Hundreds of youth have completed the free internship training program as television technicians. Some continued on to college, majored in multimedia, created their own TV programs or got jobs at TV stations.

Over the 40 years since it was launched in 1984, "Wee Poets" has won over 50 prestigious awards. It has also trained hundreds of interns. KRON4's Reyna Harvey, a former guest on the show, has the story (Watch in the player above).

For more information, or to donate, visit: www.bcmtv.org

“The black man's music in America been copied by every race that come to America. So, it used to be against the law for, like country and western. It was against the law for the white man to sing the blues," said Lloyd "Teddy" Johnson Jr., owner of Teddy’s Juke Joint.

Blues is a genre of music played across America, but it’s been home to the deep south for decades. However, the roots of blues are a never-ending debate.

“From what I know about it talking to a lot of old people, it started from the Africans out of Africa," said Johnson.

Regardless of where it started, Henry Turner Jr. a Baton Rouge blues artist said, "Louisiana has one of the oldest blues histories.”

"What did blues mean to the community back then?" asked Sydney Simone, a reporter for BRProud News.

“The blues is life. From the time you are born until you die," said Johnson.

Johnson said in the mid-1900s, nightclubs were on plantations. Singing blues was a way for slaves to connect and share stories.

“They tried to stop the Black man from singing in the cotton fields. So, they found a place and put him in there. But when they found out, they stopped him from singing in the cotton fields. There was no communication with the workers," said Johnson.

Turner and Johson both agree that blues, R&B, country, and rock all have similarities. 

“They say if you listen at the baseline drum, country and western, blues, rap all it got the same line. Then they just changed it up in different ways," said Johnson.

“They’ll say that’s an R&B song. What's the difference? The difference is the culture and who is going to accept the music," said Turner.

Turner said blues tells a story, but the narrative can change by region. But the question that remains, how is blues defined in Louisiana?

“It’s a feeling, it’s what it really is," said Turner.

And in the words of Johnson, "It’s just the life that the Black man and woman had to live.”

At the end of the day, it’s been known to heal wounds left behind in Black families.

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Under Spanish Governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Gálvez, Spain would use Black infantry units in the American Revolution, to help a burgeoning United States of America fight against the British.

Louisiana Native Guard would fight in the Civil War. In 1886, the United States Congress established six African American military units, which would later be called the Buffalo Soldiers, after the Civil War to help with the reconstruction effort and the country's push towards the Westward Expansion.

Rhett Breerwood is the Louisiana National Guard Historian and says, "The 9th and the 25th regiments of the Buffalo Soldiers were both from New Orleans. Half of the Buffalo Soldiers nationwide came from New Orleans. Both of these regiments served with distinction. The 9th Cavalry served alongside Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders unit and he gave them great acclaim."

The 25th Infantry Regiment of the Buffalo Soldiers was headquartered where the Jackson's Barracks National Guard is today. In New Orleans, the Historic St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church at 222 North Roman Street, was a space where both the 9th and 25th Buffalo Soldiers units, as well as other Black organizations, were recruited.

Today, the 9th Cavalry 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers exists as an organization, whose mission is to preserve, document history, and raise awareness of the Buffalo Soldiers.

Richard Keller is a member of the 9th Cavalry 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers group and says, "I'm dressed in my father's clothes. My father was very instrumental in getting the proclamation that July 28, would always be Buffalo Soldier Day in the city of New Orleans. People call this Black history, but this is American history. We should be proud of it because it's ours."

Keller's father was Lawrence F. Keller, the late Vice President of the 9th Calvary and 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers of Louisi­ana.

The Buffalo Soldier Infantry in the United States survived until around World War Two. However, the Buffalo Soldier legacy continues today.

John Anderson is the President of the 9th Cavalry 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers and is very well-versed in research.

"They served their country, which they called their country! They fought gallantly in every war and skirmish they were in," explains Anderson.

The Buffalo Soldiers' name comes from the 10th Cavalry of the Buffalo Soldiers. It was a name given to them, but Native American Adversaries, who felt the Buffalo Soldiers were as fierce as the buffalo in battle.

The term "Buffalo Soldier" would eventually be adopted by many different African American military units, regardless of military association or war. Over the years, as the Buffalo Soldiers made their way into legend, they also made their way into popular culture and song; like in Bob Marley's 1983 song.

They exist as a reminder of the many military contributions that Blacks have made in helping to cultivate the United States of America.

(The Hill) -- Advocates are sounding the alarm about growing pushes from conservative-led states to downplay the impact of slavery and racism on U.S. history and change the way Black Americans’ stories are taught in classrooms.

As Black History Month nears its end, they say it’s a subject that should be getting more attention, warning the shift will wind up hurting students.  

“We should be scared of undercutting the future of America by not endowing our students with the knowledge they need to not only compete in this society, but in global society,” Ashley White, the NAACP’s inaugural education fellow for equity access and opportunity, told The Hill’s The Switch Up. 

“This is about so much more than making sure that our children know what happened in America,” White added. “It's also about our economic prosperity, because if you cannot deal in the global economic environment, we will not be able to maintain our status as a nation, and you cannot deal in that global environment if you do not know history.”

Mounting limitations

Since January 2021, 44 states have introduced bills to limit teaching students critical race theory or how teachers can discuss racism and sexism, according to a report by Education Week.

In some ways, this type of legislation can be traced back to September 2020, when then-President Trump signed an executive order banning certain types of diversity training for promoting “divisive concepts.”

The next year, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas used the same language to pass legislation banning teachers from instructing students in ways that make them feel guilt or anguish because of their race or sex, or teaching the idea that anyone is inherently racist or sexist. 

Then, in 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) led a charge against a new Advanced Placement African American studies pilot course. DeSantis said the course, which initially required lessons on intersectionality, the Black Lives Matter movement and Black queer studies, lacked educational value. Arkansas soon followed suit and banned the course in August.

Florida hit headlines again when the state’s Department of Education passed guidelines requiring students be taught that slavery was beneficial because it helped enslaved people to learn useful skills.

The curriculum swiftly drew backlash, including from Vice President Harris, who accused “extremists in Florida” of pushing propaganda on children. 

“Adults know what slavery really involved,” Harris said. “It involved rape. It involved torture. It involved taking a baby from their mother. It involved some of the worst examples of depriving people of humanity in our world. So in the context of that, how is it that anyone could suggest that in the midst of these atrocities, that there was any benefit to being subjected to this level of dehumanization?”

'A huge rise in resistance'

Sonya Douglass, director of the Black Education Research Center (BERC), at the Teachers College of Columbia University, told The Hill that these restrictions should not be surprising because anti-Black sentiment has been growing since the election of the nation’s first Black president. 

“With the election of President Obama, we saw a huge rise in resistance. We saw the development of the birther movement, and then we would later see the individual who was leading the birther movement become president,” said Douglass. 

“I think a better understanding of Black history and a fuller account of American history would help us to not be terribly surprised by some of the things that we've seen over the last 10 to 20 years,” she added. 

