Keeping in contact

The subtext to the last post was that earlier this year I was trying to figure out social media alternatives.

This was largely because there were some people expressing frustration with social media. That is a common occurrence, but I get it.

For one thing, the engagement algorithms are getting more aggressive. I had been watching Reels a lot then took a break; suddenly they are offering completely different content. A suggested item came up about Star Trek that I read and now my timeline is flooded with more suggestions relating to science fiction television shows. I clicked on one bat item because I was trying to share it with a friend; bat merchandise is being thrown all over my feed.

I am on social media to keep in touch with people, so it failing in that would be reason enough to consider alternatives. As it is, it has gotten so much worse about trying to dominate my attention and package and market me that it ratchets up my irritation.

Back at the beginning of the year my goals were still mainly thinking about how to keep in touch with people who were not going to be on social media. That vision probably included me staying, but I did not rule out leaving because of how much I hate Mark Zuckerberg.

I was thinking about things like round robin letters or e-mail chains. 

One of the great things about Facebook is that despite the increase in effort required to see how your friends are doing, updating how you are doing is incredibly easy. That would not be true with other forms. You have to think about what you want to say and then say it, a process that has caused anguish for many people with annual Christmas letters.

The way a lot of round robin letters work is that each person puts in a letter of their own, reading others and then sending it on. When it gets back to you, you remove your old one and then write a new one.

I have gotten a lot better, but I signed up for many pen pals in school, who all eventually faded due to neglect. That was usually mutual -- we were kids -- but if the success of the round robin is only as strong as the most procrastinating member, that can be a problem.

It was also complicated by some concerns about the end of a functioning society. 

I had read things about how Trump could turn off the internet. I didn't think it was likely, but there are in fact ways to do that. 

I was also worried about mail. So many conservatives have wanted to kill the postal service, turning it over to for-profits like UPS and FedEx, not thinking what that would do to rural areas. For now, our mail is still reliable, but it did just get more expensive.

Ultimately, I did not start anything, though it is still something I think about. As it is, the person I thought most likely to leave Facebook is still there and still posting so far.

I suppose that's anticlimactic, but there are two reasons that I write about this.

If you want to try and make changes, you need to be willing to lose. Things can go terribly wrong because you miscalculated or because the timing wasn't right or because other people suck or the government collapses, but you have to be able to know that you can't control everything and still be willing to try and do good things.

The other reason is that people matter. 

There are so many forces fighting against that one, but it's still true. 

Forms of direct action: Building community

To be fair, "building community" might be more indirect action; sometimes the definitions get fuzzy.

There are three primary influences on me in this area, and things I have read continue to have an impact.

One was recently reading about George Manuel. Yes, he did things like holding offices in existing organizations, founding new organizations, petitioning government, and things like that, but early on he realized that there was a need for community. He started by organizing some sports teams and beauty pageants.

Now, you might be thinking that beauty pageants are sexist. That's possible. I remember watching a documentary, Between Resistance and Community in Long Island (2002). The local punk community was trying to exercise DIY principles, and that included organizing kickball games for free entertainment. It seemed like a good experience for everyone, but as they delved a little deeper, sexism was a real issue (a theme that kept popping up in my emo exploration). 

People are imperfect and their efforts tend to reflect that. I don't know how Manuel's beauty pageants went, so that's a possibility. I also know the Miss Navajo pageant involves demonstrating knowledge of Navajo customs and sheep butchering. The pageants Manuel started might not have conformed to what we would expect after watching the Miss America pageant or Toddlers & Tiaras. 

Another influence was recently reading The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs.

There was a lot more philosophy than I expected, but that was part of what made sense. Marx was writing during the Industrial Age, when scarcity was the driver. Grace and her husband Jimmy Boggs were in Detroit at the time of automation. It's not that none of the points were the same, but there were significant changes that required adaptation. As it turns out, a lot of her work ended up involving community gardens and multi-generational youth projects. That might not even seem that revolutionary, but if you are looking at building a better future, and something sustainable, that sort of building and filling of needs is essential.

Of course, Boggs was also influenced by my third influence, Martin Luther King's aspiration to "the Beloved Community".

I can't actually see that he used the phrase a lot. I know it was mentioned at least twice, but then when he was speaking of integration and union and brotherhood, it was all tending toward that. In addition, the phrase is so wonderfully evocative on its own that it resonates, even as it remains not very well defined.

