Read Sisters' Speak Newsletter

Lavinia Bell, A Story to Pass On (Part 1)

Born in Washington DC / Enslaved in Texas / Interviewed in Canada 1861 I was going over newspaper and magazine interviews, 1827-1863 in collection edited by John W. Blassingame. Lavinia Bell’s story is particularly touching in her determination to be free at all costs yet disturbing in the raw violence to which she was subjected. Born free in Washington she was stolen as an infant and enslaved in Galveston, Texas. As the property of William Whirl, his wife, Polly, taught Lavinia to be a performer, “taught to dance, sing, cackle like a hen, or crow like a rooster…” About the age of 13 or 14, she was sent to the cotton field an exposed to a different level of bondage. In the Galveston, Texas cotton field the Whirl's laboring slaves were exposed to the relentless sun naked, their hair shaved close to their heads, and receiving fifty lashes daily, whether they worked or not. Bell reported that “they were also compelle...

50 Years Ago Today Malcolm X was Assassinated

2/21 The assassination of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X occurred 50 years ago today, on a Sunday, February 21, 1965 at New York City’s Audubon Ballroom. Professor Peniel E. Joseph concludes, in his article, titled “50 Years After His Assassination, Malcolm X’s Message Still Calls Us to Seek Justice,” that “… the struggle for black liberation continues with nationwide protests that recall the tumultuous 1960s, when Malcolm’s message of uncompromising struggle frightened white and black political leaders alike. Today’s rising activists, who boldly demand an end to racial and economic injustice beyond token political reforms, are channeling the best part of Malcolm’s legacy—one that, even in the face of death, cries out for justice by any means necessary.” This would be a great time to do further exploration on Malcolm and his message for yourself. Begin with “Malcolm X’s Advice to the Youth”. ( www.the...

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