If students had a comprehensive understanding of Black history, Douglass said, they would understand that the topic dates back to well before Africans were enslaved and brought to America in the 1600s. 

Douglass said Africans were scientists and alchemists, and their knowledge had a significant role to play in the shaping of societies and communities, including how government works. 

“Much of that has been misrepresented in terms of who we view as the original progenitors of knowledge, whether it's the Greeks or the Romans, but many of those knowledge systems were taken from ancient Kemet and other places in Africa,” she explained. 

For Black students in particular to have this knowledge would change their perception of how they fit into not only American society but global society. 

“I think that is why we see a lot of the fight and the resistance to teaching these topics because it does shift power in many ways,” said Douglass. “It shifts who we value in terms of those who create knowledge, those who are producing information, as opposed to only consuming it. And I think for many people, that can be a bit frightening.”

BERC is now developing a K-12 Black history and studies curriculum for New York schools, and Douglass said it will include significant history prior to the enslavement of Africans. 

In a survey the center conducted in October, they found that 73 percent of respondents approved of the curriculum. 

Teaching students an incomplete American history

As some Republican leaders and parents continue to take a stance against topics such as the teaching of systemic racism, a recent study by Pew Research Center found that nearly half of students said they’d rather learn that the legacy of slavery still affects the position of Black Americans today.

Thirty-six percent of White adults said parents should be able to opt their children out of learning about topics related to racism or racial inequality, but Marvin Dulaney, president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, said this could have devastating effects. 

Dulaney has spent time researching police officers' attitudes toward Black Americans. In his work, he found that many did not know much Black history, and he posits it makes police killings of Black Americans easier to justify. 

“They believe we haven't contributed anything, that we are people who are a drag on society,” Dulaney said. “They don't know our history and, of course, they sort of grew up there with these negative attitudes and feelings about Black people, and they act on them on the streets, in terms of arrest and brutality and shootings. They don't have the empathy that is needed to treat us like regular human beings.”

The effects of limitations on Black history are unclear at this time, but advocates are adamant that it should be taught for the simple fact that American history is incomplete without it. 

“Quite frankly, without the contributions of our ancestors, America would not be what it is,” said White. “And I would dare to say that given the historical context of the Atlantic slave trade, etc., Black history is also the history of many other countries and nations beyond the US, so the implications for the importance of Black history and its contribution to American society and global society at large should be recognized for more than anything so that we can capitalize upon those contributions as a collective.”

Finding themselves in Sacramento, Samuel B. Hyers set up shop in the future capital city as his wife Annie E. Hyers tended to the musical education of their daughters Anna and Emma.

The young sisters showed a natural vocal and musical ability as he continued to invest in their education.

German professor Hugo Sank and later opera singer Josephine D'Ormy taught the young girls before they began performing for private parties to prepare for larger audiences.

The Hyers Sisters, at the ages of 9 and 11, would make their public debut on April 22, 1867, at the Sacramento Metropolitan Theater, which was located on K Street between 4th and 5th streets.

This performance in Sacramento would launch their pioneering career as professional singers and stage actors in post-Emancipation America.

The young girls' opera performance received glowing reviews, which jumpstarted their careers that would take them across the country.

With their father leaving behind the barber chair to manage his daughters, they hit the road in August 1871 for their first nationwide tour.

They performed in Salt Lake City, Chicago, Cleveland, New York City and Boston.

Their performance in Boston was part of the 1872 World Peace Jubilee, which was one of the nation's first integrated major musical concerts.

As the sisters' fame grew over the following years, they decided to launch their own theater company, where they produced musicals and dramas.

Some of the more notable works to come out of the theater company were:
• Out of Bondage, written by Joseph Bradford
• Urlina, the African Princess, written by E. S. Gethchell
• The Underground Railway, written by Pauline Hopkins
• Stage version of Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Pauline Hopkins

According to Nadine George-Graves' The Royalty of Negro Vaudeville, the 1890 production of Out of Bondage was the first Black-organized musical show.

These shows would create a new pathway for future Black artists and those looking to bring the stories of the African American experience to the stage.

From the late 1870s to the 1880s, the Hyers sisters' theater company had more than six shows running. They traveled with the shows through the mid-1880s and continued to appear on stage into the 1890s.

In 1893, the sisters announced their retirement from stage life at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Silvia Hector Webber’s family gave up over 800 acres of land in exchange for freedom for her and her children, her emancipation papers show. Webber’s story is the centerpiece of UT-Austin’s Briscoe Center for American History’s newest exhibit called Freedom Papers: Evidence of Emancipation. 

The display showcases a variety of documents to convey what it took for enslaved people, primarily women and children, to be freed before the Emancipation Proclamation. 

“This provides us with real primary source evidence of the experience that people went through trying to gain their freedom and trying to exist in a world where they were born without human rights,” said Sarah Sonner, the center’s associate director for curation. “It lets us form a personal connection to lives that happened before the Civil War.”

“We know what their names were. We know where they lived, where they grew up, where they were born,” 

Originally, Hector Webber came to Texas during the Austin expedition with her owner, John Cryer. In Central Texas, she would go on to meet her eventual husband — John Webber. He purchased a large plot of land east of Austin, which is now known as Webberville. It was the land he would eventually use to help buy Sylvia’s freedom in 1832.   

Handwritten bonds featured in the exhibit show that Hector Webber was initially asked to give up her two young kids in exchange for her freedom, but her husband was able to use his land as collateral. 

From there, the Webber family trekked to South Texas and resettled in the Rio Grande Valley. Their 8,000-acre ranch became an outpost for the Underground Railroad, where the Webbers helped other slaves find freedom by crossing the border into Mexico. 

“She was known as a generous hostess and a real comfort for people who sought her help,” said Sonner. “So Sylvia's house served as a welcoming refuge for people seeking their freedom.”

Several stories like Silvia’s are highlighted in the Briscoe Center. Some court documents describe the monetary cost — equating to up to $31,000 in today’s economy — that owners paid to help free their slaves. The exhibit also features Stephen F. Austin’s original list of requirements for settlers’ title dues, made payable in “cash, cattle or enslaved people.”

Sonner said the goal of the exhibit was to convey the fragility of freedom, as several documents depict difficulty maintaining status when traveling from state to state. 

“This is a shared history, especially in Sylvia's case. This is land that we can identify,” she said, “and I think that it, moreover, provides us with personal connections and understanding. These primary sources illuminate so much more than a history textbook can.”

Dr. Francisco Guajardo, the CEO of the Museum of South Texas History, said he hopes others can learn about the unique role Texas and Mexico played in the emancipation of slaves, long before President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 

“I think part of that is really because a lot of the way American History is told is really eastern United States, East coast driven,” he said. “People who lived in Texas who were enslaved, people who lived in Louisiana and were enslaved would have found it much more practical to go down to the Rio Grande, where just south of the Rio Grande, Mexico had already abolished slavery. Mexico did by 1829."

Freedom Papers will be open until June 28. The Briscoe Center is free to the public during the week.

