www.mississippilink.com Vol. 20, No. 17 February 13 - 19, 2014 50¢ African American Mississippians’ many ‘firsts’ impact history Mississippian Hiram Rhodes Revels (R-MS) was first African American U.S. Senator (seated left), here shown with first black Representatives Rep. Ben- Autobiography of John R. Lynch Autobiography of Charles Evers Autobiography of Unita Blackwell jamin S. Turner (R-AL), Robert DeLarge (R-SC), Josiah Walls (R-FL), Jefferson Long (R-GA), Joseph Rainey and Robert B. Elliott (R-SC). 1st U.S. black Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels, 1st Mississippi black State Senator John Roy Lynch, 1st black Mayor Charles Evers, 1st black female Mayor Unita Blackwell By Ayesha K. Mustafaa they have escaped recent memory. ward Brooke and Barack Obama, sissippi. He was appointed to the ter’s children. He escaped slavery, were born to free parents. This Editor Yet these persons laid the foun- and the most recent Corey Booker U.S. Congress by Mississippi Re- went north and developed a career group of congressmen served dur- Who was the first ever black dations African Americans (and of New Jersey. publican state senators. in politics and education. ing the period 1869 to 1872 in the U.S. senator; where was he from? Americans in general) stand on Revels was born of free parents Also from Mississippi and the Other African Americans serv- 41st and 42nd Congress. Who was the first ever black Mis- today. in North Carolina in 1827, attend- second African American to serve ing in the U.S. Congress’ House Other blacks to serve in the U.S. sissippian to be state senator and On Feb 25, 1870, Hiram ed Knox College in Illinois and in the U.S. Senate was Blanche K. of Representatives during Recon- Senate were Brooke elected from then the first ever black Mississip- Rhodes Revels (R-MS ), an Afri- later served as minister of the Af- Bruce (R-MS) ), in 1875-1881, struction were: Benjamin S. Turn- Massachusetts, Carol Moseley pian elected to the U.S. Senate? can American and Mississippian rican Methodist Episcopal Church and the first to serve a full six-year er (R-AL), Jefferson M. Long (R- Braun elected from Illinois (the Who was the first black mayor was the first black man to serve in in Baltimore, Md. term. Bruce was born into slavery GA), Robert C. De Large (R- SC), of a Mississippi town? The first the U.S. Senate (1870-1871) and He raised two black regiments in 184l and spent his childhood in and Joseph H. Rainey (R-SC) - all ever black female mayor of a Mis- in all of Congress - long before the during the Civil War and fought Virginia where he was educated former slaves; Josiah T. Walls (R- Mississippians Continued on page 5 sissippi town? So many ‘first,’ that most popular named Senators Ed- at the battle of Vicksburg in Mis- by the tutor hired to teach his mas- FL) and R. Brown Elliot (R-SC) African American History Month message at New Hope: The new face of HIV/AIDS in the African American community By Ayesha K. Mustafaa meet Rev. Al Sharpton ‘regroup, Editor and take another look The Mississippi forum held at Tougaloo as “a good in a town hall setting at Tou- school to come to.” rededicate, galoo College was presented Jasmine Davis, a as part of AIDS Healthcare freshman and politi- Foundation’s (AHF) new ini- cal science and phys- tiative themed “AIDS is a Civil ics major at Tougaloo, recommit’ Rights Issue.” was assisting with the By Stephanie R. Jones The public awareness cam- crowd in the Center Contributing Writer paign was held on National that was filled to ca- New Hope Baptist Church Black HIV/AIDS Awareness pacity with others sent was awash in vibrant colors of Day, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, at 6 to rooms set up for the African cloth Thursday, Feb. p.m. in the Bennie G. Thomp- overflow. “This is a 6, 2014 as the church began son Center at Tougaloo Col- media event and Rev. its month-long celebration of lege and also a part of Afri- Al Sharpton is here to Hydeia as a child Hydeia at age 29 Black History Month. Those on can-American History Month speak to us. That’s why the program were asked to wear programming. the crowd is here,” Da- African styled attire. And State Members of the Kappa Al- vis said. Sen. Sollie Norwood topped the phi Psi Junior League lined the She did not know much lineup of Thursday night speak- back rows in the center, among about HIV/AIDS, saying, “I ers. them high school students Mi- just don’t want to get it!” She Norwood, who was elected chael Beatty and Eric White, said it is best to be armed with to the Senate in 2013, drew on both of