I mean, we know that we are not there, and we have ideas of what it might be like, but there is a large chasm that can make it hard to visualize.

When I think about the activism that I want to do, it is always centered around that.  

I care about connection and healing. If I seem to have an aversion to protests, I guess it's because I don't see those getting us there. That would not be a problem if I was sure how to get us there. 

So I just have thoughts. 

School imitating life

My current class is Designing E-learning Experiences for Adults.

In four units we go over different learning theories for adults, then have to design an e-learning experience for each of those.

Last night I turned in the one for Problem-Based Learning; it is all about activism.

I had been thinking about it so much for the blog (and for life) that there were just all of these ideas ready to go.

Of course, it needed to be in a professional setting. I envisioned some young civil rights lawyers who are getting a lot more cases where they need to defend protesters and wondering what is even reasonable or practical in terms of strategies and actions.

Before they get all cynical, can they get a broader view of what has worked and what might work?

I have already passed the assessments for Collaborative E-Learning and Experiential and Transformative E-Learning. Both of those pulled from prior experiences.

In previous classes for Learning Design Foundations, there was this case study that I worked with for at least three projects. You could choose from one with middle school students, college students, or adults workers at a logistics company.

I had chosen the adult learning one just because it was the one that appealed to me most at the time. Now it worked out because only the adult learners would have been eligible. When I needed an adult learner base, here was a group that I was already very familiar with, having spent an inordinately long time crunching their data.

Then, when it came time for Problem-Based Learning, I didn't have any good ideas for them anymore. It doesn't mean they won't come up again.

However, for experiential and transformative learning, I did pull from something else. 

I finished Braiding Sweetgrass in January. I started thinking about things that could be good for experiential learning, favoring something tactile. I thought about basket weaving. As an e-learning experience? Well, are there kits? Are there videos?

That led to a four week unit that references Chapter 14 of Braiding Sweetgrass but also some pretty good links I found and some videos.

I want to limit the details I give online because I don't want AI to harvest my work and someone else use it for cheating and it implicates me, but here are two of the links that I referenced:

https://collaborationdna.com/tag/basket/ 

https://lorelea.com/2025/06/24/%f0%9f%a7%ba-why-we-weave-digging-into-the-5-whys-of-basket-making 

Now I need a project relating to competency-based learning. I don't have a concept in mind yet; coming up with that has consistently been the hard part.

It seems likely that the tools are already inside me, from something I have read and found interesting or worrisome, or all of the above. 

Asian American Pacific Islander History Month articles, 2025

The other thing I have to acknowledge about not posting the articles sooner is that I thought they would go with the reading, because I thought the books would get posted in a timely manner.

The reality is, I have 42 books and movies for Native American Heritage Month 2024, and I still feel like I need to keep working on that. 

It doesn't mean that I am not working on anything else. I have been reading books on science and trauma and daughters and other types of history. Even for this specific "month", May 9th highlighted Grace Lee Boggs; I have read a children's book about her and a book on activism by her. It's on my desk right now as I write this.

I don't know quite when I will get to writing about those books.

One thing that may complicate it is that there is a middle section of books that relate to COINTELPRO actions and such against both Native Americans and African Americans. My categories have blurry borders and I know that.

I'm not running out of material any time soon.

It is possible that being in school now, which does impact the time I have for other types of reading, may affect my ability to get through lists. 

Certainly, there are all sorts of connections. I suppose one reason I read the Grace Lee Boggs book now is that I have been thinking a lot about activism, which you can know from the non-Friday posts on this blog.

It is also hard staying on top of things in this stressful, horrifying point in our history.

Anyway, there are at least 28 books and 7 videos that I want to read and that would relate to Asian American history, and 18 that I have already read and will get to, though those are largely either children's books, comics, or stories about difficult parental relationships.

I do not know when I will get to them, but May still had appropriate content posted in a timely fashion.