It's a part of the centers effort to incorporate community engagement for Black History Month.

As you walk into the Dewey Community Center you can value and appreciate the accomplishments black trailblazers have made in our nation, the sports field, and right here in Waco.

"Black history really goes on, and it's a light, it's a culture, it's a lifetime. It's not something that we can just put into one month," said museum visitor Angel Lenord.

Angel Lenord is a Waco native and says its a great experience getting to remember black leaders who paved the way.

"Even some of the Waco history is tucked away that they don't want to necessarily bring to the forefront, but it's true, and we should embrace the truth and move past it and let that make us stronger," said Lenord.

Dewey Community Center staff say this museum is important to empower the next generation.

"It's extremely important to make sure that we teach our youth about our past the leaders that represented the people and different athletes and local leaders that are here," said Dewey Community Supervisor Jimmy Gutierrez.

The Dewey Community Center adds new people to its exhibit every year.

They kicked off the museum opening with a "Taste of Soul" where visitors enjoyed classic food made in the black community.

"It's been great. It's been fun. We had a great crowd come out today. We're able to tour our displays and they were able to experience a small taste of soul today, so that was really fun," said Gutierrez.

"I think that it gets better every year. They do a great job pulling out the information and showcasing it, I just think it just gets better and better," said Lenord.

The museum is free to experience and will be open until the end of the month.

It's hours Monday - Thursday are from 9 - 3 P.M. and 6 - 9 P.M.

It will be open 9 - 3 P.M. on Friday and Saturday.

They discussed the strides that have been made towards racial equality, but also the fight ahead. 

In a crowded room the descendants of civil rights giants like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X and Emmett Till gathered to pay tribute to their influential ancestors. 

Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise visit to the event to celebrate the leaders. 

"It is an imperative that we understand where we came from, to then understand where we are and where we must go," Harris said. 

One of the featured guests was Kenneth Morris, who is the great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and the great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington. 

"History lives in each of us, But the future depends on how we carry it forth," Morris said. 

The goal of the event was not only to honor those historic leaders, but also to talk about how to advance their fight for racial justice and equality. 

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford told the attendees that Democrats are fighting to protect civil rights with bills like the Voting Rights Act. 

"We will not be silenced and we are not going back," Horsford said. 

That's also part of President Biden's re-election pitch as he tries to hold onto support from Black voters. 

"I believe that President Biden has kept many promises to Black Americans, but as we heard Vice President Harris talk about we still have a lot of work that needs to be done," Morris said. 

Morris says events like Descendants' Day show a commitment to doing that work. 

This innovation allows viewers to experience Austin's diverse history in 3D digital art design, historical interpretations and engaging narratives. The free event is accessible through the augzoo app for iPhone products.

Kendra Dobson, Founder of 3240 Entertainment, created the vision plan for this project and it took off with artwork by Christopher Williams, and the augzoo team including Michael Mares Mendoza, Neema Rezaee. Austin-based voice actors Marc Pouhé and Yesenia Garcia Herrington were also apart of the team.

Starting at the south steps of the Texas Capitol, you will see an animation of the civil rights activist, Booker T. Washington, through the app. As you walk closer to him, he will begin to speak about African American Texas history.

"In 1911, Governor Campbell invited Booker T. Washington to speak at the Capitol, but the legislature forbid him to speak anywhere on the grounds. So in one way, this experience redeems some of the history that he was not allowed to do here," Spatial Project Editor, Michael Mares Mendoza said.

In order to actively engage with the community, the project provides educational content while celebrating local history to residents and tourists.

"It encourages people to do some cultural heritage tourism of their own and even for Austinites who don't necessarily know so much about their own history," Mares Mendoza said.

While this event is only available during Black History Month, it brought a new perspective into inviting more people to learn about Texas history.

"For me, it means a lot seeing that. Being just a man of color, African American descent, and seeing a statue over there, but then come over here just to hear his voice. Actually, it gives me chills," Tourist Joshua Jones said. "It makes you appreciate your history."

This project is supported by the City of Austin's Cultural Arts Elevate Grant from the Economic Development Department of Austin. The grant was awarded to 3240 Entertainment last summer.

"I think it's really great that they're doing something like, acknowledging Austin's history, but also its future, and the mixture of high tech. Also, the different types of artistic practices that we have here in Austin," Jesus Pantel, City of Austin's Cultural Funding Supervisor said.

The Austin historical sites will have this augmented reality feature available throughout the month of February. Whether the innovation gets funding again in the upcoming year, that will determine if the project will continue to grow.

But had it not been for one North Carolina woman, Ella Baker, the group likely would not have existed.

At the oldest building at Shaw University, Estey Hall, 64 years ago a student hatched an idea that changed the world.

Dr. Valerie Johnson, Shaw University's Dean of Arts, Sciences and Humanities said, civil rights leader Ella Baker was the architect of change.

“She comes from a middle-class family for the most part in Lillington NC,” Dean Johnson said.

Although born in Virginia, her family relocated to Tar Heel State.

"She came first to Shaw Academy, she did high school here," Dean Johnson said.

She added, “To think of when she came to Shaw University, she was coming into an environment that was more urban than where she was raised."

While a student at Shaw in Raleigh, during Easter weekend in 1960, Baker hatched an idea that became a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement for young people.

She recognized the importance of students in the sit-in movement and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee -- commonly called SNCC, was born.

“Born here… and one of the ways to understand that is to look at the faculty who influenced her. She had a faculty member who influenced her, Max Yergan, who was instrumental in opening the world up to her and helping her see internationally.” Dean Johnson said.

Baker had a vast network, having worked as executive secretary of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

She reportedly convinced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to donate the $800 needed to hold the founding conference for SNCC.

He did so, hoping they would join the SCLC. However, she encouraged the students to start their own organization.

Dean Johnson said, her inspiration came long before she walked this campus.

“That's why it's so important to understand the relationship with her mother.”

She said her mother really laid the groundwork for resistance.

“There was an instance where someone, a white man, came to her door and called her auntie. And she said, 'I don't recognize you as a part of my family, who's son are you?' And refused to accept that,” Dean Johnson said.

And that brave example led to the development of an organization that changed the world.

And it all began in Raleigh at Shaw.

"I think Toni Morrison said 'If there's a book that hasn't been written, write it.' And that's what I did." Videographer, Photographer, and Historian Jim Tillman said.

Back in 2013, Tillman took it upon himself to do something no one had done before: write a book about black history in Sioux City.

"After going to the Sioux City Public Library and seeing what the limits were, you know there wasn't anything on Sioux City African American history."

In 2023, Tillman published the first book documenting the history of African American culture in Sioux City. A history that began in 1804 with a young African American named York who made important contributions to the Lewis and Clark expedition. York was the first African American to enter the Siouxland area.

44 years later John Brazo, became the first African American to take residence in Sioux City. 175 years later, more than 3 thousand African Americans call Sioux City home.

