A Lasting Legacy: Determination, Dedication, and Distinction

During the first World War Ralph Lindsey, my great grandfather, kept a journal of his service on the front. He wrote about the front, his travels, his wounds, but the thing that came up most often – the mail. Fast-forward 100 years. Even in the digital age there is something uniquely personal about a written letter – it creates a connection that digital communications simply cannot match. Anyone who has served in the military knows – no mail equals low morale.

In early 1945 as the Battle of the Bulge concluded Army officials reported that a lack mail was hurting morale. Warehouses were filled with millions of pieces of mail destined for the seven million Americans serving in the European theatre. The task of getting that mail to its intended recipients fell on the 6888^th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

Except for a few smaller units of nurses, the “Six Triple Eight” was the only all women, all black unit from the Women’s Army Corps to serve overseas during WW2. In response to the attack on Pearl Harbor our entire nation was mobilized to support the war efforts. While the war largely united Americans in a common purpose – the military remained segregated with the ability to serve being restricted based on race and gender. The women of the 6888^th not only served – they had to fight for their right to serve.  The unit’s commander, Major Charity Adams – became the first black women to hold a commission in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

The Six Triple Eight confronted warehouses stacked to the ceiling with letters and packages. These buildings were unheated and dimly lit, the windows blacked out to prevent light showing during nighttime air raids. Rats sought out packages of spoiled cakes and cookies. As it was a cold winter, they wore long johns and extra layers of clothing under their coats while working in these warehouses. The unit members were organized into three separate shifts daily, so work continued around the clock, seven days a week. They tracked individual servicemembers by maintaining about seven million locator cards including serial numbers to distinguish different individuals with the same name. They dealt with “undeliverable” mail which was sent to their location for redirection. They investigated insufficiently addressed mail for clues to determine the intended recipient, and they handled the sad duty of returning mail addressed to servicemembers who had died.

As the war concluded the legacy of the 6888^th was already being formed. Three members of the 6888^th are buried at Colleville-Sur-Mer Normandy American Cemetery (there are only four women buried there). Like so many of the greatest generation, the women of the 6888^th returned from the war determined to make up for lost time – while some remained in the military, others used the GI Bill to further their education and create new opportunities for themselves. They became teachers, nurses, and businesswomen. One of the most important aspects of their legacy was their contributions to civil rights.  The accomplishments of the 6888th in Europe contributed to a study regarding the contributions of women to the war efforts which concluded: “[T]he national security program is the joint responsibility of all Americans irrespective of color or sex” and “the continued use of colored, along with white, female military personnel is required in such strength as is proportionately appropriate to the relative population distribution between colored and white races.”

This is not a story about the mail. This is a story about 855 black women, who found a way to serve when the nation needed them most. In 2019 a bi-partisan effort was started to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 6888^th. As of the writing of this article that bill has passed the Senate and is awaiting a vote in the U.S. House of representatives.

Joseph Reagan is the Director of Military and Veterans Outreach for Wreaths Across America. He has almost 20 years’ experience working with leaders within Government, non-profit, and Fortune 500 companies to develop sustainable strategies supporting National Security, and Veterans Health. He served 8 years on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Army including two tours to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division. He is a graduate of Norwich University, the oldest private military college in the country.

By Lou Yeboah

Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this. Confining the history of an entire race of people to a twenty-eight-day period, not only does it diminishing the significance of our contributions, but it also allows the greater truth to be erased. The declaration of February as National Black History Month is but a tiny baby-step in the right direction towards understanding and wholeness in our country, but twenty-eight days is not nearly enough to celebrate and remember Black History. The celebration should continue all year round, as Black people’s achievements and successes are not limited to the twenty-eight days of February. But as the African Proverb translated says: Since you [we] do not have control over the help someone is rendering to you [us] it may [the help] not turn out exactly as you [we] expected. Ahh!