5/1 Ramanujan: https://www.quantamagazine.org/srinivasa-ramanujan-was-a-genius-math-is-still-catching-up-20241021
5/2 Miki Endo: https://www.good.is/articles/heroes-hear-the-voice-of-the-young-heroic-woman-who-saved-thousands-of-lives
5/3 Larry Ramos: https://www.kitv.com/news/local/remembering-kauais-larry-ramos-the-first-asian-american-grammy-winner/article_9434a4da-c179-11ee-8342-5b5e7be05a38.html
5/4 Luo Li Rong: https://mymodernmet.com/realistic-sculptures-luo-li-rong/
5/5 Maya Lin: https://www.biography.com/military-figures/maya-lin-vietnam-veterans-memorial
5/6 IM Pei: https://www.nga.gov/stories/articles/who-i-m-pei-10-things-know
5/7 Noor Inayat Khan: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/10/28/noor-inayat-khan
5/8 Isaac Hou: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2018/08/17/2003698675
5/9 Grace Lee Boggs: https://www.thehenryford.org/explore/blog/grace-lee-boggs'-lifelong-call-for-change
5/10 James Hong: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-hong-interview-career-critics-choice-icon-award-1235253029/
5/11 Bruce Lee: https://insidekung-fumagazine.com/articles/from-fist-of-fury-to-cultural-icon-bruce-lee-s-everlasting-influence
5/12 Key Luke: https://tgnreview.com/2017/08/21/keye-luke-american-son/
5/13 Duke Kahanomoku: https://www.grunge.com/285378/the-untold-truth-of-surfing-legend-duke-kahanamoku/
5/14 Yo-yo Ma: https://stringsmagazine.com/yo-yo-ma-on-the-silk-road/
5/15 Minoru Yamasaki: https://www.historyhit.com/minoru-yamasaki-the-architect-who-designed-the-twin-towers/
5/16 Chang Apana: https://www.npr.org/2010/09/07/129424778/investigating-the-real-detective-charlie-chan
5/17 Jeremy Lin: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/jeremy-lin-craig-smith-nextshark-005620233.html
5/18 Daniel Inouye: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/10/pbs-renegades-hawaii-inouye-documentary-senate/
5/19 Shonen Knife: https://www.smilepolitely.com/music/10_things_to_know_about_shonen_knife_and_the_5678s/
5/20 Maisie Hirono: https://www.honolulumagazine.com/political-survivor-a-closer-look-at-hawai%ca%bbis-first-female-senator-mazie-hirono/
5/21 Tammy Duckworth: https://www.illinoistimes.com/news-opinion/a-senators-life-story-full-of-firsts-13654192
5/22 Ellison Onizuka: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/ellison-onizuka-first-asian-american-space
5/23 David Ho: https://time.com/3627996/david-ho-person-of-the-year/
5/24 Patsy Mink: https://time.com/6174298/patsy-takemoto-mink-title-ix/
5/25 Mabel Ping-Hua Lee: https://www.history.com/articles/chinese-american-womens-suffrage-mabel-ping-hua-lee
5/26 Kalpana Chawla: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/remembering-kalpana-chawla-the-first-indian-american-to-go-to-space
5/27 Anna Mae Wong: https://allthatsinteresting.com/anna-may-wong
5/28 George Takei: https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/star-treks-george-takei-boldly-becoming-activist-for-lgbtq-immigration-rights-496712/
5/29 Anne Curry: https://www.elle.com/culture/a33955657/ann-curry-interview-today/
5/30 Amanda Nguyen: https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a63857331/amanda-nguyen-saving-five-sexual-assault-chanel-miller/
5/31 Women printmakers: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/making-their-mark-180974599/

Fighting police brutality: What can you do?

If it is not obvious, I have been going through issues that have generated large protests (after going over protest and direct action in general) and giving some ideas for action.

The murder of George Floyd set off a wave of protests that were probably larger -- or at least more noticeable -- because of COVID. 

However, it feels like that issue has receded from the public conscious.

I totally get that there is more focus on ICE now, and why. Regardless, it is still an important issue; the problem has not gone away.

Therefore, one of the first steps on this one is starting with more education. 

I know I already did a whole blog post recommending Alex Karakatsanis' Copaganda, but I am going to recommend it again.

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2025/05/must-read-copaganda-by-alec-karakatsanis.html 

There were two important patterns in the book that must be addressed.

1. Regardless of the police problems, somehow the solution always ends up being giving them more money.
2. Police killings keep increasing. 

George Floyd was killed in 2020, with protests going through 2023.

