SPEAK UP! The Editorial Collection Part 1 “Anticipate the good so that you may carry it off.” ~ South African Proverb 1 SPEAK UP! The Editorial Collection The first issue of Speak Up opened with an introduction and an abstract of the different sections of the newsletter. In later years, other sections were added like the Back to Black History & Culture, Ajamu & Mwamba’s Myths & Facts, the Youth News and the back page Photo Gallery. MAY 2001 Brothers United Who Dare to Care, Inc. presents this newsletter, “SPEAK UP” , in an effort to inform, educate and inspire the people of this community. Encouraged by an article in the March 2001 newsletter, “THE WRITTEN WORD” (Washington DC area), Oronde Miller wrote “There is currently a need for more strong African publications that can galvanize the attention of and mobilize the greater African community. This is our challenge today” . Brothers United Who Dare to Care, Inc., has accepted that challenge and we are providing this medium as an instrument to share information and ideas. The newsletter will feature several sections to help draw and encourage contribution by all: WORD ON THE STREET , this section will be dedicated to passing along information as to what is going on in the Jonathan Street area and our community as a whole. Listed may be notification of employment opportunities, home owner opportunities, and what our readers know of what is going on in our community that can benefit or effect us all. POWER TO THE PEOPLE , This section will be dedicated to articles about training, self-help programs and any other information that can possibly increase the reader’s potential. SPEAK UP , this section dedicated solely for feedback, if you have something to say, SPEAK UP ! 2 SPEAK UP! The Editorial Collection Gregory McCampbell, former Vice-President of by Brothers United Who Dare To Care submitted the “Living History” artricle as an open letter to the draw support for a media project that could help preserve the black history of Washington County Maryland. McCampbell has a background in television news and once served as a news anchor for the Hagerstown T.V. news station WHAG and he later received the Paul Roberson Award for his short film “Beauty Queen”. Living History (submitted by Gregory McCampbell) Brother’s United is embarking upon a series of projects that will provide a “Living History” of African-Americans past and present in Washington County and the Tri-State areas through the Visual Arts medium. Western Maryland and her sister States were very influential and essential in the historical development of the United States. African-Americans and Abolitionists both in our region also played a key role in this country’s development. As you may already know, the “Underground Railroad” for slaves made its way through Western Maryland. This information is documented in our county’s periodicals and also in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. We wish to provide our youth and community with a sense of self-esteem and awareness of this history. In order for us to do this, and in the light of today’s new and inexpensive technology, we are requesting funding for a small package of “state of the art” Digital Video Photography and Editing equipment. By obtaining this equipment we will be able to accomplish several important goals for our youth and community. Before I started writing a designated editorial column, the Speak Up section of the newsletter was a series of notes and messages, sent in from our readers, like the ones below. 3 SPEAK UP! The Editorial Collection May 2001 is AFRICAN LIBERATION MONTH, See attached calendar citing THE BLACK FACTS including: Malcolm X, Man of the people and Freedom fighter, born May 19 th 1925. Submitted by Mwamba Raheem “We need more stuff for teenagers to do”! Submitted by Mary Spencer JUNE 2001 This was the first article I wrote about blacks being involved in local politics. How wrong I was thinking it would take money or voting by district to get a black elected to office in the Hagerstown area. I want to believe that public chastisement from people like Rev. LJ Guillory and the editorials I had written later helped change public perception of black candidates as well as helping the social maturity of the Hagerstown’s citizens The City of Hagerstown elections are over and a Democrat majority is in office to run the city. Councilman Wally McClure once suggested the citizens of Hagerstown seriously consider electing the city’s first black representative. Even the Herald Mail’s Bob Maginnis mentioned in his editorial column that Brothers United Who Dare To Care should persuade a member of the black community to run for public office. I believe a black candidate could only stand a fair chance of being elected, in Hagerstown, if the city voted by district instead of at large. A black representative may get elected in this city in an at large election, if large money was in the campaign. JULY 2001 I wrote the following message to the Jonathan Street community. I was encouraged to write it after reading a letter in the Herald Mail newspaper from Linn Hendershot (former Hagerstown City Councilman) who wrote that a name change for Jonathan Street may increase pride for the black neighborhood. 