Because they have decided, “We are granted a whole twenty-eight days to remember Carter G. Woodson, Arthur A. Schomburg, Drusilla Dunjee Houston, Letitia Woods Brown, and John Hope Franklin; A whole twenty-eight days to remember Nate Turner, Colin Power, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, Lorraine A. Williams, Lorenzo Greene, John Henrik Clarke, Bill Picket, John Taylor, Alice Coachman, and Mary McLeod Bethune; A whole twenty-eight days to remember Otis Boykin, George Washington Carver, Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, and W.E.B. Du Bios.”

“We get a whole twenty-eight days to remember Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Dorothy Height, Ida B. Wells, Alice Coachman, Ella Baker, and Sojourner Truth; A whole twenty-eight days to remember Langston Hughes, Robert Hayden, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Marcus Garvey, Daniel Hale Williams, Crispus Attucks, Honorable Shirley Chisholm, Fannie Lou Hamer, Thurgood Marshall, and Adam Clayton Powell; A whole twenty-eight days to remember Ella Baker, Claudette Colvin, Gordon Parks, Bayard Rustin, Robert Sengstacke Abbott, Jesse Owens, Bessie Coleman, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, and Dr. Patricia Bath.”

“We get a whole twenty-eight days to remember the 30 times Martin Luther King Jr., was arrested between 1955 and 1965; A whole twenty-eight days to remember the year Muhammad Ali lost his championship title for simply standing up for something he believed in; We get a whole twenty-eight days to remember countless people of color who fought and died in the Civil War, laying down their lives for a country who wouldn’t think twice about theirs.”

“We get a whole twenty-eight days to remember 246 Years of Slavery [1619-1865]; A whole twenty-eight days to remember 400 Years of Oppression [1619-2019]; A whole twenty-eight days to remember 99 Years of Jim Crow Laws [1865-1964]; A whole twenty-eight days to remember 86 Years of Lynching [1882-1986]; A whole twenty-eight days to remember 14 years of Fighting for Civil Rights [1954-1968].” Why? Because “Water That Has Been Begged for Does Not Quench the Thirst.”

Are we aware of the extent to which we honor our predecessors? Or are we just celebrating what and when we’re told to celebrate? Is it that plausible to fit the entire span of hundreds of years into twenty-eight days? I quote Morgan Freeman, “Black history is American history.” The relegating of our history into one single month does nothing less than undermine the great things black people have done for this country. It’s almost like a subconscious insult to the entire black race, built on the premise of the “affirmative action” concept. It’s like someone is saying, “Give them their month so they can shut up already.” We were inventors, doctors, activists, botanists, scientists, poets, authors, carpenters, dancers, actors, artists, dreamers, and believers. We were all of the things for which white people were and are remembered. Some of the most important milestones achieved in American history go without proper acclaim. Meritorious, hard-earned accolades were stripped clean from the black man’s hands before he could touch them because at one point, he was only considered three-fifths of a person. But don’t worry, there’s still a little hope: This is the one month out of twelve where everyone else gets to praise us. We have twenty-eight days to show the world just how much we matter, so let’s act fast. Isn’t it great!” [Clip of an interview between Morgan Freeman and Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes a few years ago].

Celebrate and dance to the music “Black History” for there is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering.  For the progress of the Black community in spite of the terrors of Diaspora from our homelands on the continent of Africa, the brutality of slavery, the horrors of inequality, discrimination, and lynching during the Jim Crow era, the disgrace of legal racial segregation, and current struggles against racism and injustice is nothing short of phenomenal.

“Only be careful,” as Moses warns, “and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” [Joshua 4:9]. For our history as Africans and people of African descent in the Americas has been everything but comfortable, yet there is joy and hope to be shared and celebrated.

“Black History – Remember, Educate, Celebrate!”

“Lift every voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring, ring with the harmonies of liberty. Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us. Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on till victory is won… May we forever stand, true to our God, true to our native land. [ The Black National Anthem…” Lift Every Voice and Sing was a hymn written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson].