Number of people shot to death by police by year:

2020: 1020
2021: 1048
2022: 1097
2023: 1164
2024: 1173 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race/ 

Obviously, we don't have the 2025 numbers yet, but articles I have seen talk about increases, including one mentioning a "significant surge":

https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/16/cpd-officers-shot-and-killed-many-people-first-5-months-2025-they-did-all-2024-data 

The other thing that strikes me is that is a very specific phrasing of the data; Freddie Gray or Sandra Bland would not be included, nor non-fatal injuries, nor Eric Garner or even George Floyd.

You know, police wanted bodycams before the public wanted them. They didn't think it would impede them, and it's hard to argue.

My point is that there is going to have to be a lot of rethinking to make any progress. Some of that is probably going to have to involve setting up alternative systems, which will go along with some of the upcoming anti-capitalist content. Have better resources for mental health and families in crisis. Have early intervention that is not punitive. 

It won't be easy, especially under current circumstances, but we can be creative and loving and visionary.

Sometimes helping with one thing helps other things too.

So, don't give up, but do get more information. Remember that the more privileged you are, the bigger learning curve you are going to have.

But also, at least for Portland, there are organizations working on it. Checking in with them is a start.

https://www.theskanner.com/ 

https://www.dontshootpdx.org/ 

If you are outside of the area, there should be organizations. If not, maybe it is time to start one.

One step at a time, with a good heart. 

Supporting Palestine: What people are doing

This is another issue where we have frequently seen people protesting, and where there has been consistent dissatisfaction with the progress made.

(That is probably why you don't see protests so much anymore, the way you did before the election. Or, you know, maybe some people didn't think enough about not worsening harm.)

Honestly, in the United States, I am not sure where you could protest to have an impact that would save lives. Certainly getting Netanyahu out of office would be a good start, but that is a matter for the Israeli people and it would not automatically fix everything. 

Regardless, there are different ways to help, and that is worth something.

One of the central repositories of information is Operation Olive Branch:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch 

The navigation can be a little tricky as they keep adding more, but there are links to GoFundMe pages for various individuals and families. 

If you go through, you will notice some requesting aid to get out and some trying to continue living there. Remember that these people do not have easy choices.

You can also see some campaigns for people who have gotten out, people who are imprisoned, and links to information.

One of the campaigns listed is eSims for Gaza. Electronic Sim cards are tied to the device, so carrier changes and adding time can be done via software. Contributing to this allows people in an unstable situation to maintain connection to the world.

If you are more comfortable working with an NGO, charities coordinating aid to Gaza include Oxfam, International Rescue Committee, and World Central Kitchen, who have given not just time and money but lives.

https://wck.org/news/gaza-team-update 

You may notice that WCK also has options for volunteering. That might seem like too much to take on. Consider that they serve in many locations; your time somewhere else might help overall.

The situation in Palestine is one where there is a lot of ignorance. One could argue that one value of the protests was trying to bring more awareness, but I don't believe that was done successfully. Sadly, many people seem to think of Palestinians as only terrorists, or move beyond that by devolving into antisemitism. Criticism of Israel is then labeled as antisemitism, which is not automatically true, but does not change that antisemitism is still a thing. 

How do we navigate this quagmire?

Inculcating anti-racism is going to be a big part of that, but perhaps more education is the best start.

I can recommend this reading list, which I am working on but not quickly:

https://www.todaysauthormagazine.com/genre-explorations/20-books-to-read-on-palestine/  

Of those that I have read, a good starting place might be 10 Myths About Israel by Ilan Pappé. However, not on the list but good for its balance is The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan.

It won't give you easy answers; there are none.

What we need is to be able to hold compassion and space for multiple people. Knowledge can help, but there is a change of heart too. That's why I mentioned anti-racism, but that won't be enough either. 

Still, please at least start. 

Fighting ICE: What people are doing

As I wrote about various forms of direct action, many of the examples were older. Those are not our only examples.

There are people doing things right now. They can also inspire us, and act as cautionary tales.

Sometimes they are both, as in the case of Barbara Stone, a 71-year old citizen acting as an observer who was roughed up and detained by ICE:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ice-agents-arrest-71-year-old-us-citizen-in-california-traumatized/ar-AA1IqiOi? 

She was doing something good and legal, so that should not have happened, yet it did.

You need to be prepared for that.

I have seen some suggestions that are illegal; I am not recommending that, but sometimes it may be worth it. It makes sense to go in with eyes wide open.