Murrah High School. knowledge. Davis plans to be- the lessons learned from some The junior league members come a judge and then run for of his favorite historical figures came from Murrah, Jim Hill, a seat in Congress. - Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar State Sen. Sollie Norwood Caraway and Forest Hill high Sharpton was introduced Wiley Evers, and Malcolm X, speaks during a Black History schools. They also have junior by Mayor Chokwe Lumum- all of whom fought for civil Month program at New Hope members at Wingfield High ba. “Let me first say before rights and justice. Baptist Church. PHOTOS BY School who didn’t make the anything else that the city of He said Hamer’s contribu- STEPHANIE JONES trip to Tougaloo. tions were monumental, adding, Beatty and White acknowl- HIV/AIDS “None of us would be where we Regroup edged that they knew very little Tougaloo President Beverly Hogan welcomes Al Sharpton as master of Continued on page 2 Continued on page 7 are today except that she fought about HIV/AIDS but came to ceremony Othor Cain looks on. PHOTO BY J. JOHNSON Not enough President Obama Seven Share this issue with a friend blacks staying in signs farm bill Mississippi by mailing it to: HIV treatment legends in Inside programs Black History Page 14 Page 6 Page 4 2 • the mississippi link February 13 - 19, 2014 www.mississippilink.com regroup Continued from page 1 President Barack Obama issues National African American History Month Proclamation The Mississippi Link Newswire President Obama: Ameri- cans have long celebrated our nation as a beacon of lib- New Hope Black History Month panel: From left Deacon Obadiah Myles, Robert Patterson, Atty. Brenda J. erty and opportunity - home Patterson, Flonzie Brown Wright, (behind her Sollie Norwood), State Sen. Hillman Frazier, Dr. Gretta Terry to patriots who threw off an and Ashley Norwood empire, refuge to multitudes who fled oppression and de- for us.” But as Hamer was “sick ferent weapons. “We spair. and tired of being sick and tired,” don’t have to take Yet we must also remember Norwood said we need to be sick things to extremes of that while many came to our and tired for other reasons. ‘any means neces- shores to pursue their own “Now we have to say we’re sary,’” he said. “We measure of freedom, hun- sick and tired of our black boys know that within the dreds of thousands arrived and girls dropping out of school, confines of law and in chains. Through centuries sick and tired of black-on-black order, within the con- of struggle, and through the crime…,” Norwood said. fines of justice, we toil of generations, African Norwood focused especially on can get some things Americans have claimed efforts that secured and increased done.” rights long denied. voting and education rights for Norwood encour- During National African African Americans, also stating aged the audience to American History Month, we that voter rights are still under at- regroup, rededicate honor the men and women tack, especially in Mississippi. and recommit to mak- at the heart of this journey - Another reason to be “sick and ing sure such rights from engineers of the Under- tired,” Norwood explained was are preserved and be- ground Railroad to educators the push for charter schools, that ing of service to others who answered a free people’s are chipping away at the public over self. call for a free mind, from pa- education system that was built Paraphrasing abo- triots who proved that valor over the past 60 years. He said litionist Harriet Tub- Obama Sollie Norwood Jr. and mother Joan Norwood knows no color to demon- now one school at a time is a tar- man, he said “… more strators who gathered on the trial and suffering. thority vested in me by the get, instead of taking all in one of us could be free if battlefields of justice and Every American can draw Constitution and the laws of swoop. we only knew we are sissippi and was the first black marched our nation toward a strength from the story of the United States, do hereby Norwood said the same is hap- still enslaved.” man overall elected to the U.S. brighter day. hard-won progress, which proclaim February 2014 as pening with voter rights, with He added, “Just because we Congress during Reconstruction. As we pay tribute to the he- not only defines the African- National African American overturning the provision in the drive nice cars, live in nice He also recognized the modern roes, sung and unsung of Af- American experience but History Month. Voting Rights Act that now al- homes, have educations and de- day efforts of the late State Sen.