Playing by the Numbers

Thursday, 1 January 2009, 11:48 | Category : Cuba, History, Music, People, Places, Politics
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Back in the day, people used to buy what was called a “Dream Book” which interpreted your dreams into numbers. The numbers were relayed to the bookies, numbers writers, or whatever gambling outlet paid off on your dream. A dream with a baby was 123; a cat was 414. I think the [...]

2009 - All Roads Lead to Lincoln

Today I read President-elect Barack Obama will take the Oath of Office January 20, 2009 using the Lincoln Bible. I’m not talking about a versioning of the bible with a Lincoln-like writing style, but the 16th President’s own bible in which he laid his hand when he took the Oath of Office in 1861. [...]

Are You Ready to Inaugural D.C.?!!

Thursday, 11 December 2008, 9:37 | Category : DC, History, Politics, holidays
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There’s been a lot of hand wringing going on over the cast of millions (3-4 million) expected to descend on our sleepy capital city for the inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20th.
And as usual, DC residents are being encouraged to step up their best survival skills — stock up on groceries, fill the tank, [...]

The Eclectique Citizen: The President-Elect’s Weekly #3

Saturday, 29 November 2008, 9:57 | Category : Barack Obama, History, Politics, holidays
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President-Elect Barack Obama used the Thanksgiving holiday as the theme for his weekly address. And guess what? He gives a little background history about the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Family Ties, Part 2: Thanksgiving - Celebrate, Castigate, or Just Do It!?

Wednesday, 26 November 2008, 16:05 | Category : Culture, Food, History, Museums, Native American
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Here’s where I stand on Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s the one holiday I can feed my face with the most delicious comfort food, get together with family to share family history, stories, a few laughs, every now and then some drama which over time becomes just another page in the [...]

Studs Terkel (1912 - 2008)
“Curiosity Did Not Kill This Cat.”

Friday, 31 October 2008, 18:44 | Category : Books, Chicago, Culture, History, Music, People, Stage, The Media
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If anyone understood the American working man or woman it was Studs Terkel. He listened and talked with them. Didn’t matter who they were, what they did, famous, infamous, or just another face in the crowd. The author, journalist, activist, historian, and radio host died today at the age of 96. [...]

Community Organizers Hall of Famer: Ella Baker

Wednesday, 15 October 2008, 20:50 | Category : African American, Community Organizers, History, People
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In 1981 the womens a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock recorded “Ella’s Song,” written by the group’s founder civil rights activist Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagan. The opejning lyrics begin with “We who believe in freedom cannot rest” taken from a speech Ella Baker gave in Jackson, Mississippi in 1964 — Freedom Summer–when [...]

Makeover of “America’s Attic” Near Completion

Monday, 6 October 2008, 9:18 | Category : Culture, History, Museums, Washington
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Click your heels three times. The Smithsonian’s Museum of American History re-opens November 21 after a two year renovation. Are the ghosts still there? My uncle DQ spent many walking days in this museum. Is that cake I smell cooking in Julia Child’s kitchen? Keep up-to-date on the NMAH blog [...]

Remember

Thursday, 11 September 2008, 9:18 | Category : DC, History, New York
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I’ll never forget where I was or what I was doing the morning of September 11, 2001. I wasn’t doing anything special. I was in my apartment, a foot or so away from the bed. I’d just finished my yoga stretches in time to watch a friend make a guest appearance on [...]

This week’s Community Organizers Hall of Famer

Wednesday, 10 September 2008, 11:59 | Category : Community Organizers, History
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It’s Wednesday and time for the Community Organizer of the week. This week’s Community Organizer Hall of Famer is Julius Hobson, Sr. (1922 - 1977) submitted by Dawn E. Robinson of Washington, DC.
Some of the gains of Hobson’s work include dismantling discrimintion in hiring in Washington, DC [The first black busdrivers were hired as [...]