History Shows Us

"The progress is healing the wound that the blow made. And they haven’t even begun to pull the knife out, much less heal the wound. They won’t even admit the knife is there." - Malcolm X

Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925. In this episode Lettie shares a few facts about him, she talks about a newspaper he started in 1960, and Lettie reads a few quotes you need to hear and remember because they are still just as applicable in 2023. Happy birthday to one of the most brilliant and influential revolutionary leaders in history!

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Yes, an essay written 130 years ago—by a Black woman who was a crusader for justice—is still relevant today as we read and hear about what happened to Jordan Neely on a train in New York earlier this week.

In this episode, Lettie reads excerpts from "Lynch Law" (1893) by Ida B. Wells and shows vital connections to not only the killing and lynching of Jordan Neely, but also to the racist systems and institutions in the U.S. as a whole. History always shows us!

It has been a month and a half sine I dropped a podcast episode, but I'm back! On this episode I answer some questions I received last month and they happen to be perfect for this comeback after my hiatus. A few of these questions allowed me to reflect on this year and I hope it resonates with and encourages you all!

The civil rights movement is decorated with well-known names, but one that isn’t heard and known enough is Gloria Richardson’s. As a pioneer of the civil rights movement in Cambridge, Maryland and leader of the Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee (CNAC), Richardson was a force and unapologetically fought for human rights in the Black freedom struggle.

Gloria Richardson passed away on July 15, 2021 and I’m grateful for her incredible legacy. There is a famous picture of her pushing a bayonet, held by a National Guardsman, out of her way as she protests in Cambridge. Her “who do you think you are??” face says it all and it’s one of my favorite photos!

In this episode, I provide some historical context about Cambridge, Maryland in the 19th and 20th centuries, and discuss Gloria Richardson, CNAC, connections to other civil rights groups, and the contribution to the larger civil rights narrative.

Understanding systemic racism also requires knowledge about the weaponization of whiteness and how it continuously functions. In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Kina Reed and we dive into this, anti-Blackness, the lies surrounding history and whiteness, Kina's perspective on trauma and how it affects humanity, and more. 

Kina Reed is a DEI consultant and facilitator, researcher, learning strategist, community advocate, and someone who is committed to moving us all closer to the goal line of shared humanity. I met Kina through Instagram early last year and I'm so glad I did. Her spirit, ability to be unapologetically herself, and passion for racial justice is obvious!

Juneteenth is now a federal holiday and, well, I have many thoughts that of course dive into history's context. The U.S. has continuously had an idea of progress that aligns with the same racist system that is at the core of its foundation. This holiday is coming at a time when people are arguing against Critical Race Theory, there is more legislation that needs to be passed for Black lives (like the anti-lynching bill, legislation that would protect Black voters, etc.), reparations are still being argued against, and more. So, what does this holiday mean?

In this episode I talk with my friend Tasha Hunter about the intersections of trauma, race, history, what our bodies hold onto, and Tasha's personal journey which led her to become a licensed clinical social worker. 

Tasha Hunter specializes in the treatment of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress, and works to eradicate the stigma of mental health through her private practice. Tasha is also the author of What Children Remember (which she discusses in this episode) and the host of her podcast When We Speak. Not only is she a close friend who I am beyond grateful to have in my life, but she is someone with a story that shows an enormous amount of bravery and she has a passion to help others see just how brave they are, too.

The title of this episode is just a fraction of what me and my friend Patricia Taylor discuss in this podcast episode! Patricia and I met through Instagram last year and I immediately noticed that not only was she a Black woman who spoke up about racism and injustice, but she did it while showing the truth about righteousness and what it means to truly embody a spirit of truth and justice. She is also co-host of the Upside Down Podcast and is heavily involved with Be the Bridge.

Righteous anger, centering Blackness, what progress really means, and the weaponization of spirituality are just a few things we talk about. Patricia is truly a light and I can't wait for you to learn more about how she is impacting the hearts and minds of many!

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On this episode I am joined by Marcie Alvis-Walker, an incredible writer and the creator of both Black Coffee with White Friends and Mockingbird History Lessons. I love what Marcie had to say about writing as a Black woman, her experiences navigating white spaces, humanizing Blackness through history and storytelling, and the reasons behind the names of both of her social media platforms.

When you think about the civil rights movement and angry white responses, there are probably certain images that come to mind. In this episode I will be going through a brief history of white backlash against Black progress, starting with the Reconstruction era. Last week, the Derek Chauvin trial verdict was read and though there were many Black people who were relieved (and many of us who had mixed emotions), there were even more people who were enraged about Chauvin being convicted because he is "one of their own." This history context is important and I get into it in this episode!

