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Underground Railroad stamps honor those who helped enslaved people achieve freedom

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Underground Railroad stamps

The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled several stamps honoring the ingenuity, courage and resilience of 10 brave men and ladies who helped lead enslaved people to freedom through a network of secret routes and hideouts generally known as the Underground Railroad.

According to press releasethe set of 20 stamps depicts freedom seekers and those who helped others escape. On the reverse side, a map illustrates the wide trails and explanation of the underground rail network resulting in freedom from the National Park Service.

“For many enslaved African Americans, the Underground Railroad was their only hope to escape the brutality of slavery,” said USPS Board of Governors member Ronald A. Stroman.

The USPS unveiled several stamps honoring 10 men and ladies who helped lead enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad. (Photo: USPS)

Katarzyna Coffin

Coffin and her husband Levi moved to Newport, Wayne County – now the borough of Fountain City, Indiana – in 1826. Their home was near essential evacuation routes connecting many cities within the North and Canada. Historians imagine the coffins helped about 2,000 African Americans escape slavery via the Underground Railroad over a 20-year period by providing them with food, clothing and shelter. She died on May 22, 1881 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Frederick Douglass

Douglass was a slave for a few years until, on September 3, 1838, he escaped under the pretense of being a free black sailor and went to New York. After moving to New Bedford, Massachusetts, he began attending abolitionist meetings and shortly rose to prominence as some of the famous black men in history, known for his speeches opposing slavery and promoting women’s suffrage. He served in several political appointments — including U.S. ambassador to Haiti, Secretary of Legislation for the District of Columbia (Thomas), and U.S. Marshal — before dying of a heart attack on the age of 77.

Thomas Garrett

At the age of 24, Garrett managed to free a kidnapped black woman destined for slavery within the South. He has since develop into best known for his ongoing efforts to assist and defend enslaved African Americans and abolish the practice. Despite threats, assaults, arrests, harassment and a $10,000 reward for his capture, he helped all freedom seekers, helping over 2,500 fugitives to freedom before he died on the age of 82.

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Laura Haviland

Haviland spent much of her life advocating for social justice and education by lobbying, leading protests, influencing laws, or organizing public demonstrations against the actual injustices she faced. In 1837, she and her husband founded the Raisin Institute, an academy accepting “all of good moral character”, no matter race. After her husband’s death, she visited the South continuously and have become more energetic within the Underground Railroad. She founded an orphanage primarily for black children and arranged relief efforts for wounded or imprisoned soldiers in the course of the Civil War, in addition to former slaves, refugees, and those still illegally enslaved.

Lewis Hayden

After escaping from slavery within the mid-1840s, Hayden and his family settled in Boston, where he opened a successful clothing store. He took on many responsibilities within the local abolitionist movement and was a key a part of Boston’s Underground Railroad network. As a member of the manager committee of the Boston Vigilance Committee, Hayden reportedly raised funds, donated clothing, boarded freedom seekers, and transported them out of Boston, leading to direct and sometimes dangerous actions. He was probably certainly one of the primary employees of the black state. For 30 years he worked as a messenger for the Secretary of State, because of which he had access to many outstanding figures from state government. He died in 1889.

Harriet Jacobs

Jacobs, a freedom seeker, author and abolitionist, suffered years of physical violence and sexual abuse by the hands of Dr. James Norcom, the daddy of a three-year-old girl to whom she and her brother were convicted in 1825. In 1835, she escaped and took refuge in her grandmother’s cramped attic , where she lived for nearly seven years before heading north on the subway, in response to her biography “Events in the Life of a Slave Girl.” Ten years later, legally free, she worked as a humanitarian employee, committed to helping recently freed Southerners at the top of the Civil War.

William Lambert

Before the Civil War, Lambert was some of the energetic African Americans in Detroit, running a successful tailoring business and a dry cleansing business along with his public activities. Lambert worked with the Underground Railroad, chaired the Detroit Vigilance Committee, founded a secret African-American order, served as a deacon in his church, and advocated for publicly funded education for African-American children. He died in 1890.

A Detroit Tribune reporter interviewed Lambert in 1886 about his pre-Civil War activities, and the resulting newspaper article became a big source of knowledge about antebellum Detroit and African American activities.

Jermain Logue

Loguen stole his master’s horse and escaped slavery in 1834. In 1841, now married with children, he moved his family to Syracuse, New York, where he worked as a teacher and obtained a license to evangelise. He was a staunch supporter of abolitionism and gained notoriety as some of the energetic Underground Railroad agents within the country. In open letters to the Syracuse press, Loguen revealed his whereabouts and asked for funds to support others in need of help. He has reportedly helped over 1,500 freedom seekers.

William Still

Before becoming a successful businessman, Still worked as a clerk and janitor for the Pennsylvania Slavery Abolition Society in 1847. Shortly thereafter, he began helping escaped enslaved people, providing shelter until they might make it further north and keeping accurate records of those who he helped. One of the fugitives was his older brother, Peter, left behind when his mother fled some 40 years earlier.