Carmen Marie Jackson departed from this world on January 31, 2022, in Fontana, California.

Carmen was born in 1959 to parents Rosemarie and William Thomas. She spent her early childhood in Newton, Kansas. After her parent’s divorce and the marriage of her mother to AME minister Charles Foster, the family moved to California. After graduating from high school in San Bernardino, Carmen attended DeVry University in Phoenix, AZ. There she met and married Robert Jackson. The couple moved back to California and produced her only child, Robert Jr.

Carmen had a distinguished career in the computer and logistics industries.  She managed and mentored diverse employees at top companies in the Silicon Valley. Later in life, she moved back to San Bernardino to focus on her health, the AME church, and mentoring small businesses. Carmen loved family, friends, softball, playing cards, politics, games of “chance”, and just having a good time!

She is survived by her beloved son, Robert Jr. and his wife Eboni; husband Robert; sisters Cynthia and Gina; nieces Aminah and Alexa; and grand-nephew Makhi.  She is loved by many and is preceded in death by her loving mother Rosemarie and father William.

There will be a service to celebrate her life on Saturday, February 19, at 2 p.m. in Atlanta, GA, at H.M. Patterson, 4550 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA 30319.  To honor her, flowers can be sent to the aforementioned address.  The service will also be available remotely. For additional details, contact Robert Jackson at (678) 216-5698 or robertjacksonl.jr@gmail.com.

By Petty Officer 1st Class Patricia Rodriguez, Navy Office of Community Outreach

Seaman Kayla Montes, a native of Upland, California, serves the U.S. Navy aboard one of the world’s largest warships, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

Bush was commissioned in 2009 and is completing a pre-deployment work up cycle.

“Our Sailors’ hard work to return George Herbert Walker Bush to the operational fleet in 2021 was exemplary,” said Capt. Robert Aguilar, GHWB commanding officer. “They represent the best principles of service to the mission and the nation that our namesake, President George H.W. Bush, embodied.”

Montes joined the Navy one year ago. Today, Montes serves as a hospitalman.

“I have family that served in the Navy,” said Montes. “They always talked about how amazing it was and how it changed their lives. When I joined, I wanted a job that I knew would help others and hospital corpsman was a great match for me.”

Growing up in Upland, Montes attended Upland High School and graduated in 2018. Today, Montes relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Upland to succeed in the military.

“I learned respect, responsibility, how to help others and how to be part of a community from when I used to coach softball in my hometown,” said Montes.

These lessons have helped Montes while serving in the Navy.

Montes’s service aboard Bush follows the example of the ship’s namesake, the nation’s 41st President, George H.W. Bush. Bush is the only U.S. president to serve as a U.S. Navy aviator. During World War II he flew the TBF Avenger in Torpedo Squadron (VT) 51 and was stationed aboard USS San Jacinto (CVL 30). He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for a daring bombing run over the island of Chichi Jima.

The ship bearing Bush’s name is preparing for deployment amid ongoing strategic competition between the U.S. and its adversaries. In doing so, the ship and its Sailors continue the legacy of service to the nation that U.S. Navy aircraft carriers have provided for 100 years.

Since USS Langley’s (CV 1) commissioning 100 years ago this March 20th, aircraft carriers and their ability to project American power around the globe have been a consistent tool in maintaining and improving U.S. national security interest and the prosperity of the American people.

Sailors aboard USS George H.W. Bush, like Montes, continue to burnish the legacy of the aircraft carrier fleet and naval aviation by providing the national command authority a flexible, tailorable warfighting capability as the flagship of a carrier strike group that maintains maritime stability and security in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

Serving in the Navy means Montes is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy protects the sea,” said Montes. “We do humanitarian missions to help provide aid and relief to the world. It’s a very diverse branch that has many capabilities.”

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

Montes and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.