"My grandparents, they migrated here from the south, so Sioux City was a great place to stop, to come to from the south. A lot of people, blacks, that came to Sioux City, they got educated in Sioux City and went west to California for greater opportunities. But Sioux City will always be home."

Tillman's book chronicles the people and places that contributed to the cultural roots of his birthplace

"There's some encouraging stories in there that can inspire any population. Of perseverance, of overcoming obstacles. And they're going to learn about a lot of people."

Tillman wrote the Journal of African American History - Sioux City, Iowa, to reach audiences of all ages and races with the hope that each reader takes away something they had not learned before.

"They're going to read that and a lot of times they're going to learn about themselves. We all have these different prejudices, or different thoughts and preconceived ideas of certain people. But you read my book and you'll see that a lot of the stories are similar to anybody else's story."

With every story that's documented, we're shown a glimpse of black history that expands larger than the Siouxland area.

"It's Sioux City African American history, but it's still a Sioux City story. Which makes it an Iowa story. So we all learn in this and the more we learn about each other the better."

With the rich history of black culture in his hometown, Tillman is already expanding the journal of African American history with a second volume and new stories to share.

"I just think it's about sharing stories and we learn from each other when we share stories."

Tillman is currently working on a history by the decades series documenting Sioux City's black history starting in the 1950's.

If it’s one thing that makes the world go round, it’s money. Currency holds weight because it can control how we live and thrive in society.

“One person just needs to take that step to be a light, an example to other people, and to see how the power of that dollar can transform some lives and transform a community," said William Bates.

He opened a suit shop called The Master’s Touch in North Baton Rouge. “We've been created to suit every man's fashionable need. We are here to enhance his image and make sure that whatever atmosphere he steps in, he's a game changer," said William.

Three years after opening, he bought the entire strip mall that the storefront sits on.  

Bates believes there’s power in the “Black dollar,” and it starts with entrepreneurs.

William says "ownership" is a word that can have a lasting impact on the Black community. Part of that means breaking generational curses. 

“You just weren't hearing 'ownership, own something.' We were hearing. 'Go get a job. Get your degree. Get a job, work for somebody.' That's fine. But we were never hearing about the empowerment of you have creative ideas, creative inventions that you can utilize that will help you own something," said William.

Mikayla Bates, vice president of the North Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, says wealth is more than clocking in daily. Being your own boss allows people to change things and create new opportunities for others. 

“When you're a business owner, you get more perks than a regular W-2 employee when it comes down to taxes. And so with that being said, you're able to keep more money in your pocket and less money away from Uncle Sam. And now that's more money for your family," said Mikayla.

The realtor says seeing the value in Black products and services means investing in your own neighborhood.

“If I have something and somebody who doesn't look like me have the same thing. Sometimes we think that that that value is better than my value. And so now we have to compete with the mindset of trying to make sure that we're convincing our people that what we have is legitimate," said William.

Mikayla says her goal is to help small businesses see the beauty in collaboration and networking.

“We always talk about the B-to-C relationships because it's a consumer. But we also specialize in the B-to-B relationships, which are the business to business," said Mikayla.

Laci Sherman, president of the North Baton Rouge Chamber, says she sees Baton Rouge as the land of opportunity. Sherman says to start your business “scared” and dare to be different.

“Baton Rouge is a family-oriented city, and so a lot of families look for a place where they can think about sustainability," said Sherman.

She said the backbone of a thriving community is unity amongst different groups. Sherman said understanding the current needs of the area can determine your success.

“Many individuals ran in a different direction of where opportunities already exists. But as you have those new investor organizations come into this space, one thing you need is also buy from the community," said Sherman.

Part of that sustainability is financial literacy.

“Becoming a great steward of your money. Knowing what to do when you get a lump sum of money, save it, invest it, pass it down. Do something other than spend it on bags, trips and food," said Mikayla.

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"After the Civil War and even up until the 1960s, cemeteries were largely segregated. So even though these folks fought for their country, they couldn't be buried in a military cemetery," Samantha Dorm, Co-founder of Friends of Lebanon Cemetery said.  

One person buried here is Reverend Jesse S. Cowles, who fought with the 29th infantry out of Connecticut.

"After the war, he goes on to divinity school, he becomes a Reverend, and he's here in York, in the 1890s." 

Cowles raised quite a family.

"Clara Cowles is his daughter, and she was a huge part of the women's suffrage movement here," Dorm said.  

Some of us think of the Civil War as a war mostly fought between white people on two sides of whether there should be slavery or not. We think of union soldiers as mostly white men fighting for these ideals. There were Black men fighting too.

Dorm shared more stories of those buried at the cemetery.

"We also have the Reverend John H. Hector,“ she said. "He was injured while he was holding the reins of the horse for Ulysses S. Grant.” 

This wasn't somebody just at the fringes of things. He was holding the reins of a horse that was carrying a future president. 

All of them are buried at the cemetery. But there are also key places in York - where they lived. 

"Both of these gentlemen were with the same church, which is now the Small Memorial A.M.E Zion Church that's located in York City," Dorm said 

Hector's home was located at 116 East King street in York City, which is still standing today. After Hector's death, it was in the Green-book. Up until recently, it was also the location of the Parliament Arts Building.

"It was a place for colored travelers to have safe refuge in York City," Dorm said.  

Greenberry Robinson's gravesite at the cemetery is even more modest. 

"He was assigned to an all-white unit, which was the 87th infantry. He was their cook and their medic, and so, of course, during the war, he's with them through all of these things. But in death, there's segregation. So he is here at Lebanon Cemetery," Dorm said.

"Several members of the 87th infantry are less than a mile away at Prospect Hill Cemetery, but they couldn't be buried together due to segregation."

Robinson was buried together - though - with other local Black heroes. 

"The very first Black police officer in York County, a gentleman with the last name of Diggs. He's buried here to my left. this was in the late 1890s."

It's hard to believe now but when Dorm started doing this work in 2019 she knew nothing of history.

"Now, to be able to know and learn so much about people that not only look like me, but in some cases are related to me, it's just opened up this other world," she said. 

A world coming more alive - the longer it's buried. 

"We're telling their stories," Dorm said.

The stories of the Black York soldiers are also told in "They Also Fought: Volume 1: The Lives and Stories of Civil War Veterans of Lebanon Cemetery, York County, PA" which is available on Amazon and was recently published by the Friends of Lebanon Cemetery.

"It's beautifully coiled, curly, curly hair from straight hair to curly hair," Fulton said.

Cornrows, afros, and locs are just some of the versatility.

"I had to have my hair, like, really straight, you know, and in a specific style, especially like if you're thinking about like business meetings," client Karen McKee said.

McKee decided to use a natural protective hairstyle which is not always embraced.

"It's it's unfortunate that someone has an opinion of what is beautiful and what isn't beautiful," Fulton said.

A costly opinion.

"It is unfortunately still legal not to give someone a job opportunity, not hire them, based off of their hairstyle and that is unconscionable in this day and age we know all discrimination is wrong," PA House Speaker Joanna McClinton said.

