The Big Isms

More enslaved Africans came to the Americas through this port than anywhere else. Why have so few heard of it? Terrence McCoy, January 17, 2022, The Washington Post   RIO DE JANEIRO — When tour guide Pedro Andres arrived at the site historians call the most important physical evidence of the arrival of enslaved Africans to the Americas, the scene he found was familiar. The Valongo Wharf was empty. Addressing a family of Paraguayan tourists, Andres described its historical significance. At the height of the transatlantic slave trade, nearly 1 million enslaved Africans arrived on its cobblestones, more than landed anywhere else, and twice as many as were trafficked to all of the United States . UNESCO has called the wharf, discovered in 2011 during an urban renovation project, a “unique and exceptional” place that “carries enormous historical as well as spiritual importance to African Americans.” But Andres, who brings tourists to the wharf of his own volition and not

Anti-Racism Daily unpacks "cancel culture" —from its overhyped power to its real impact (or lack thereof) on systemic injustices. "Some people have lost their jobs after being canceled. Police chiefs, prison wardens, or Fortune 500 CEOs have not been among their ranks." What is Cancel Culture?   The critique of “cancel culture” usually goes something like this:  Today, online mobs descend upon people for perceived political incorrectness, wrecking their careers, reputations, and lives ( Forbes ). The threat of cancellation forces us all into paranoid self-censorship and ideological conformity.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Cancel culture is described as an omnipresent form of social control. Cancellation generally amounts to a boycott or pressure campaign. The results are far from assured. Individuals should be accountable for bigotry, but we also need to focus on powerful institutions.   READ MORE The Mathematics of Cancel Culture ( Wired ) "Cancel culture&quo

  Rice wins NEH grant to create digital database of Atlantic slave trade Katharine Shilcutt, January 12, 2022, Rice University News and Media Relations A Rice history professor’s work to create a digital database of the Atlantic slave trade has won a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Associate professor of history Daniel Domingues has been awarded $149,995 for his project with Lancaster University to develop the Digital Archive of the Atlantic Slave Trades. He’s one of 208 winners of $24.7 million in NEH grants this year. This open-access resource will digitize, transcribe, translate and link manuscript materials documenting the South Sea Company and its contribution to the trans-Atlantic and intra-American slave trades. The NEH award will also allow all of this vital data to be linked to  S laveVoyages , the world’s largest repository of data on the slave trade, which is housed at Rice and overseen by Domingues. continue  

  Colleges and universities across the U.S. have been taking a hard look at their ties to slavery. This isn’t an entirely new phenomenon. Back in 2006, Brown University published a report showing that the university – from its construction to its endowment – participated in and benefited from the slave trade and slavery . And since then, several other colleges and universities have disclosed their ties to the use of slave labor. For instance, Johns Hopkins University – whose namesake and founder has historically been portrayed as an abolitionist – reported in December 2020 that its founder actually employed four enslaved individuals in his Baltimore household . At the University of Mississippi, a slavery research group has found that at least 11 enslaved people labored on the campus . At Georgetown University, officials disclosed in 2016 that one of its presidents – Thomas Mulledy – sold 272 enslaved men, wo

Sugar was a prestige item , signaling wealth and refinement. Many Americans consume sugar and perhaps molasses – a byproduct from refining the sweet stuff – when they eat beans. Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Ethical US consumers struggled to pressure the sugar industry to abandon slavery with less success than their British counterparts Calvin Schermerhorn, January 12, 2022, The Conversation Twenty-two-year-old Sam Watts saw the Virginia coastline vanish while he was aboard a domestic slave ship in the fall of 1831. Andrew Jackson was president, and slave traders had bought Watts for US$450 (about $14,500 in 2022 dollars). They were ripping him from multiple generations of his loved ones for a voyage of no return. After the ship docked at New Orleans three weeks later, Edmond J. Forstall, a banker and entrepreneur, purchased Watts for $950. His new owner put Watts to work maki

Sidney Poitier, Who Paved the Way for Black Actors in Film, Dies at 94 William Grimes, January 7, 2022, The New York Times Sidney Poitier, whose portrayal of resolute heroes in films like “To Sir With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” established him as Hollywood’s first Black matinee idol and helped open the door for Black actors in the film industry, died on Thursday night at his home in Los Angeles. He was 94. His death was confirmed by Eugene Torchon-Newry, acting director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Bahamas, where Mr. Poitier grew up. No cause was given. Mr. Poitier, whose Academy Award for the 1963 film “Lilies of the Field” made him the first Black performer to win in the best-actor category, rose to prominence when the civil rights movement was beginning to make headway in the United States. His roles tended to reflect the peaceful integrationist goals of the struggle. continue   Trump has birthe

  The Schomburg Center 's 10th Annual Black Comic Book Festival Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10030 January 13—15, 2022 The 2022 Black Comic Book Festival marks a decade of bringing together animators, Blerds, bloggers, cosplay lovers, fans, families, illustrators, independent publishers, and writers to celebrate Black comic books and graphic novels and provides a platform to get the works directly to readers. This annual event features panel discussions, workshops, cosplay showcases, and highlights the work of creators from across the country. The 10th annual festival from January 13—15, 2022, will include a mix of in-person and virtual events. Keep checking our  Eventbrite  page for updates as we add more events.

Tracing the Origins of a Black American New Year’s Ritual Kayla Stewart, December 24, 2021, The New York Times On New Year’s Day, Black American families around the country will sit down to eat a variation on green vegetables and cowpeas, joining in an enduring tradition meant to usher in opportunity in the year ahead. “I don’t let a New Year’s Day go by without having some form of greens, pork and black-eyed peas,” the food historian Jessica B. Harris said. The choice of greens, usually cooked with pork for flavor, comes from the perception among Black Americans that folded collard greens look like paper money, said Adrian Miller, an author and food scholar. Eating greens on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is believed to bring about greater financial prosperity. The peas promise good luck, health and abundance. continue   Dutch scholar claims to have found date slavery started in New Amsterdam Lincoln Anderson, December 31, 2021, The Village Sun It’s a