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In this episode I talk with Frederick Joseph, author of the New York Times best-selling book The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person, and upcoming Patriarchy Blues and Better Than We Found It (2022). I started following Frederick on social media a couple of years ago and connected with him on Instagram last year. He is an unapologetic force this world needs.

Frederick Joseph is an activist, philanthropist, and was named to the 2019 Forbes Under 30 list for marketing and advertising. He is the sole creator of the largest GoFundMe campaign in history, the #BlackPantherChallenge, the creator of the largest individual Covid-19 support effort, the #RentRelief campaign, and Frederick consistently writes about marketing, culture, and politics for various outlets. 

Dismantling the racist and oppressive systems that uphold white supremacy and cause direct harm to Black and brown people are priorities for Frederick, and this is evident in the incredible work he does. In this episode we discuss these systemic issues, patriarchy, cultivating healing in the Black community, accountability, and much more. 

"Black people, we are legitimately a miracle. On a daily basis, our existence in this stifling, oppressive system, is a miracle." - Frederick Joseph

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In this week's episode, Lettie shares her thoughts about recent events regarding police brutality, Daunte Wright, and briefly connects the history of the criminalization and the condemnation of Blackness to today. There is always an excuse that justifies Black people losing their lives at the hands of police, and these excuses continue to show the value of Black lives in a country that has yet to acknowledge and reckon with its past.

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Welcome to the History Shows Us podcast with Lettie, a historian with a passion for educating about history and racial justice. This podcast used to be called Sincerely, Lettie (you can still listen to all of those engaging episodes!), and after almost two years with that title, we decided to change it.

In this episode, Lettie takes a few minutes to reintroduce herself and goes into what history does show us, while connecting it all to today.

There's this whole "we are going back to normal" idea going around now after receiving the news about President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris and, y'all, that mentality is dangerous. I talk about that in this episode and Quawan Charles, the 15-year-old Black child who should still be here today.

In this week's episode I read excerpts from a few interviews with James Baldwin. Black power, nonviolence, and the state of America are just a few topics he touches on. Listen and hear beyond just the words he said and recognize how they speak directly to our country today. 

In this week's episode I read Kathleen Cleaver's "Women, Power, & Revolution" (1998). Kathleen Cleaver was one of the most influential leaders of the Black Panther Party. Images of the Black Panther Party are largely of Black men, but two-thirds of its members were women, nationally. The intersection of race and gender was at the forefront for women like Cleaver and what she says brings sheds more light on the importance of historical narrative, intersectionality, Black feminism, and dismantling racism.

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Doing antiracism work is not a trend. There is also depth to it. It is about taking action, and in this episode I get into what I mean. Racism didn’t just become a problem because you decided to start paying attention.

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"I didn't care what happened to me. I was going to be free or continue to be a part of a struggle to fight for the freedom of people of this country." 

June Johnson was a Black civil rights organizer in Greenwood, Mississippi with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and when she was 16 years old, she was arrested and endured horrific treatment in a jail in Montgomery County, Mississippi. June's name is one that gets overshadowed when discussions about the civil rights movement occur, but she was critical in Mississippi's Freedom Movement. 

BIG news on this season finale episode! I launched my Patreon, finished my second master's degree, and this podcast will resume in July! There's more and I can't wait for you to hear.

Follow me on Instagram: @sincerely.lettie

What if when you learned your ABCs, you also learned why slavery was horrible? The Anti-Slavery Alphabet did just that and was published in 1846. In this episode, I discuss what else was happening in America around this time (because, as I always say, history is not isolated) and I read the entire alphabet and what each letter stood for. I also talk about issues with children's books, textbooks, and curriculum that sugarcoat and don't tell the truth about history, and why educating children about slavery today is crucial for a firm foundation of not just our country, but the world we live in.

Mentioned in the episode:

In this week's episode, I explain why and how black Americans were victims of racial violence, terror, and lynching. I start with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This is part 1 of 2 and I decided to do it this way because setting the scene and understanding the 'why' is important when looking at the political and social atmosphere of the time. Get ready for all the knowledge in this episode!

After the Civil War, black Americans were targets of racial terror and violence because of white supremacy and racism. This happened in both the North and the South, though Southern states were notorious for such evil. The federal government's involvement and complicity, loopholes to amendments in the Constitution, Confederate leaders in public offices, and much more, show how and why racial violence and terror happened, and also why over 4,000 [documented] racial terror lynchings occurred in Southern states between 1877 and 1950, and over 300 racial terror lynchings in other states during this same time.