McClinton, who was a Crown Act co-sponsor, says the act passed the House and now it's in the Senate.

"Hair discrimination is part of a legacy of historic racism and discrimination that's been part of our society," McClinton said.

Several states have passed similar legislation prohibiting discrimination based on hair.

"We see it all the time where young people are denied the opportunity to go to the prom or denied an opportunity to work in a certain industry," Congressman Troy Carter Sr. (D-LA) said.

Louisiana Congressman and Crown Act supporter Carter Sr. says while a national bill passed in the previous congress, it didn't get far in the Senate and will be reintroduced this year.

"Recognizing that more and more people hopefully are beginning to realize that this is not a partisan issue," Carter said.

Not having legislation such as the CROWN Act remains a personal issue to millions, especially the black community.

"I think there are people, they don't understand our culture," CROWN Act supporter Maria James-Thiaw said. "It becomes a way to keep certain groups out of certain rooms, boardrooms."

Fulton hopes the CROWN Act will become law across the nation.

"Because we have to think about our young growing up thinking that something's wrong with their hair," Fulton said. "Somebody told them, you have bad hair we want them to understand how beautiful the natural coils are."

New Orleans' Amistad Research Center is a repository of priceless material that specializes in race, ethnicity and social justice. In its artifacts and files are the details of who we are as Americans. Moore's passion is helping people discover the breadth of American History in its entirety, through Amistad's collection.

"We have so much more than African American history here. The African American material that we do have is not just about slavery. It's about free people of color. It's about people in general and the different histories. It's not just about slavery, basketball players and the Civil Rights Movement. We cover those topics and have a whole lot more. For instance, my great aunt, Elma Moore Booker was the first Creole Black woman to open a dance studio in the state of Louisiana."

Dance educator Elma Moore married a carpenter named Joseph Booker and taught dance to a host of New Orleans' families from the 1920s to the mid 1970s. Her home was at 3715 Alfred St. and was also one of her dance studios. She had recitals at Xavier University.

"Dance is the last form of resistance. People in New Orleans dance about joy, death, getting our check at the end of the month and babies first communion. It's an expressive culture. It's very African. We express ourselves through dance and song. It's just part of what New Orleans is and does," explains Lisa Moore.

From old tap dancing shoes, to certificates, to endless file cabinets of donated material, manila folders, micro phish and computer database networks; the more anyone looks into the past at Amistad, the more they discover that the rhythm we dance by is nothing more than a succession of steps and movements from yesterday.

Lisa Moore says, "It's beyond fascinating to me that I moved back here four years ago to work at the Amistad Research Center. Since then, I keep stumbling over my relatives in the collections. It's pretty cool that anybody can come in here and maybe find something of their families in what we have here."

Learn more about Elma Moore Booker here.

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Located inside the Convention Center in New Orleans, natives and tourists will find pieces of Louisiana’s history for people to discover.

“To be able to capture those stories, while many of those people are still alive, to tell the story in their words, is pretty incredible," said Louisiana Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser.

It took one vision and a team of people to create an experience that teaches and honors the state's role in the Civil Rights Movement.

“We got a lot of great things in Louisiana but I don’t think we have a Civil Rights Trail," said Nungesser.

Millions of dollars were invested in this project. Highlighting marches, boycotts and other movements that Nungesser said Alabama and Mississippi took credit for.

“We wanted to make sure that we used all the money to make it a wow factor. So partnered with the convention center where we didn't have to build a building and maintain it was a natural fit," said Nungesser.

Part of that “wow factor” includes historical figures coming to life.

One of the main attractions that you’ll find inside the museum is the “Dream Cube”.  It’s created using A.I. technology to give each visitor an immersive and unique experience putting them right in the middle of history. 

“You walk in that cube and you can talk to those little girls, all that in the school, or you can look to the left and be in the march from Bogalusa to Baton Rouge as a young talking about that hot day, marching over 100 miles to Baton Rouge," said Nungesser.

“If that doesn't give you goosebumps and put a chill in your spine, nothing will," said Nungesser.

As tourists move through the museum, they’ll notice it’s broken into three sections to magnify major components of the Civil Rights Movement: the right to vote, the right to education and the right to assemble.

“It’s something first off, we didn't learn in school. It's recognizing some heroes, some brave men and women who stood up in that time. It tells a story," said Nungesser.

Other civil rights advocates also want to encourage both Louisianans and tourists to learn about the history, challenges and growth in the Pelican state. 

“People know New Orleans. People know Louisiana. We should not have to go to museums in other states to learn about our heritage," said Brenda Brent Williams, the Civil Rights Museum Advisory Board President.

Nungesser said this is the inaugural experience. They hope to expand soon and make this even bigger and better.

“People need to get out and see it for themselves. It's something that a story that should have been told a long time ago," said Nungesser.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Tickets are $7 for adults and $6 for kids. School groups are free and military discounts are offered.

For tickets or more information, visit the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum website.

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"I'm just blessed and honored to be the first returner," Hester said. "It's hard to say who's the number one quarterback, the number two running back, the number one defensive player - but, in the situation I'm in right now I can honestly say that I am the number one returner of all-time."

As hard as Hester and Bears fans were knocking, it was actually a horn that alerted him that Canton was calling last week.

Here's how it all played out, in Hester's words:

"Got a call from Edgerrin James about a week prior. We both have old school cars. He stays about ten minutes from me. He called me and was like, 'Hey D! Want to go riding?' I was like, 'Sure, what day you want to ride?' He goes, 'How about Thursday?' I was like, 'Fine.' He was like, 'We're going to go riding around 9:30.' I'm like, 'Ok, cool. At night time?' He's like, 'No. 9:30 in the morning.' I was like, 'Who goes riding in their old schools early in the morning?' You know I've got kids to take to school and stuff like that. He's like, 'Nah. As soon as you drop the kids off and everything, we'll go riding.'

"I told my wife about it and she was like, 'Ok. Cool.' All of a sudden, the day we were supposed to go riding, my kids are all in the house and they haven't gone to school yet. I'm like, 'why are the kids not going to school.' She's like, 'Oh. They got dentist appointments.' The kids are down the hall watching TV.

"She started getting dressed. I'm like, 'I know you're dropping off the kids but you're putting on makeup and stuff. Who you going to see at the dentist appointment.

"All of a sudden, I hear a horn bump bump at the front door. So, I didn't get a knock. I got a horn. I go to look at the front door and I see the camera crews and everybody coming to the front door. I see his gold jacket on. That's when I knew it was time."

As excited as he was, Hester was disappointed not to be a first or second ballot Hall of Famer. But, his younger self would have never believed it.

"This is a wild dream that I never imagined. This is bigger than everything. This is not only a dream, this is something that I felt as a kid was impossible. I never thought about me being in the Hall of Fame. That was just too much of a escalating out of the picture. It's like hitting the lotto.

"To be able to have this award is a cherry on top."

Before you reach Bessie Coleman Drive -- a stretch of roadway leading up to Oakland International Airport named after the first African American woman aviator -- you will unassumingly pass the hangars along Earhart Toad. Tucked among them is the Oakland Aviation Museum.