“In Hospital Corpsman Basic, I received the highest grade in my class,” said Montes. “I am really proud of that, I studied every night to get that award. Hopefully that leads to me getting meritoriously promoted to a petty officer third class.”

As Montes and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.

“Serving means a lot to me,” added Montes. “I’m very proud that I’m able to do this and that I had the opportunity to serve. I feel accomplished. I have a sense of direction. I’m doing good. Even if I’m away for a long time, I know it’s for a good reason. I’m doing it to help others.”For recent information about USS George H.W. Bush and its sailors, head to the command’s Facebook www.facebook.com/ussgeorgehwbush and Instagram www.instagram.com/ghwbcvn77 pages. You can also visit its official webpage at www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn77

REDLANDS, CA—For the Love Me will be hosting a social event for Black women on Sunday, February 27, 2022, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Venue 38 located at 840 Tri City Drive in Redlands, California.

The cultural event is designed to promote self-care, self-love, and self-awareness among Black women. The organization is committed to holding an Exclusive Luxury Event where all vendors and partnerships are owned and operated by Black Women.

This year the discussion will focus on creating practical sleep routines to support mental health. There will be five informational vendors to provide education about their products, services, and classes.

Songbird, Annyette Royale will grace the stage throughout the event. Each participant will receive complimentary signature beverages and appetizers, as well as a Self-Love Set. The set contains a petite sage bundle, rose quartz, ceramic scented beads, eucalyptus shower bundles, body butter, and scrub.

Tickets are $45 and are limited to the first 75 women, so get yours TODAY! Tickets can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-for-the-love-of-me-tickets-259062150867.

Publishers Commentary by Wallace J. Allen IV

There would be no reason to teach Black History if the history taught in America was truly America’s history; however, American history, as it is taught, is America’s glorification of White people. Black History is acknowledged as information not only untold, but often denied and purposefully hidden by White society in general and European based political entities in specific. From the false religious interpretations justifying the enslavement of Africans to the present-day denial of institutional based systematic racism; we can conclude that if truth is important, teaching Black History is necessary!  We are confronted today with the governor of Florida perpetuating a racist theory by wallowing in the sloppy racist concept that teaching the truth about the history of Black People will make white children feel guilty, and thus should not be taught! I say that denying truth should not be considered as comforting!

The fact that American history as taught does not accurately depict the pain and anguish of enslavement and its denial of basic human needs and human rights, to the enslaved, is undeniable… That fact is the justification of why Black History must be taught!  Why are there Black and white American Legions, Black and white medical associations, Black and white lawyer associations, Black and white fraternities and sororities? The short answer is that the white organizations denied entry to Blacks.

America is a living organ that has not only a potential for life but also like all living things, has a potential for death! Any entity that denies its past is existing as a lie! The past only becomes the past when it is acknowledged!  When the past is regarded and treated like a dirty secret, it requires all who keep it to become liars! Existing as a liar, running from the truth, is, in my opinion, not living! America needs to tell her truth if she is to live!

I do not regard uninformed or misinformed people as liars.  Those that know better are the only ones responsible for doing better! Those who know the truth are responsible for telling the truth!

Why is there a Black History Month?

Please study and explore the history of Black people in and beyond the American experience. Ask the questions! Seek the answers! Think critically! Tell and be the truth!

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

The first African American to serve in the role – and the 5th  Black person to become a constitutional officer in California – Weber took office on Jan. 29, 2021.

Weber has been a central and influential figure in California politics for years. She was an Assemblymember representing the 79th District in San Diego County and chaired the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC). In the Legislature, she introduced groundbreaking bills, including one of the strictest laws governing police use of deadly force in the country. It will protect Californians on “both sides of the badge,” she said, celebrating that legislation, which was supported by the California Police Chiefs Association.

Weber also introduced AB 3121, a bill that set up a committee called the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans. The group is charged with examining California’s involvement in slavery – and how California should compensate the descendants of enslaved Black Americans.