Fearing that his fugitive aid papers may be used to prosecute people, Still destroyed a lot of them before the Civil War. After the war, his children convinced him to jot down about his efforts and the people he helped. Still’s book “The Underground Railroad” (1872) is some of the essential historical documents.

Harriet Tubman

William Still taught Tubman much in regards to the Underground Railroad, and in 1850 she returned to Maryland for her family from whom she had been separated a few years earlier. Between 1850 and 1860, she led roughly 70 people – including her parents, Ben and Rita – to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Many African Americans – each free and enslaved – called her “Moses” after the biblical figure. “I never threw a train off the tracks and I never lost a passenger,” Tubman once said when discussing her achievements.

Enslaved people made continuous attempts to free themselves from slavery, starting with its introduction within the Colony until 1865, when the ratification of the thirteenth Amendment led to its nationwide abolition. Whether traveling by foot, horse, carriage, wagon, or boat, the journey to freedom was difficult and very dangerous.

“The Underground Railroad demonstrated the power of collective action and solidarity to achieve social change, even when the odds seemed insurmountable,” Stroman added. “The United States Postal Service is honored to celebrate the ingenuity and resilience of an enslaved people and those who courageously helped them in the face of adversity by dedicating these new stamps.”


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Elaine Welteroth and Jonathan Singletary welcomed their second child

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Elaine Welteroth, Jonathan Singletary, Elaine Welteroth has baby, Black famous mothers, Black mothers, Black maternal health, birthFUND, theGrio.com

Elaine Welteroth has a brand recent bundle of joy!

The 37-year-old media personality and founding father of birthFUND welcomed her second child, a son named SantiGold, together with her husband, musician Jonathan Singletary, in early November.

While Welteroth said People Magazine that she and her growing family are “healthy and happy” – she admitted that she has been affected by sleep problems since welcoming the most recent member of the family.

“I’m not sure my brain is working at full speed,” she told the web site. “I’m sleep-deprived, but I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Recalling the precise day she went into labor, she stated that she just knew it was the day.

“His birth was largely orchestrated by God,” she explained. “I just instinctively said, ‘I’m going to send my kid to school, and when he comes home, he’ll have a little brother.'”

In addition to her general spidey senses, Welteroth had an impulse to be outdoors, so she went to the park.

“The moment I sat down on the grass, I felt the first contraction,” she said. “I assumed, ‘Let’s go, honey.’ “It’s happening.”

Still, there was no immediate sense of urgency for the young mother of two, even stopping to do some Reiki within the park together with her midwife. Shortly thereafter, she returned home for what she described because the “most beautiful” and “peaceful” home birth. SantiGold’s peaceful delivery could also be a part of the inspiration behind his name, which she said means “peace” in Thai.

“I think you’re more confident in the process the second time around,” she noted, adding, “You can trust the method more. The baby was born inside three hours, I could not consider it.

Welteroth, who welcomed her first child, a boy, together with her husband in April 2022, has long touted her second pregnancy as a “redemptive pregnancy.” Its first stage was marked by complications and anxiety. Halfway through, after learning concerning the full scope of the Black mother’s health crisis, she began working with a midwife and decided to have a house birth. She also learned what number of families couldn’t afford the life-saving care of midwives and doulas, which led her to launch the FUND birth fund earlier this yr.

Elaine Welteroth shares her pain story in Advil's 'Believe My Pain' campaign

It was through the organization’s official opening that she learned she was pregnant together with her second child, announcing the primary group of beneficiaries. Now her organization is preparing to reward 41 more families.

“I started with the mantra: ‘We are the ones who have to save ourselves,’” she said. “I’m just very, very proud of our team and that we can help women and families, especially in this moment when we see how the system is failing families. I am truly encouraged and hopeful.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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The ultimate Black-owned gift guide for Divine 9 members

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When it involves honoring the wealthy legacy of the Divine Nine, selecting the proper gift is about greater than just aesthetics – it’s about celebrating the history, culture and unwavering bonds of Black Greek letter organizations. Whether it’s Founders’ Day, inheritance ceremonyor just to point out like to a valued senior or fraternity brother, a meaningful gift reflects the pride, strength and purpose these organizations embody.

From stylish accessories to memorabilia that captures the essence of those organizations, these Black-owned brands can assist you to honor the spirit of service and sisterhood – or brotherhood – that outline the Divine Nine experience.

Truth 2 Code

(Photo: True 2 The Code)

Truth 2 Code offers a variety of fashionable accessories for members of the Divine Nine. Adding street style to classic Greek pieces, the True 2 Greek collection allows members to point out off their letters and private style.

Estelle coloured glass

(Photo: Estelle Colored Glass)

Although they might not be sold as a Greek seller, Estelle coloured glass prepares amazing gifts for members of Greek literary organizations. With a wide selection of coloured glassware designs, consider giving your favorite soror or fraternity brother a set of glasses of their organization’s colours.