4 SPEAK UP! The Editorial Collection Jonathan Street name change Should the section of Jonathan Street, between Church Street and Charles Street, be changed to a name that could give a more positive reflection of the residents who live there? Councilman Hendershot hinted on the Jonathan Street name change during his campaign. Would a street name change make a difference or maybe advance community pride? Possibly, who knows? Africa Avenue sounds good to me. Call 301 393-9290 to SPEAK UP with your remarks. AUGUST 2001 The suggestion to change the name of Jonathan Street to increase cultural pride backfired. I was amazed at the number of blacks that did not want the street named “Africa Avenue”. Some blacks said they were insulted because they are not from Africa. I wonder if Dr. Maulana Karenga, who founded Kwanzaa, had such opposition encouraging African heritage. The only person that had a valid argument not to change the name of the street was Bill the Mailman. Bill said changing street names and numbers created a logistical nightmare for postal delivery. The blacks that complained I believe did so out of racial shame and the “Willie Lynch Syndrome”. Africa Avenue by Andy Smith One would never had thought that suggesting the name “Africa Avenue” for the Jonathan Street name change would have sparked the response it received from a “few” of our readers. Africa Avenue was suggested by the editor because of its uniqueness as a name possessing the potential to stimulated ethnic pride within a neighborhood that predominantly has ancestry ties to Africa. Apparently some of us in the Jonathan Street area are upset with our heritage. This newsletter is a platform for positive influence and not to promote division, segregation or separatism. We hope our readers will become positive participating factors in the greater community of our city and not be inflicted with self-hate or take to racial shame. Most other nationalities proudly display their ancestry heritage 5 SPEAK UP! The Editorial Collection with pride and value, not outrage at the mention of it. James Brown sang in a song “Say it loud I’m Black and I’m Proud. I don’t hear those words even whispered anymore, let alone sang openly. Hey, no one even dares to hum a bar of “We shall overcome”. People get up off your knees, the light is on, move forward with your head up! It is okay to be black. At least, I believe it is okay for me to be black. Oh, did I say something wrong? I do not believe anyone owes me anything because of the color I am. I do not accept that I am restricted because of my color. I am not a Black Activist. I am an Activist that happens to be black. Top 10 Jonathan Street name change suggestions from our readers: 1. I recommend Heritage Boulevard or Kwanzaa Street… 2. I think it should be named after Cpl. Wilson, Hagerstown’s Medal of Honor winner; also they should rename Wheaton Park after Mr. Step Washington… 3. Please not Martin Luther King… 4. What about Malcolm X… 5. I don’t think Africa Avenue is a black thing, we don’t need that… 6. Africa Avenue would be another way for them to segregate us… 7. Don’t name it Africa Avenue… 8. Who said name it Africa Avenue… 9. I don’t care, does it matter what it’s named after, it’s just a name… 10. Why are they changing the name anyway? SEPTEMBER 2001 I wrote the Hot Spot article as a knee jerk reaction to the complaints that was coming my way about the Hot Spot Community Initiatives project in Hagerstown and its director Carolyn Brooks. I used the word “unleash” in the article to be provocative. I later apologized to Carolyn dealing with the situation in that manner. I personally had no issue with her or the program, which is a State initiative to help reduce crime and offer community involvement. 6 SPEAK UP! The Editorial Collection The Hot Spots Program Pt. 1 What do you know about the Hot Spots program and how it affects the Jonathan Street neighborhood? What do you know and how do you feel about Carolyn Brooks as the coordinator? Do you know where and how Hot Spot Funding is used in the Jonathan Street neighborhood? Anyone, feel free to respond to these questions, before I unleash my findings.