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I ì b k i a r y 12, 1997 « T he P orti
and
O bserver
BLACK HISTORY
^ a r t l a n ù (©baerlier
R a is e th e tr u th
“Put truth in the suffrage
statue!“ -Black Women Cry!
That’s the battlecry o f the Na
tional PoliticalCongressofBlack
Women, Inc. (NPCBW ) as it gets
set to wage all-out combat, if
necessary, to have the unlettered
but feisty Black 19th century ex
slave, Sojourner Truth, placed
on a statue pantheon with three
white suffragettes scheduled to
be ensconced in the Capitol Ro
tunda niche o f honor.
Designated to lead the fight is
an em inent sc h o la r, Jan ette
Hoston Harris, Ph D. In a highly
engrossing strategy meeting of
Black women earlier this week
at the Rayburn Building on Capi
tol Hill, Dr Harris was named
Chair o f NPCBW ’s Sojourner
Truth Statue Committee, by C.
DeLores Tucker, NPCBW Na
tional C hair and C onvening
Founder.
Dr. Harris is a noted historian
who has taught and published in
the field o f African-American
history for thirty years. She now
teaches at the University of the
District of Columbia and is a
past National President o f the
Association for the Study of Afro-
American Life and History. She
is the first African-A m erican
female to head the 82-year-old
historical organization founded
by the eminent scholar Carter G.
Woodson. Best known for the
Black History Week, which has
grown into Black History Month,
he is the author o f the landmark
book The Mis-Education o f the
Negro.
That issue is a national cam
paign to “ Raise The Women Suf
frage Statute" that contains three
white women--Susan B Anthony,
Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady
Stanton—from a dusty crypt in the
basement o f the Capitol Rotunda,
where it has languished for 75
years, to a place o f honor in Capi
tol Rotunda.
Dr. Tucker and the NPCBW
Sojourner Truth Committee insist
that the original statue has been
disfigured, and many believe that
both Sojourner Truth and the origi
nal inscription were removed from
the statue. They want Ms. Truth
restored to that niche o f honor
before the statue is placed in the
Rotunda
The women have also communi
cated with the leaders of the Raise
The Woman Suffrage Statue Cam
paign Committee—Mrs. Wilhemina
Cole Holladay, President of the Na
tional Museum of Women in the
Arts, Ms. Karen Staser, President of
the National Museum o f Mr. Joseph
H ardinan, P resident o f the
NASDAQ Stock Market, all of
Washington, DC. In a letter to Dr.
Tucker, Ms. Staser admitted that
African-American women are no
longer invisible, nor should their
contributions be kept out of sight.
She also reminded Dr. Tucker that
the women honored on the statue
were supported by Black men such
as Frederick Douglas. Most impor
tantly, she shared her belief, "We
believe that, today, most Americans
would agreewith youthat Sojourner
Truth belongs on the statute.”
Sojourner Truth played a key
role in the suffrage movement.
She changed her name after hav
ing a religious experience which
led her to believe she was to do
G od’s work here on earth So
journer Truth means “ itinerant
preacher". She achieved freedom,
and campaigned in 1868 presi
dential election o f Ulysses S.
Grant. She demanded her name
be placed on the list of voters, but
her request was denied. In 1872
she was back again attempting to
vote in a presidential election,
but was again turned away.
Her most moving and memo
rable speech was made in 1851 at
a women’s rights conference in
Akron, Ohio. In her famous “Ain't
I A Woman" speech she publicly
responded to argum ents that
women should be denied equal
rights on the basis that Jesus Christ
was a man. T his was one of many
topics that many more-prominent
white suffragists lacked the cour
age to speak out on and address.
A five-member statue commit
tee to be appointed by Congress
will determ ine the site o f the
statute's permanent placement
after it has completed its one-
year display. Both Dr. T ucker an
Dr. Harris insist that one 6 f the
committee members be African
American.
As to Sojourner Truth’s place
in the present statue, they both
declared that “ She was a pioneer
in the fight for equal rights for
women, just as the White women
we were! Therefore, she should
be honored on the statute with
the three White women.”
NPCBW invites everyone to
join this campaign. For further
inform ation, p lea se call
NPCBW offers at (202) 338-
0800 or write to us at this ad
dress: Sojourner Truth Commit
tee, NPCBW, 600 New Hamp
shire Avenue, N. W., Suite /125,
Washington, D.C. 20037.
Captain
Micheál
Healy
1839 -1 9 0 4
Michael Healy was the fifth son of
an Irish immigrant who had become
a Georgia plantation owner.
His mother was a slave. Georgia
law determined the status of the
Healy children to be black, thereby
severely restricting their access to
educational and cultural opportuni
ties.
All were sent north, where they
received excellent educations and
went on to very productive lives.
One of his brothers became a Presi
dent of Georgetown University in
Washington.
Healy served on various merchant
sailing vessels and worked his way
through the ranks to officer status.
He accepted a commission in the
Revenue Marine Service and after
20 years of distinguished service,
mainly in Arctic waters, he was pro
moted to captain.
He then commanded the RC Bear
and, during the next nine years,
established a legacy of seamanship
excellence and compassion for na
tive Alaskans - that endures to this
day.
Although removed from com
mand as a result of several drinking
episodes, he ultimately pulled his
life together and was restored to
duty. He was given command of the
RC M cCulloch and com pleted
Alaska Patrols in 1902 and 1903. He
was mandatorily retired in 1904 and
died shortly thereafter.
The Coast Guard’s newest ice
breaker is named after the Coast
Guard’s greatest and most famous
Arctic sailor.
Captain Healy (front row, second from left).
LIVING
LARGE You have it made in the U.S.
Coast Guard. 20 careers to choose from,
including saving lives, law enforcement and
environmental protection. Competitive
salary. 30-days’ paid vacation. Free housing
& meals, medical & dental care and travel.
Earn college credits. Eligibility for G.I. Bill.
For more information, call 1 800GETUSCG
or visit us at
i/.Ä
C oast G uard
B e P» k t
T hc K orcan A merican A ssociation
of
O
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A ction
regon
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A ppreciate Y our B usiness
and
S upport
T hank Y ou
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