G*R*E*A*T! We'll need this level of inspiration, of courage, of solidarity, if we're going to reset the direction of the world and create a more just and safe planet for all creatures.
This is a story that I was unaware of; I am 67 and still learning about the Civil Rights Era in America. Thank you, Lois for this inspiring story of how children stood up for what is good and right. For truth and justice.
Hey Perry, I’m 52-going-on-53, and despite the fact that I’ve worked for 2 ½ years now in a field in which the Civil Rights Act serves as the foundation for my work, the truth is that my own knowledge of this history, and specifically about this march, was really very poor, prior to educating myself about it after it caught my eye in an article called “6 Badass Acts of Resistance Erased from History” in this Yes! Solutions Journalism publication, https://www.yesmagazine.org/democracy/2017/08/01/6-badass-acts-of-resistance-erased-from-history, while researching relatively obscure, interesting & powerful “resistance” and civil rights stories to write about for this blog. The truth is that much of my history knowledge, including civil rights history, is very happenstance & scattershot; I learned about Ida B. Wells (whom I have not yet blogged about, but plann to), from a great modern soul food restaurant in downtown Baltimore, which unfortunately went out of business, during the pandemic, and which I learned about while serving jury duty; Maria Ylagan Olosa, from a Google doodle some years ago; and Virginia Hall, from a Holocaust Month Observance I participated in at my last agency, several years back. So I’m really doing what I can, now, to educate myself, and others, as I go along, and looking to recruit others in the task, as well. If you and/or friends have any civil rights and/or resistance ideas and/or stories to suggest, either contemporary, personal or historical, I’m all ears! Most of those I’m looking for are usually U.S.-related, or at least have some kind of U.S. tie-in, at least for now. Thank you so much for your recommendation, and I’ll check out your publication more once I’m feeling a bit better (am a bit under the weather, after returning from a family trip to NY, yesterday), and also up to finishing up researching and writing more planned stories, too (which take a lot out of me, quite frankly).
Well, we are all learning more and more. There is a lot of history to cover from 1619 onward. Family trips and travel can be rewarding, but I do find that I am exhausted afterward. I now stay closer to home. All the best, Lois.
Thanks, please let me know what your friend thinks, and if your friend has been to the Children's Crusade reenactment! I'd really like to know. Your friend is welcome to comment here, or email me at: Lois@storiesofresistance.org.
OK, now I see the two 2023 years that I accidentally used. I know I caught one other previously. Thanks for helping with this! I corrected both, and I see the March/May issue, too.
On August 28, 2023, Dr. King led the historic March on Washington in which he delivered his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech.
However, violence, terror, and tragedy still continued to chase the heels of the crusade. On September 15, 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan, resulting in the tragic deaths of four African American girls, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Carole Robertson, all aged 14, and Denise McNair, 11. On November 22, 2023, President Kennedy was assassinated.
Thanks, I got them all, now. I appreciate the close read, and the help! I was just talking in my last book club about how it benefited the author of The Martian to have self-published in installment format (i.e., essentially, a blog), at first, before anyone would publish his book, because he was getting all kinds of input from scientists, engineers, and space-oriented folk as to what made sense at what didn't, and how he could improve things, as he wrote. Nice to have a free proof reader on board! :) Have a great night.
The Martian is a really great read. And, no doubt, was greatly improved by the community of scientists, sci-fi and space fiction enthusiasts, and real-life engineers, IT, computer & "space"-oriented professionals who put eyes on his blog, when it was in blog form, and actively help catch problems and errors in his writing, his hero's projects, techniques, and adventures. BTW, if you're a "sometimes" sci-fi reader, I'd strongly recommend Mary Wells' All Systems Red--we read that in our book club, and it was one of the few super-quick and effortlessly enjoyable reads we had (and I absolutely love my book club, at Baltimore's legendary Enoch Pratt Library!), and also Helen Phillips' Hum, a New York Times m-reviewed book. I've only read Andy Weir's The Martian, but I'll look into Project Hail Mary.