It's a historical treasure Conway Jones Junior makes a point to visit at least once a month.
He stops by for a casual stroll down memory lane with the museum's current leadership and guides the occasional tour of the organization he founded some 40 years ago.

Recently, KRON4 was fortunate to be his guests.

"Blacks -- coloreds in this country have made contributions to America since the Blacks that served in the Civil War," Jones said.

Jones, a retired United States Air Force colonel, shared a few stories about the decorated Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American fighter pilots and crew in the United States Army Air Corps who helped secure an allied victory in World War II.

The group was famously known for flying "Red Tail" fighter-bombers. A replica of one is featured in the museum.

"Only 17 bomber crews were lost while the Tuskegee Airmen were flying cover during the entire course of World War II," Jones said. "And, that's against the backdrop where over 8,000 bomber crews were lost."

Leading into the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit a simulated video plays of the highflying aerobatics associated with the heralded group of high-flyers. Jones says this was the first room set up when the museum moved to its current location.

"Roscoe Brown shot down one of the first German jets," Jones said.

The Red Tails mean the world to Jones.

"This is the replica of the Tuskegee Airmen Congressional gold medal," he said.

He grew up around them while his dad served for the U.S. Army in Tuskegee, Alabama.

"The colored airmen brought to the military service, the army air corps, to our country, a set of values," Jones said.

Jones also pays homage to Bessie Coleman -- the first African American woman to hold a pilot license.

"No one would teach her to fly planes here. So, she had to go to France to get her pilot training and came back," Jones said.

The Oakland museum not only tells stories of the past, but also looks ahead to the future and how Black aviation has evolved.

"Fast-forwarding to Victor Glover who is a Black astronaut," said Jones. "He and three others -- his four-man crew -- will be flying the NASA Artemis II around the moon in November."

For Jones, history sets the path forward and provides context in navigation. It provides guidance through breaking barriers and building bridges for those following behind.

"When I took office, I took an oath of office to protect and serve the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic," said Jones. "I think we still need to be about that as a people -- Blacks in particular -- to serve our country, because our country has served us."

The museum is a hidden gem, and it is affordable for families to attend. It's open every Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

With a new pastor, leadership at St. Andrews A.M.E. Church hopes to use the institution’s long history to build a better future for the Sacramento community it serves. 

Pastor Dr. Rev. Jason Thompson is probably the newest addition to the church, which dates back to the Gold Rush era.

“The one thing I hope we never lose is the spirit that started this church”, said Thompson. “It’s surreal that someone has selected you to be the leader.” 

As the new leader of St. Andrews, Pastor Jason hopes to build on its impressive foundation. 

“This isn’t just a place to learn about God, this is a place to say now that we have learned about God, how do we go out and make that difference,” says Thompson. 

A walk down the halls with the historical committee of St. Andrews tells of an incredible story.

St. Andrews was formed in 1850, originally just a place for Black settlers, gold miners and pioneers to meet in peace.

It quickly became so much more. It was a place for some of the first organized political activity by Black people in California, focusing on civil rights and voting rights, and even hosted major events like the California Colored Citizens’ State Convention.

The church's original site in downtown Sacramento was at 715 7th St., where a historical plaque is placed.

When it was first founded, it was known as the Methodist Church of Colored People of Sacramento City before being admitted into the A.M.E. Church one year after its founding.

It was first known as Bethel, but later changed its name to St. Andrews.

It is currently located at 2131 8th St., a block to the east and just over a mile south of the original site.

Dr. Patricia Jones Penn is on the St. Andrews Historical Committee and says, “When I come here there is a connection to denomination between the people.” 

For those who grew up at St. Andrews, like Kimberly Washington, it is not just a church, it’s home.

“And that for St.  Andrews has been the same thing today as it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 40 years ago and beyond, when my grandmother first walked through those doors,” Washington said.    

But time has a way of changing things and it’s noticed here at St. Andrews. More and more people are coming back to the faith.

“I do feel as though there are people who come to worship every week, who feel very much alienated, they feel beaten down by the systems. And they come to find a space where they belong and they are free. I think the message that we give is that we have to be kind,” Thompson said. 

While their past is historic, it’s the future of St. Andrews that deserves attention.

St. Andrews has services every Sunday at 11 am at the church on 8th street between U and V streets in Sacramento.

She's also the owner and teacher of one of Denver's only Black yoga studios.

When she couldn't find the community she was seeking, she created her own. It's called the Urban Sanctuary. Several times a week, Duncan can be found turning her space into a yoga oasis.

“Offering those experiences of opening the eyes of the marginalized community. This is healing and I have access to it," she said.

Her wellness center sits on Welton Street in Denver's historically Black Five Points neighborhood. Duncan opened the center in 2016 after noticing a lack of diversity at other yoga studios.

"Not a lot of places where I saw a lot of Black and brown bodies on the mat. So, I stopped asking why, why aren’t there these spaces, and then I created Urban Sanctuary," she said.

Duncan grew up on a farm in Fort Collins and was the first Black female police officer with Fort Collins Police Services for a decade.

“I got the summer off; my husband was watching the kids, and I flew to India. I was there for two months and I got certified in yoga," said Duncan.

Six months after she got back, she quit and found her true calling.

“The most powerful question is why, when you take that why out and just do it, it’s just trust, like this is the journey you want to be on," Duncan said.

Seven years after starting her studio, she purchased her building and is excited to see her dream become a reality.

“It took me a while to build it up to get the Black community in, so we offer free classes to the BIPOC community. Three times a week we have full circles classes, and they are maxed out every night and I love it," she said.

Duncan says it's the feeling after walking through her doors that will make yogis feel like the Urban Sanctuary is their space.

“I wanted a safe space for Black and brown people to come and do yoga because I love yoga. ... If I could have everyone experience this movement, this breath," said Duncan.

Duncan says she just received a grant for the historical building to get a facelift. Construction begins next year.

To find out more about classes offered or memberships, visit her website.

Nijel Murray, a college student who started a non-profit that collects and provides foster kids new clothing and basic necessities, introduced the President.

“President Biden and Vice President Harris are investing in our young people,” Murray said. “They're making sure that all young people, including young people facing hard times, can realize their full potential. That gives me hope. It gives my generation hope.”

Biden started by praising the vice president, the first woman and first person of color to hold the position in American history.

“She's doing an incredible job in everything from voting rights to reproductive freedom, to economic opportunity, to foreign policy, national security,” Biden lauded.

Black voters were crucial to Biden’s election in 2020, with over 90% voting for him, according to Pew exit polls.

“This community is the reason why I'm standing here,” the president affirmed.

The administration has touted the growth of Black-owned businesses, with the share of Black households owning a business doubling since 2021.

As campaign season quickly approaches, Biden and Harris also plan to highlight their policies that addressed discrimination in housing, equitable opportunity for Black students, and healthcare.