As SOS, Weber is responsible for conducting elections in all 58 counties, managing the operations of the State Archives, and keeping a registry of businesses and nonprofits statewide.

“We passed legislation that gives everybody a vote by mail ballot, and we’ve seen that it works” says Weber, sharing details about a major electoral policy change she has implemented as SOS. “We have to make sure that every eligible Californian not only gets the right to vote, but that they are registered to vote and that they show up.”

On Jan. 24, California Black Media interviewed Weber at her Sacramento office.

As an Assemblymember, you introduced groundbreaking legislation. What has the transition been like, moving from actively creating policy to settling into the administrative role of Secretary of State?

It’s been interesting, to go from being a legislator where you share the responsibility of representing all Californians with 80 others in the Assembly and another 40 in the Senate.

There, I wasn’t responsible for all registered voters and the protection of those who work at the polls and those who work to register voters.

Over here, you have an administrative role, and we support legislation like the Voting Rights Act.

It’s been somewhat difficult to let go of my District. Fortunately, my daughter is the Assemblymember there now.

The U.S. Senate did not pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Why is that significant and why are voting rights so important in America right now?

When Gov. Newsom asked me to be Secretary of State, the first thing that popped in my mind was voting rights. This wasn’t a position that I had lobbied for. We had made some tremendous changes in the Assembly and passed some groundbreaking legislation.

Speaking to a reporter last December 22^nd, I said this is a critical time because our nation is in peril. And he goes, “what do you mean?” I said, “our democracy is in crisis.” He didn’t understand. When January 6 hit (the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol), people understood.

I recognize this is a difficult and unique time for people in the nation, extremely difficult for African Americans, because most of us who have parents or we ourselves have lived through this struggle for voting rights.

My family understood the power of voting. My parents came out of Arkansas where they never got a chance to vote. My dad was an adult with six kids before he actually got a chance to register to vote in California.

What can ordinary Californians who care about expanding and protecting voting rights do?

We need to pay attention. We must fight laws that make it difficult for people to vote. Even though we don’t have that legislation coming out of our Legislature, we have people putting initiatives on the ballot.

California has expanded voting rights so much that people want to limit it. There’s only one group that can’t vote in this state: those who are physically in prison. Everyone else who meets the eligibility requirements in California can vote. And that frightens some people.

Do you see that movement to counteract the expansion of voting rights here in California or from other states?

It is coming from within and without. We have to be careful of the deceptive methods used. Take the campaign against bail reform. It had been signed into law. And a group of bail bondsmen took a whole bunch of money, manipulated African Americans and put their faces on television. It confused voters and wiped out this whole effort we had been working on for five or six years.

Do you think other Secretaries of State across the country will emulate California’s efforts to expand voting rights?

We are seeing that, especially in states with Democratic leadership. But in other places, we see also them fighting the Voting Rights Act.

Secretaries of State are a unique breed. Many are appointed by governors. Across the nation, people on the far Right are organizing to get candidates to run for Secretary of State, where before it was seen more as an administrative job with a few other responsibilities. Now, it is seen as a highly political job, especially given the legislation that’s coming out in some places that would empower Legislatures to overturn votes.

You’ve been in this job for a year. Do you feel like you’ve accomplished your goals?

I didn’t take this position because I needed to be a constitutional officer, or one day become Governor. The question for me was: What does the Secretary of State have to offer in these critical times? And obviously it is the defense of our democracy. I was coming in with the idea that we are going to expand our voting base. We have done that.

We’ve also expanded the California Voter Choice Act counties Half of our counties are Voter Choice Act Counties, which gives us additional resources to go into those counties. They are now outvoting the rest of the counties.

Statewide, 88 % of eligible Californians are registered right now to vote. My goal is to get it to 100 %.

Is California implementing additional safeguards to make sure irregularities are minimal?

