January 27, 2010
On Tuesday, February 9th (10:30am), Congressman Robert Smalls will be posthumously inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. It is free and open to the public. His portrait will hang in the gallery in the convention center lobby where the S.C. Hall of Fame is located.
The Confederation of S.C. Local Historical Societies selected Congressman Smalls for this honor. For the first time, the public was also allowed to place nominations.
Tags: Civil War, Congressman, Famous people, Hall of Fame, Robert smalls, South Carolina
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January 5, 2010
Michel Martin talks abt Eunice Johnson, Ebony Magazine
From NPR: Ebony Fashion Fair Producer and Director Eunice W. Johnson died this past weekend. She was 93. Johnson, the widow of Johnson Publishing Company founder John H. Johnson, gave Ebony magazine its name. She was also the driving force behind the creation of the Fashion Fair makeup line, one of the first makeup lines for women of color. Host Michel Martin speaks with Washington Post Fashion Editor Robin Givhan for more on Johnson’s legacy
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November 11, 2009
Support your local libraries - they provide excellent resources for you and your neighbors. If they don’t hear from you through your local representatives, they will close.
Reading is fundamental - DC Public Library
Image from Flickr
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April 17, 2009
Today is the opening of the 5th Summit on the Americas in Port of Spain Trinidad from April 17 - 19, 2009. The Country is a buzz to welcome President Obama. But more importantly, hemispheric cooperation and respect have risen. I suspect the Summit will restore a unified view of the Americas not just the US and those other countries and islands. The major focus of this Summit will be on human prosperity, energy security, climate change and sustainable development.
The Summit is organized by the Organization of American States. Thirty-four nations in the western hemisphere will attend. Trinidad and Tobago has been planing for the arrival of the heads of states, observers, families and visitors for over a year. Security details, aircraft arrivals and downtown traffic concerns are the talk of the local news. Even the US State Dept is hosting a digital town hall and hoping for significant online participation. At the very least, the import and export ratio for change is on the rise.
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April 11, 2009
From DC Office of the Secretary Emancipation Statue - DC

Emancipation Statue in DC
The enslaved people in Washington, DC were freed nine months before President Abraham Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation, telegraphing the eventual end of slavery to the rest of the nation. On April 16 1862, President Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act, For the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia, making DC residents the “First Freed” by the federal government.
Emancipation Day celebrations were held annually from 1866 (pictured at right) through 1901, and resumed in 2002. In 2005 Emancipation Day was made an official public holiday in the District of Columbia. Each year, a series of educational and commemorative activities is held during the week prior to the holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in Washington, DC.
Calendar of Events
April 12, 2009
Concert: Marian Anderson Tribute. Denyce Graves, Sweet Honey in the Rock, the Washington National Opera, and the Chicago Children’s Choir commemorate the 70th anniversary of Marian Anderson’s historic performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
April 16 - 18
Conference: Emancipation and Race in the Age of Lincoln. A national conference exploring the domestic and international dimensions of emancipation. Each day will feature panel discussions and an evening performance.
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