"What that does is it leaves a pharmacy desert," said Dr. Marcus Howard, Ph.D., founder and owner of GreaterHealth Pharmacy and Wellness, a full retail pharmacy located at 5503 Delmar Boulevard in the Delmar DivINe building.

Personal reasons led Howard to open GreaterHealth along Delmar Boulevard in the West End neighborhood.

"I had members of my family who had chronic conditions yet didn't trust taking medication," he said. "That inspired Howard to set out on a journey to change that by opening the first Black-owned pharmacy in St. Louis that is culturally responsive."

Now that major pharmacies are closing stores, Howard is raising awareness and making sure people in the community know they still have access to medications. They don't have to travel far to get it.

GreaterHealth accepts most insurance plans and offers free delivery service. There is also an SSM Health Express Clinic available to treat patients.

GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness is located at 5503 Delmar Boulevard,
St. Louis, MO 63112. To transfer your prescription, call (314) 200-5313. For more information, email marcus@greaterhealthpharmacy.com.

The goal of the partnership is for the students to share musicianship, but in doing so, they're making history.

Foundation Executive Director Bill Taylor explained the longstanding connections between the cities. "When you come here, you're just immediately hit with the similarities with New Orleans.”

Havana is 670 miles across the Gulf of Mexico from the Crescent City and in some ways is very different. However, there is a shared musical history.

"So much of the music here and so much of the music and culture in New Orleans is informed by Africa through the Caribbean,” said Taylor.

To that end, a celebratory partnership of continuing that connection is being explored by the students of the Shorty Foundation, and Guillermo Tomas Conservatory has sprung up as a binational means of young musicians sharing their music.

According to the foundation's namesake, Troy Andrews, "The Mardi Gras Indian second line music that we play, we may accent the beat on a different beat but they have the salsa music, and if you take some of that out of there. They're like cousins you know, they're like cousins rhythmically."

The partnership has also included Cuban students coming to America. Some performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, along with the foundation.

The trip to Havana includes an instrument giveaway for some of the conservatory students, but it's not all studying tunes.

Many New Orleans musicians traveled, performed and shared with the students as well.

"I think the exchange is a perfect word because they're giving me something, I want to give them something and eventually we make something beautiful," said Grammy Award winner PJ Morton.

The annual exchange is called “Getting Funky in Havana,” produced by Cuba Educational Travel and supported by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation.

A five-day taste of all that the Carribbean's largest island has to offer, but centered around lifting the music and these young musicians.

Foundation student John Rhodes stated, "Although we may be in different parts of the world we still have similar musicians, similar sounds and similar knowledge in music.”

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The Freed Will Exhibit showcases the Randolph Freedpeople, highlighting their perseverance, hardship and determination. In 1846, the group of 383 newly emancipated people dealt with violence, obstacles and more before their journey to find a home of their own.

They eventually settled in the Miami Valley after traveling from West Virginia.

"It's a story that is really universal throughout, no matter where people have come from, here to the U.S, they have always had some type of struggle or some type of adversity," said Katie Indoe, Dayton Metro Library programming assistant.

The display, containing items, photos and more, is available now at the Dayton Metro Library Main Branch, and it does more than just tell the story of the Randolph Freedpeople. It also illustrates their legacy, as many have stayed in the Miami Valley and went on to play huge roles in various industries.

The exhibit details their journey from their emancipation to their settling in parts of Troy, Shelby County and Piqua. Items were collected to show what they had with them during their chase for total freedom in a world where some showed them violence.

"The artifacts and the pieces that are here really tell that personal story, when you can see the items and the things that they held, that were important to them," said Indoe.

From this group, their descendants went on to become politicians, musicians, and even serve their country.

Names such as Samuel Robert Johnson and James P. Humphrey are on display, showcasing their achievements. Their roots can still be found in the area.

"Their descendants are still living. People who are related to these people who were emancipated, they are still living, some of them are here in Ohio," Indoe explained. "Some of them are still here in the Miami Valley, some have even traveled and beyond and are throughout the world."

The exhibit shows a story of focus and determination to truly become free -- and organizers hope that those who come to read their story and see the items they held will see a connection to themselves in the Randolph Freedpeople.

"Looking and seeing the faces, and seeing the smiles and the places they went and the things that they owned, and the things that they made, it can really make a connection of 'that could be my grandmother, that can be my aunt, that could be my son or my daughter,'" Indoe said.

The Freed Will Exhibit will be on display until Feb. 29 at the Dayton Metro Library, located at 215 E. Third Street. It is free and open to the public.

To learn more about the exhibit, visit the Dayton Metro Library's website.

That’s when millions in the Jim Crow South decided uproot their lives, hoping to live the American Dream.

A few months after the Confederate army lost the Civil War, the 13th Amendment was signed, abolishing slavery in the United States.

But in the nearly 100 years between the signing of the 13th Amendment and the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, something happened that would go on to shape the nation.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, 90% of the African American population lived in the South, under conditions that can really only be described as oppressive.

Author Brett Gadsden teaches history at Northwestern University.

“Lynchings were fairly common occurrence,” he said. “Race riots were a fairly common occurrence. I think so common that we ought to kind of consider them a normal way of being in the Jim Crow South. … And African Americans are looking for a way to fight back. Looking for ways to participate in the democratic process to overturn this system as American citizens.”

As Ethan Michaeli, author of “The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America” points out, what would come to be known as The Great Migration started with great journalism.

“Publishing was a fraught enterprise for African Americans in the South, but people did it very courageously and often times risked their lives to publish information that they felt their readers needed to have,” he said. “There were a lot of publishers that had to flee after they published something and there were people who weren’t able to flee and were caught and were killed. … The Defender was unique for decades really, in exposing the horrors of Jim crow segregation in the South.”

Launched in 1905, by Robert S. Abbott, the Chicago Defender started as a weekly, at first, distributed by Pullman Porters, which gave the paper the same reach as the railways, making its way deep into the segregated South.

“African Americans were literally running for their lives,” Gadsden said. “What makes The Great Migration so important in the larger history of African Americans and the United States in general is the sheer enormity of the numbers.”

During the first wave of the great migration, between 1910 and 1940, it’s reported that nearly two million Blacks left the South.

“Aa when they migrated to these northern cities, they faced many new challenges and some challenges that look a lot like the ones there were forced to flee,” Gadsden said. “The problem of police violence seemed to follow African Americans wherever they went, housing segregation, school segregation … I don’t think they were under any delusions that this was in a literal sense a promised land.”

“African Americans yes, are coming to the North because there are jobs, there are jobs in the North, there are opportunities in the North that are not available in the South,” Michaeli said. “But to be frank, they’re coming at a time that there are jobs in the South as well. There are steel mills in Birmingham just like there are in Gary, Indiana. The difference is in the North there is the opportunity to vote and to organize and participate in the political process in a way that is not available in the South."