Yes, we are. We have a system that verifies votes. We test every machine in California before every election. We make it possible for people to observe the process. They can’t come and start counting themselves. But they can observe. We do all this with transparency.

How does it feel to look at that long wall of portraits of past Secretaries of State, and know that your legacy will be enshrined in California history?

I’m very grateful. When I was sworn in, somebody says you’re the first African American after some 170 years. How does that feel? I said, well – what took so long?

In this ever-changing world of chaos, where normalcy is replaced with life threatening anxieties, music soothes the savage beast. Mental stability is frail having weathered two years of the unknown. This is a time when spiritual guidance can strengthen confidence and one’s well-being. Musical healing fueled with passion and heart can mediate fear into strength.

Kristine Alicia is the angel in the choir reaching out to calm our worried minds. The strength of her lyrics is delivered in a powerful commanding voice that not only soothes the soul but assures a light at the end of the road. Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica she proudly comes from the support and encouragement of a well-versed musical family including her brothers and sister. Her father is a pastor and musician who taught her classical piano. It is no wonder Kristine rises above the crowd with spiritual energy; divine, powerful and healing.

Kristine moved to the U.S. at age 13 and later received a master’s degree in Music Business. She began performing as a backup singer in the gospel arena. In 2007, she launched her first album “Get Ready” produced by Nigel Lewis. This album pushed her into the forefront of the Gospel community where she received Artist of the Year and Female Reggae Vocal Performance at the Martin Awards.  It was Kristine’s growing interest in love and social justice that linked her in 2017 with Rory “Stone Love” Gilligan, producer of her second album “Songs from Zion.” The album charted on iTunes Top 10 and Billboard’s Top 15 and received multiple accolades by a cross section of reggae media. Kristine has shared the stage at live events featuring Third World, Tarrus Riley, Papa San, Etana, Nadine Sutherland, Warrior King and Freddie McGregor. She crossed the globe performing from West to East including the Groove Party in Nairobi, Kenya in 2015.

Kristine has been through ups and downs. It was the passing of her husband in 2020 that resulted in a dramatic single entitled “Black Diamond,” a call to action for survivors, victims and those suffering in silence. The message is personal, yet reflects the trauma of a post pandemic world. In November 2021, Kristine released a plea for ‘people to find their voice and sing again’ with a single entitled “Gold” on the Raging Storm Riddim produced by Christopher Hurst.

Her new release “HOLD STRONG” remains true to her intuitive understanding of psychological stress experienced by those in fear and disillusionment. Her outstanding lyrics and delivery are  tied together by the psychosocial impact of life’s never ending struggles. “HOLD STRONG” will be released February 18, 2022 to be followed by an EP later in the year. Get ready to experience  musical medicine that will guide us to feel whole again.

“My hope is that ‘Hold Strong’ becomes a melody that lifts up the ‘strong one’ we sometimes forget, who needs our strength and reminds our people of the innate resilience that pushes us through trying times.” ~ KRISTINE ALICIA

In the latest NTA BLOG, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins explains how qualified former foster youth and qualified homeless youth may now be eligible to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

The changes are a provision of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and are only in effect for tax year 2001. The National Foster Youth Institute notes that many children who were in foster care instantly become homeless when they turn 18 and “age out” of the foster care system.

“When foster youth ‘age out’ of the system, they are legally emancipated and are no longer eligible to receive state assistance with housing, food, and medical care under the foster care system,” says Collins.

The NTA has recommended in her 2022 Purple Book of legislative recommendation that Congress permanently expand the age eligibility for EITC to qualified former foster youth or qualified homeless youth that are 18 years old.

Additionally, the NTA warns about potential issues qualified youth may face when claiming the credit, such as a former foster parent claiming the EITC or other tax benefits and cautions about filing paper returns.

Read the full NTA Blog for more important details.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service invites you to share this vital tax information with your audience.