I liked this guide from Vista Criminal Law:

https://vistacriminallaw.com/helping-with-ice/ 

For example, that legal distinction between announcing ICE versus loudly asking "Why is ICE here?" can be important. Yes, it seems to come down to semantics, but legal cases are full of those.

Speaking of legal advice, I don't recommend using thumb or facial ID on your phone:

https://legalclarity.org/can-cops-force-you-to-unlock-your-phone-with-your-face/ 

Also, on my way to the ICE raids took kit, put out by the Immigrant Defense Project, I found this at The Hub: https://communityresourcehub.org/resource/call-your-sheriff/

How much your sheriff wants to cooperate with ICE is probably already determined, but they will come up for re-election. Also, even if they already have grave concerns about the humanity and legality, hearing from the public and knowing what level of support they have can be important.

Maybe as part of the call, reference this tidbit:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/cnn-halts-show-for-breaking-news-as-poll-delivers-harsh-blow-to-donald-trump/ar-AA1IZj6x? 

Only 40% approve of his immigration policies; 55% think he has gone too far.  

Trumpers are loud, but there are more of us. We need to give voice to that.

At least part of that feedback might be about trying to get accuracy. A quick search comes up with an article about there not really being any ICE raids in the area and that the rumors can be really damaging. However, if you try and figure out what happened with that winery worker, you find two more taken in a "targeted ICE raid".

https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/ice-raid-rumors-can-be-really-damaging-in-oregon 

https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/newberg-vineyard-workers-ice-arrests-salinas-06122025/ 

Maybe Newberg isn't local? 

There may be some reasonable feedback to give on news coverage, and yes, setting up information networks can be really helpful. 

So back to the toolkit, it is largely about rights, but it's important to know those. 

https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/ 

In fact, a lot of fighting fascism -- regarding ICE and other areas -- is working to get people to have better information. That means spreading good information, having resources so that people can find the information that they need in a timely manner, and fighting mis- and dis- information. There are some good tips at CrimethInc:

https://crimethinc.com/2025/02/11/eight-things-you-can-do-to-stop-ice 

Notice that there are also suggestions of mutual aid. There are people afraid to go to work and school, they may need money or food. They may need rides because they are more vulnerable out walking or at a bus stop.

Maybe they need a ride to the food bank. 

Remember also that you may not have to be the one who acts as the observer; maybe they need a babysitter. Maybe someone needs a backup plan for their children in case something happens to them. 

There are definitely vulnerable people who could use someone looking out for them.

If you do not already have a relationship with anyone, suddenly offering help could be viewed with suspicion. Nonetheless, if you are concerned, checking with local organizations and seeing what they need and recommend is a good start.

Some that I have looked at do not seem to be saying a lot (they may have good reasons for that), but you can at least find some resources at https://www.latnet.org/immigration-resources. 

If none of these feel like the right way for you to participate, that doesn't mean there isn't something.

There are a lot of different needs here in this worst timeline. 

Black History Month articles, 2025

Trying to keep up with the various pride and history month articles has been more reactionary than proactive, and you can see that most with this list. Seriously, these are my notes.

If you recall, after the inauguration when information about women and people of color started being taken down, well, I was angry. I wanted to fight erasure, but I needed to act quickly, especially because I wanted to have a full 31 days but I did not want to eat into Women's History Month, so I needed to start a few days early.

I had plenty of ideas for people to include, but if it is not always easy to find interesting articles on short notice, ad the concern that anything on a government web site might be taken down.

Perhaps foolishly, I did not save the links I used. I was keeping a running list so I did not duplicate, and sometimes I included notes about the article. For example, using the National Park Service site for Frederick Douglass was a risk. They have been great, and since that park is specifically for his historical site, you would think they would have to leave it up, but with this administration...

Also, obviously for the Tuskegee Airmen, it was an article about the documentary; I did not post the documentary.

I do love the internet, and it is a great repository of information, but that was generally not my original source anyway. I read about them in books, newspaper articles, and school. The list of names is a starting place for learning more.

Here are some annotations. 

Ida B. Wells: As I said with my post that day, she is as close as I come to having a personal hero. I first read about her in The Oregonian television section when there was a special on her, I am sure on PBS. That was probably 1989; I was in high school. There are some good books about her but her own writing is also an important record of lynching and racism.