“I think it’s important to understand the emergence of these new concentrated, and in quantitative terms, pretty robust Black voting blocks,” Gadsden said. “We begin to see white elected officials begin to address the questions and concerns of their Black constituency, who can vote. And if Black voters didn’t have the option to vote for black representatives they certainly were positioned strategically to weigh in and determine the fate of one or another white candidate. … So much about aa and the ways they’ve resisted their conditions, the ways in which they’ve resisted racial subordination, and White Supremacy is about perfecting the union. … It reveals to us the ways in which African American history is national history.”

National Association of Black Journalists President Ken Lemon says the Black press is proud to continue pushing for justice for all.

“There’s always more work to do. Every now and then when I talk to people who have the opportunity to be in the media I say I am my ancestor’s wildest dreams. And then there’s always that caveat, but if our ancestors knew what we were capable of today, would they stop here?” Lemon said.  “Are we doing enough to say that we’ve stretched the bounds the way The Defender did? Are we doing enough to ensure that coverage duplicates what The Defender was doing at its station in time? So, the challenge never goes away.”

In all, it's believed that 7 million people moved from the South to the North between 1910 and 1970.

Half a million stayed in Chicago.

But what you can't put a number on is the sheer amount of lives he has changed along the way. Brandon Stone sat down with the longtime southeast San Diego resident to learn more about the journey that made the man.

Always charting the course is the mark of a coach -- but in Tracy McNair's world, so much more.

"Right now, I think more than anything else, [my role] is mentor, father, coach, teacher, athletic administrator, babysitter, car driver," McNair said. "I probably can't put it on a resume, but what you see is what you get."

"Sitting here in this classroom brings back memories of times when I didn't have that teacher," McNair continued. "There were times in class where the teacher told me, 'You won't make it to see 21.' But now I'm 52."

And still going strong running Morse High, the model of hard work was set long ago through family.

"Me being a young kid, not understanding all of the stuff that my grandma went through," McNair said. "She only had one hand that only had two fingers on it. When she was a minor, she was pushed into a fire as she was the maid of a family. And at that time, her fingers melted together. She'd tell us, through all she did with that one hand, that hard work pays off. Perseverance will always pay off."

He took that lesson first to Crawford High School, then back to the school he graduated from -- taking the baton from his legendary head coach, a five-time CIF champion.

"A lot of people want to say they want to go to the NFL. That was never my focus," McNair said. "My focus was I wanted to be just like [John Shacklett]. I wanted to be at Morse. I wanted to be a head coach. I wanted to be an athletic director. I wanted to affect kids' lives and affect change within my own community."

Stone asked McNair how much it changes the perspective to be able to learn from someone that looks like them and understands what they went through.

"I think the biggest attribute of all that is I went to Morse," McNair said. "I can see these families and these kids on a day-to-day basis walking through their own community. I know their parents. I know their grandparents."

A blessing paid back in full in 2018, when three old teammates -- David Dunn at Lincoln, Charles James at San Diego and Coach McNair -- made that same CIF history.

"One of the most wonderful things I've ever seen in my life is to have three Morse Tigers go to CIF at the same time. And then all of us win CIF," McNair said.

The Morse name continues to be strong to this day. When San Diego State University hired their new coach, Sean Lewis, he credited a Morse alum, Dino Babers, as a mentor to him as he was learning the college game. Lewis was an assistant to Babers at three different stops in the past decade.

"So what is my job as a coach? Get kids to degrees," McNair said. "Because 20 years from now, ain't nobody gonna care who won the CIF, except for us as adults. Those kids want to see those degrees. Those parents want to see those degrees."

According to the lead artist behind the line, the Black Excellence collection of shirts, hats, and jackets stands as a representation of what it means to be Black and excellent on and off the field.

Lead artist, Jonathan Carroll, spoke about his inspiration for the collection's red, black and green colors.

“Inspired by the Black flag, the African American flag, the Garvey version, but those are the colors we associate with being Black, but also inspired by Jerry Rice's alma matta Mississippi Valley State and how much Jerry Rice has contributed to the 49ers,” said Carroll.

The team says that the collection is meant to amplify Black art and represents the styles and culture of Black employees at the 49ers.

“Showing we can be authentic in our culture, and celebrate our culture, while also showing that there is space for all types of people in this organization,” explained Carroll.

Christina Jefferson is senior director of inclusion and culture at the 49ers and worked on the collection with Carroll. She says they’ll most likely be doing another limited edition, as the collection was a hit with fans and represents the 49ers organization well.

“We are an organization that really believes in creating inclusive lines that really speak authentically to each kind of community, but also speak to multiple communities at the same time,” said Jefferson. “With all the teams leaving Oakland, the Bay Area, the 49ers have really stepped in that vacuum and kind of embraced the Black and brown fans, that have been loyal to the 49ers.”

"Chabot couldn't be more excited for this relationship with Miles College and for the strong ties it will develop between our institutions," said Chabot president Jamal Cooks. "With Black History Month approaching, we are reminded of the unique experience that (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) provide in fostering a supportive environment where Black students can succeed."

Cooks also said he plans to expand Chabot's relationships with other HBCUs, possibly focusing on smaller schools that "might otherwise be overlooked."

People can learn more by visiting https://www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling/transfer-center/hbcu-transfer-agreement.php.

Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc.

"It’s family, she kind of created it and it’s kind of just been passed on. It's kind of something I want to keep in the family for years to come," Grays said.

The 40-year-old applied to open his first business featuring the banana-flavored delicacy in March 2020. But he ran into a problem.

"Due to COVID, right at the last moment, I had to change everything up with the health department. They were like, if you want to stay open and bring this product to the masses, you have to change it up," Grays said.

He switched to prepackaged puddings while working full-time selling desserts on the weekends to anyone with a sweet tooth.

"Barbershops, hair salons, grocery stores -- anywhere I can talk to somebody, I would try to get them to try the product," Grays said.

Grays saved more than $20,000 in the process before getting the greenlight to open his La Mesa location. Since then, business has been going well -- so well that Grays opened a second location in Long Beach in 2021.

Fun fact: Extraordinary Banana Pudding's kitchen is off-site, in Scripps Ranch. Grays wakes up early every morning, making all of the product by himself. He says his customers help keep him going.

"When you come in here and you get the smiles and the customers, it’s everything. I tell customers that all the time," Grays said. "When my days are tough, and I see you guys and you guys come in here and you sample, and you tell me how great the product is, that changes my whole energy for the day."

"Definitely a hidden gem, man. More people need to know about this place. Once you taste it -- no disrespect to your moms, but it’s better than your moms," said Herman Bennett, Serra Mesa resident.

“It’s really like a taste where anyone in any type of culture, any ethnic group that would go, hey grandma, grandpa, can you make this dessert for me? This is where you got to get that little taste from home, right here,” said Andy Xaysittiphone, La Mesa resident.

The 2021 small business of the year award winner isn’t done. In February, he will open a third location in Temecula.

“I want to be able to let people try my products in a different area. Hopefully, they love it,” Grays said.

After four years as a Black business owner juggling three different shops, Grays sends this message to his customers:

“Thank you for supporting me, thank you for being here, and I hope you continue to support and try all of our new products," Grays said.