkeptperfecttime,strikingeveryhour,formorethanfortyyears.Newsoftheclockcreatedsuchasensationthat

peoplecamefromallovertoseeit,andthegeniuswhomadeit.

Duringtherevolutionarywarperiod,GeorgeEllicot,aneighbor,introducedBannekertothescienceofastronomy,whichherapidlymastered.HisaptitudeinmathematicsandknowledgeofastronomyenabledhimtopredictthesolareclipsethattookplaceonApril14,1789.In1792,BannekerbeganpublishinganalmanacthatwaswidelyreadandbecamethemainreferenceforfarmersintheMid‐Atlanticstates.Itofferedweatherdata,recipes,medicalremedies,poemsandanti‐slaveryessays.ThisalmanacwasthefirstscientificbookwrittenbyaBlackAmericananditwaspublishedannuallyformorethanadecade.

Banneker’smajorreputationstemsfromhisserviceasasurveyoronthesix‐manteamwhichhelpeddesigntheblueprintsforWashington,D.C.PresidentWashingtonhadappointedBanneker,makinghimthefirstBlackpresidentialappointeeintheUnitedStates.BannekerhelpedinselectingthesitesfortheU.S.Capitolbuilding,theU.S.Treasurybuilding,theWhiteHouseand

otherFederalbuildings.Whenthechairmanofthecivilengineeringteam,MajorL’Enfant,abruptlyresignedandreturnedtoFrancewiththeplans,Banneker’sphotographicmemoryenabledhimtoreproducethemintheirentirety.Washington,D.C.,withitsgrandavenuesandbuildings,wascompletedandstandstodayasamonumenttoBanneker’sgenius.

Banneker’spreoccupationwithscientificmattersinnowaydiminishedhisconcernfortheplightsofBlacks.Inatwelve‐pagelettertoThomasJefferson,herefutedthestatementthat“BlackswereinferiortoWhites.”Jeffersonchangedhispositionand,asatestimonial,sentacopyofBanneker’salmanactotheFrenchAcademyofScienceinParis.AnotherwasusedinBritain’sHouseofCommonstosupportanargumentfortheeducationofBlacks.Bannekerwaslivingproofthat“thestrengthofmindisnowayconnectwiththecoloroftheskin.”

BannekerdiedonOctober25,1806,wrappedinablanketobservinghestarsthroughhistelescope.

Benjamin Banneker 1731‐1806

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792

I’m Was Cool By:

J. C. Gaston

Theysaidthedoorsofopportunitywereclosingfast,andallthesignssaidthatthegoodtimesweren’tgoingtolast,butthatdidn’tbotherme,BecauseIwascool.

Myteacherskepttryingtogetmetolearnread’n,writ’nandmath,talkingaboutyouneedthatstufftomakeitdownlife’spaths.ButIjustlookedatthem,andlaughed.Isaid,“Ya’llmightneedtoknowthatstuff,butnotme,becauseI’mcool.”

Themteacherswasalwaysgettingonmycase,andItoldthemIknewthatitwasbecauseofmyrace.Theyjustcouldn’tdealwithme,becausetheywassquare,andIwascool.

Iusetobesocleaneverybodywouldstopandstare,causeIwaslookinggoodwithmycurlfreeonmyhair.Hey,ifyou’vegotit,you’vegotit,andIknewIwascoolandlookinggood.Ididn’tlearnnothinginschool,buttheystillletmepass.Iwasshogett’nova,evenifIwasatthebottomofmyclass.Buttheystillletmegrad‐u‐atefromhighschool.Idefinitelygotova!Butyoucandothatwhenyou’recool.

Aftergrad‐u‐ationIgotcleanandwenttolookformeajob.IknewIwasgoingtomakemesomelongbread,buymeanewride,andstaycleanandcooleveryday!Iwasdefinitely,goingtohaveeverythingmyway!Buttryingtoreadthemjobapplicationswasfarfromacharm,andItoldthedudeattheemploymentofficeIcouldn’twrite

TheMenoftheTenthInc. February2012

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(Continued)

ThisquotefromKanyeWestisoneofmyfavorites.Hiswordsaremotivational;theyencouragemetobecomeahistorymaker,aleader,historic,andrelentlesstowardsachievingmydreams.Today,boysandgirlsneedtoknowthateverydaythereareblackpeopleinoursocietytryingtoimplementchangebyfollowthestepsoftheirancestors.Thisquoteisimportantbecauseblackhistoryhasbeendiluted,hidden,andaltered;itisourobligationtomakesurethatweworkhardtocontinuecreatinghistory.Inaddition,Kanye’squotesuggestsweshouldcelebratetheleadersbeforeusthroughouttheyearinsteadofforamonth.Blackhistoryisnotjustblackpeople’shistoryit’sAmerica’shistory.Therefore,weshouldcherishiteveryday.

“Makeblackhistoryeveryday,Idon’tneedamonth.”

‐KanyeWestfromBrandNew

toogood,causeI’dhurtmyarm.Butthelookonhisfacetoldmethathedidn’treallybelievethat,andthedudewasn’thardlyimpressedbymybadnewhat.

Welltomakealongstoryshort,Ifinallygotmeajob,butIdon’tgetmuchpay,andfromthewaythingslookitsalwaysgonnabethatway.Ididn’tlearnmuchinschool,andyousuredon’tgetpaidmuchwhenallyoucandoisbecool.

IfIcouldgobacktoschoolI’dlearnallIcould,andeverytimeItalktootherbrothersItellthemtheyshould.Irealizenowthatmyfuture’snottobright,andwithouteducationit’skindahardtomakethingsright.

YouknownowthatIthinkaboutit,maybesomeofthoseteachersthatIthoughtwasgettingonmycase,wereactuallytryingtohelpmeintheeducationrace.ItssurehurtswhenIrealizethatwithmyabilities,IcouldhavebeenanythingthatIwantedtobe,ifIhadappliedmyselfinschool.

ButinsteadoflearningallIcouldinschool,Ispentmostofmytime,sittinginthebackoftheroom,lookinggood,andbeingcool.

J.C.Gaston’smessageissimply,forgetbeingcool;besmart.

TheMenoftheTenthInc. February2012

Igatheredupbooksfromthelibrary‐Baldwin,Ellison,Hughes,Wright,Dubois.AtnightIwouldclosethedoortomyroom,tellingmygrandparentsIhadhomeworktodo,andthereIwouldsitandwrestlewithwords,lockedinsuddenlydesperateargument,tryingtoreconciletheworldasI’dfounditwiththetermsofmybirth.

OnlyMalcolmX’sautobiographyseemedtooffersomethingdifferent.Hisrepeatedactsofself‐creationspoketome;thebluntpoetryofhiswords,hisunadornedinsistenceonrespect,promisedanewuncompromisingorder,martialinitsdiscipline,forgedthroughsheerforceofwill.

(ExcerptfromDreamsfromMyFather,2004)

How Black History Helped President Obama

TheMenoftheTenthInc.

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