It is the same enduring narrative of oppression, resurfacing in countless forms. The same tale of those who claim the earth as their own, blind to all but the shadows of their own existence. Yet, it is met time and again with the same resilience and defiant resistance. Thank you, Lois, for sharing.
Thanks, I've been working on editing the story tonight, and adding hyperlinks; I always publish, then add hyperlinks, and "main resources" in comments after; and invariably, edit a lot (and learn a lot more, in the editing process). Honestly, even though my job is very much centered around the Civil Rights Act, I have realized I'm pretty ignorant in the details of civil rights history. With this blog, and the accompanying research for my stories, I am educating myself, and learning. I do plan on writing, narrating and posting many, many more stories of civil rights history and civil rights heroes and heroines, in "Campfire Stories" to come. And you're quite welcome! Thanks for reading. If you've enjoyed it, please consider subscribing to my blog, and sharing. And if you have ideas for future "Campfire Stories of Resistance & Resilience," please don't hesitate to send them to me at Lois@storiesofresistance.org.
It’s wonderful that you’re using your blog as a journey of learning and discovery, especially on such an important topic as civil rights history. Your commitment to educating yourself while sharing these powerful stories is truly admirable. I love the idea of "Campfire Stories of Resistance & Resilience" and the way you weave history into a narrative that feels alive and relevant.
We all learn as we write and grow, and it’s beautiful to see how your process not only deepens your understanding but also enriches the stories you share with your audience. Thank you for your hard work and for creating a space where these stories can be told and remembered. I’ll definitely subscribe and share your blog—it deserves to reach as many people as possible. I’ll also think about ideas for future stories and send them your way. Keep up the amazing work! Sahar
Thank you! It's very challenging, not to mention grueling, at times. But also rewarding. And fun, to start to see some of my longtime heroes and heroines come to life! :) BTW you sound a lot like the librarian who facilitates my book club at Baltimore's historic Enoch Pratt library. She's also been very supportive of my writing and my blog (and my expressed thoughts and contributions to the book club, before its advent). :)
You’re so welcome! Narratives bring us closer, reminding us that there is so much to be shared and that behind each name or event are powerful stories waiting to be told.
It sounds like such a fulfilling journey, even with its challenges—it’s amazing that you’re bringing your heroes and heroines to life. That must feel incredibly rewarding!
What a lovely coincidence about the librarian! She sounds like a wonderful influence and support for you. It’s connections like these that inspire us and keep us moving forward. 😊
You’re also very welcome to visit my blog—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks! I will. After I get some sleep :) And yes, she is. Truly, most of the reason I started my blog was to build strategic connections with people, and create a safe space, so we can prepare, plan and strategize for the times ahead. My prior two blogs were also community-minded and, while they were pretty low-volume in terms of attracting readers, they got enough attention to build strategic connections to artists, musicians, songwriters, activists, filmmakers and others with whom I could organize and plan events, and do things I never could on my own. Besides writing, "strategic relations building," "strategizing" and brainstorming events and connecting and carrying things out with people a lot more creative and talented than me are what I think of as my special talents. Take care, it's been lovely chatting and corresponding
All your stories about people's resilience and resistance are admirable. But you chose the style of the campfire's story. Thus, they have to be more spontaneous, direct, and immediate, as a conversation around a campfire. A good example of that story is Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarussian journalist. She received the Nobel Prize for literature in 2015. She recorded women's stories about WWII; women were telling her about their participation or suffering in the war in a very direct and spontaneous manner. You could change the title and leave the stories as they are because they are remarkable.
Thank you, Lois, for your impressive account of the Children’s Crusade. Their courage and determination helped make history for civil rights.
Thanks, John, and I appreciate your visiting and giving my blog a read!
G*R*E*A*T! We'll need this level of inspiration, of courage, of solidarity, if we're going to reset the direction of the world and create a more just and safe planet for all creatures.