Frederick Douglass: National Park Service site: Speaking of good writing, his autobiography is excellent. It does not feel as old as it is.

Tuskegee Airmen, Real Red Tails documentary: I am sure that part of that title is that the Red Tails movie was not that great. There was a 1995 movie that wasn't that great either, though, so, you know, sometimes books are better for learning.

Marcus Garvey: NPR 'Black Moses' Lives On: How Marcus Garvey's Vision Still Resonates: I wish I knew a really good book on him. The last one I read was overly academic, but he was really ahead of his time.

Carter Woodson: The month is kind of his legacy, but that's not all he did.

Ed Dwight, first Black astronaut: This is one I totally learned about through the internet, but it was pretty interesting.

Mary Seacole: I first learned about her in Jason Porath's work, I think Rejected Princesses. There is a book about her that I am meaning to get to.

African American pioneers in cryptology: There was a good article on this that came up specifically because of their exhibit being deactivated. That made it very important to include them, as well as women pilots in the next month. There is so much out there that it would be nice to think they can't erase it all, but there is still rage about them trying.

George Washington Carver: Well, his name comes up a lot, but then most people get stuck between him inventing peanut butter or not inventing peanut butter, and then getting things about the invention of peanut butter wrong. 

Combahee Ferry Raid: Most bios of Harriet Tubman will mention this, and they should. It's kind of delightful in how well it worked.

Booker Wright: I had not heard of him previously, but I saw an article about his television interview and death and he had to be included.

Vivien Thomas: This was another article I saw that month. I was not the only one sharing, and I am grateful for that.

Benjamin Banneker: I want to say that he first heard of him in African-American History, so that would have been 1992.

Eugenia Millender: I saw her Time article: https://time.com/7210593/eugenia-millender-health-care-for-all/ 

Kent Ford: One of the Black History Month events in Portland was the showing of a movie about his life and work, and he was actually there that night.

Mary McLeod Bethune: I believe this was also from African-American History. 

Moneta Sleet and Charlotta Bass: I found this article and celebrated their birthday: https://www.theafricandream.net/three-historic-black-civil-rights-activists-born-on-valentines-day/?

Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier: I had heard the story about their road trip to get funds delivered before, but it's a good story and not that well known.

Benjamin O Davis x2: That times X is because both the father and son are distinguished veterans. For a little more of my backstory, after taking two terms each of African-American History and History of the American West, and taking history as my second major, I needed a research seminar, and the professor has to believe you know something to let you in. That made my best option African Americans in the American West, where I ended up focusing on the Buffalo Soldiers and so read a lot of Black military history, not all of which was specific to the Buffalo Soldiers. (I had never done a long research paper before and I struggled a bit to get my bearings.)

Barack Obama: Probably everyone has heard of him.

Mamie Till-Mobley: After watching Till it was important to me to include her.

Sojourner Truth: Naturally I am interested in her story, but I am focus a lot on how her speech was portrayed as Southern when her first language was Dutch. Sometimes even when we want to be admiring we stereotype. 

Denmark Vesey: Definitely first learned about in African-American history.

Nat Turner: My biggest frustration with him is that it feels like when they portray him they make his motivations about women -- either getting a white woman or protecting his own woman -- I think William Styron and Nate Parker are telling on themselves.

Madam C J Walker: Definitely first learned of her in African American History, but since then it has been noticing people getting mad at her for going along with "good" hair or other things she did wrong. Again, I think there is a lot of projection.

Berry Gordy: I guess my interest in him started with trying to figure out why Petey Greene hated him so much. I think he was a genius, and not a saint, but I like a lot of the music that came along and I don't hate him.

Crispus Attucks: He might have been featured in AP History in high school as well. 

York: I think my first encounter with York came from reading about another PBS special, I assume about the Lewis and Clark expedition.

A. Philip Randolph: This was definitely from African American History.

John Punch: I first learned about John Punch from Sassycrass, so there's that grief again. In addition to being believed to be an ancestor of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, but also diplomat Ralph Bunche, whom I had also read about, so that was very interesting to me.

Beatrice Morrow Cannady: I went to a pop-up museum for the month, and Cannady was one of the Oregon pioneers featured and she was just fantastic.

In conclusion, if you want to learn more, there are ways.

They can't make us forget.