(*9*)

DVN

(Photo: DVN)

DVN is a Greek clothing brand that hopes to redefine traditional Greek accessories by offering designs that completely fit people’s on a regular basis style. Founded by Danielle Render, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., DVN combines progressive design and meticulous craftsmanship to create jackets, necklaces and custom pieces that allow all D9 members to “represent their affiliations with confidence and authenticity.”

Vontélle Divine glasses collection

(Photo: Vontélle)

Designed for us, Vontélle is a Black woman-owned eyewear brand offering optical frames and sunglasses that complement Black facial expression. Vontélle “Divine” Collection combines the brand’s mission to create better-fitting, vibrant, fashion-forward styles with colours and patterns inspired by historically black sororities and sororities.

Betty Plus promotion

For over 30 years Betty Plus promotion, Black, a family business, is a one-stop shop for Greek accessories, clothing and custom embroidery. Offering deals for every Divine 9 organization, Betty’s Promo Plus offers collections of transition gifts, holiday gifts and more.

Fashionably Greek

(Photo: Fashionably Greek)

Fashionably Greek provides a various range of trendy and customizable clothing options, offering clothes and niknaks for all D9 sororities and choose fraternities (Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi). Its products are perfect for any occasion, from homecoming to social events and even to the office.

University nativity scene

University nativity scene is certainly one of the biggest Greek accessories stores. This Black family-owned business offers a big selection of merchandise for each D9 and non-D9 Black Greek organizations. Customers can shop online or visit a store near Tennessee State University in person.

Macy’s Divine Nine Fraternity and Sorority Collections

(Photo courtesy of Macy’s)

Macy’s Divine Nine Brotherhood collection AND Kasper Sorority Collection pay tribute to the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations by offering men’s and girls’s clothing that highlights the distinct colours of every organization. These business-style garments are perfect for members to subtly have fun their affiliation at work events and/or branch meetings.

Black-owned brands will be able to shop from Oprah's 2024 favorites list

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Why Denzel Washington quit drinking at 60

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Denzel Washington, alcohol use, sobriety, drug abuse, Gladiator II, Denzel Washington retiring, theGrio.com

Denzel Washington has been sober for nearly a decade, but he had one particular vice: wine.(*60*)

In a brand new profile, the 69-year-old actor talks about his history with wine, drugs like LSD and growing up in New York within the Seventies. Esquire magazine..(*60*)

“Wine is very difficult,” he warned. “It’s very slow… It’s not like boom.”(*60*)

He explained that, unlike harder substances, he had “the perfect idea for wine tasting and so on – and that’s how it was in the beginning.”(*60*)

“And this is a very subtle thing,” he added.(*60*)

Washington said his habit really took off in 1999, when he built a house with a ten-thousand-bottle wine cellar and “learned to drink the best of it.”(*60*)

He added: “My passion was wine, and now I was pouring $4,000 bottles just because it was left.”(*60*)

The “Gladiator II” star eventually developed an intake management system; he frequently ordered the 2 best bottles of wine available at his favorite liquor store.(*60*)

“And my wife says, ‘Why do you only order two?’ I said, “Because if I order more, I’ll drink more.” So I limited it to 2 bottles and drank each in the course of the day,” he told the publication.(*60*)

Even though she drinks wine day by day, the “Equalizer 3” star said she never drank alcohol while working or preparing for a task, even while filming “Flight,” which tells the story of an alcoholic pilot.(*60*)

“I would clean up and go back to work – I could do both,” he said. “Regardless of the months of shooting, bang, it is time to wrap up. And then boom. Three months of wine and time to get back to work.(*60*)

The actor admitted that when he was younger, it was easier to take care of this pattern.(*60*)

“Two months off and we’re going. But the drinking was a fifteen-year pattern. And truth be told, it didn’t start in 1999. It began earlier,” he explained.(*60*)

Washington, who was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, described what it was like growing up there within the late Seventies. Spending time on projects with individuals who exposed him to heroin, cocaine, hard alcohol and more, he admits that he experimented but personally “never got hooked on it.” (*60*)

In fact, much of those formative years experiences were passed on to a few of Washington’s best and most complex figures. Still, he said, “I am unable to consider a single role where I said, ‘Man, that is me.’ Completely me? No, no.(*60*)

Since he quit drinking, he appears like “everything is opening up to him.”(*60*)

Will one of Denzel Washington's last films be

“It’s like you’re seventy,” he said. “This is real. And it’s okay. This is the last chapter – if I get one other thirty, what do I would like to do? My mother lived to be ninety-seven.(*60*)

The husband and father of 4 also pays more attention to fitness today, due to Lenny Kravitz, who introduced him to his trainer.(*60*)

“I’m doing everything I can,” he said.(*60*)

As he noted in the course of the “Gladiator II” press session, he’s also enthusiastic about upcoming projects which will become his last – and yes, they include two more “Equalizer” movies.(*60*)

“People love these daggone ‘Equalizers,'” he said. (*60*)

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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