Agreed!
This is a story that I was unaware of; I am 67 and still learning about the Civil Rights Era in America. Thank you, Lois for this inspiring story of how children stood up for what is good and right. For truth and justice.
Hey Perry, I’m 52-going-on-53, and despite the fact that I’ve worked for 2 ½ years now in a field in which the Civil Rights Act serves as the foundation for my work, the truth is that my own knowledge of this history, and specifically about this march, was really very poor, prior to educating myself about it after it caught my eye in an article called “6 Badass Acts of Resistance Erased from History” in this Yes! Solutions Journalism publication, https://www.yesmagazine.org/democracy/2017/08/01/6-badass-acts-of-resistance-erased-from-history, while researching relatively obscure, interesting & powerful “resistance” and civil rights stories to write about for this blog. The truth is that much of my history knowledge, including civil rights history, is very happenstance & scattershot; I learned about Ida B. Wells (whom I have not yet blogged about, but plann to), from a great modern soul food restaurant in downtown Baltimore, which unfortunately went out of business, during the pandemic, and which I learned about while serving jury duty; Maria Ylagan Olosa, from a Google doodle some years ago; and Virginia Hall, from a Holocaust Month Observance I participated in at my last agency, several years back. So I’m really doing what I can, now, to educate myself, and others, as I go along, and looking to recruit others in the task, as well. If you and/or friends have any civil rights and/or resistance ideas and/or stories to suggest, either contemporary, personal or historical, I’m all ears! Most of those I’m looking for are usually U.S.-related, or at least have some kind of U.S. tie-in, at least for now. Thank you so much for your recommendation, and I’ll check out your publication more once I’m feeling a bit better (am a bit under the weather, after returning from a family trip to NY, yesterday), and also up to finishing up researching and writing more planned stories, too (which take a lot out of me, quite frankly).
Well, we are all learning more and more. There is a lot of history to cover from 1619 onward. Family trips and travel can be rewarding, but I do find that I am exhausted afterward. I now stay closer to home. All the best, Lois.
When you edit this piece, please correct the dates. You have March instead of May and 2023 instead of 1963 for Dr. King's historic speech.
Good read otherwise. I'm sharing with my friend whose hometown is Birmingham.
Thanks, please let me know what your friend thinks, and if your friend has been to the Children's Crusade reenactment! I'd really like to know. Your friend is welcome to comment here, or email me at: Lois@storiesofresistance.org.
I catch things like this. I could've been a proof reader in a previous life.
OK, now I see the two 2023 years that I accidentally used. I know I caught one other previously. Thanks for helping with this! I corrected both, and I see the March/May issue, too.
On August 28, 2023, Dr. King led the historic March on Washington in which he delivered his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech.
However, violence, terror, and tragedy still continued to chase the heels of the crusade. On September 15, 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan, resulting in the tragic deaths of four African American girls, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Carole Robertson, all aged 14, and Denise McNair, 11. On November 22, 2023, President Kennedy was assassinated.
So, on March 2, 1963: the children deployed, and marched!
Thanks, I got them all, now. I appreciate the close read, and the help! I was just talking in my last book club about how it benefited the author of The Martian to have self-published in installment format (i.e., essentially, a blog), at first, before anyone would publish his book, because he was getting all kinds of input from scientists, engineers, and space-oriented folk as to what made sense at what didn't, and how he could improve things, as he wrote. Nice to have a free proof reader on board! :) Have a great night.
I like Andy Weir. I've only read Project Hail Mary.
The Martian is a really great read. And, no doubt, was greatly improved by the community of scientists, sci-fi and space fiction enthusiasts, and real-life engineers, IT, computer & "space"-oriented professionals who put eyes on his blog, when it was in blog form, and actively help catch problems and errors in his writing, his hero's projects, techniques, and adventures. BTW, if you're a "sometimes" sci-fi reader, I'd strongly recommend Mary Wells' All Systems Red--we read that in our book club, and it was one of the few super-quick and effortlessly enjoyable reads we had (and I absolutely love my book club, at Baltimore's legendary Enoch Pratt Library!), and also Helen Phillips' Hum, a New York Times m-reviewed book. I've only read Andy Weir's The Martian, but I'll look into Project Hail Mary.
It is the same enduring narrative of oppression, resurfacing in countless forms. The same tale of those who claim the earth as their own, blind to all but the shadows of their own existence. Yet, it is met time and again with the same resilience and defiant resistance. Thank you, Lois, for sharing.
Thanks, I've been working on editing the story tonight, and adding hyperlinks; I always publish, then add hyperlinks, and "main resources" in comments after; and invariably, edit a lot (and learn a lot more, in the editing process). Honestly, even though my job is very much centered around the Civil Rights Act, I have realized I'm pretty ignorant in the details of civil rights history. With this blog, and the accompanying research for my stories, I am educating myself, and learning. I do plan on writing, narrating and posting many, many more stories of civil rights history and civil rights heroes and heroines, in "Campfire Stories" to come. And you're quite welcome! Thanks for reading. If you've enjoyed it, please consider subscribing to my blog, and sharing. And if you have ideas for future "Campfire Stories of Resistance & Resilience," please don't hesitate to send them to me at Lois@storiesofresistance.org.
It’s wonderful that you’re using your blog as a journey of learning and discovery, especially on such an important topic as civil rights history. Your commitment to educating yourself while sharing these powerful stories is truly admirable. I love the idea of "Campfire Stories of Resistance & Resilience" and the way you weave history into a narrative that feels alive and relevant.
We all learn as we write and grow, and it’s beautiful to see how your process not only deepens your understanding but also enriches the stories you share with your audience. Thank you for your hard work and for creating a space where these stories can be told and remembered. I’ll definitely subscribe and share your blog—it deserves to reach as many people as possible. I’ll also think about ideas for future stories and send them your way. Keep up the amazing work! Sahar
Thank you! It's very challenging, not to mention grueling, at times. But also rewarding. And fun, to start to see some of my longtime heroes and heroines come to life! :) BTW you sound a lot like the librarian who facilitates my book club at Baltimore's historic Enoch Pratt library. She's also been very supportive of my writing and my blog (and my expressed thoughts and contributions to the book club, before its advent). :)
You’re so welcome! Narratives bring us closer, reminding us that there is so much to be shared and that behind each name or event are powerful stories waiting to be told.
It sounds like such a fulfilling journey, even with its challenges—it’s amazing that you’re bringing your heroes and heroines to life. That must feel incredibly rewarding!
What a lovely coincidence about the librarian! She sounds like a wonderful influence and support for you. It’s connections like these that inspire us and keep us moving forward. 😊
You’re also very welcome to visit my blog—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks! I will. After I get some sleep :) And yes, she is. Truly, most of the reason I started my blog was to build strategic connections with people, and create a safe space, so we can prepare, plan and strategize for the times ahead. My prior two blogs were also community-minded and, while they were pretty low-volume in terms of attracting readers, they got enough attention to build strategic connections to artists, musicians, songwriters, activists, filmmakers and others with whom I could organize and plan events, and do things I never could on my own. Besides writing, "strategic relations building," "strategizing" and brainstorming events and connecting and carrying things out with people a lot more creative and talented than me are what I think of as my special talents. Take care, it's been lovely chatting and corresponding
Take care! Keep inspiring others—you’re doing amazing work!
All your stories about people's resilience and resistance are admirable. But you chose the style of the campfire's story. Thus, they have to be more spontaneous, direct, and immediate, as a conversation around a campfire. A good example of that story is Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarussian journalist. She received the Nobel Prize for literature in 2015. She recorded women's stories about WWII; women were telling her about their participation or suffering in the war in a very direct and spontaneous manner. You could change the title and leave the stories as they are because they are remarkable.