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Afro-American Newspapers February 12, 2011 Character Education/Black History Month 1
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2 Character Education/Black History Month February 12, 2011 Afro-American Newspapers
A publication of the
Afro-American Newspapers
The Baltimore
Afro-American Newspaper
2519 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 554-8200
The Washington
Afro-American Newspaper
1917 Benning Road NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 332-0080
John J. Oliver Jr.
Chairman/Publisher
Character Education Project Manager
Diane Hocker
Character Education Coordinator
Takiea Hinton
Project Editors
Zenitha Prince
Talibah Chikwendu
Kristin Gray
Electronic Editor
William Parschalk
Graphic Designer
Denise Dorsey
Character Education
Black History MonthAfrican Americans
and the Civil War4Character Education Prole: BGE
5Black History Introduction
6Black Participation in Civil War Obscured
8Character Education Prole: College Savings Plans of Maryland
10 Character Education Profle: Legg Mason
11Character Education Profle: Legg Mason
12 Blacks in Non-Combative Roles Spun the Civil War
13 Impact of the Underground Railroad on the War
15 Character Education Profle: Verizon
Table of Contents
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Afro-American Newspapers February 12, 2011 Character Education/Black History Month 3
The Afro-American NewspapersCharacter Education programis designed to promote
positive character traits in our publicschool students. Each year, severalcorporate professionals and businessleaders join our eort and share storiesthat illustrate how the building of
their character not only helps thempersonally but also in the workplace.During Black History Month, theAFRO is delivered to public middleschools across the region includingAnne Arundel County, BaltimoreCity and Baltimore County, HowardCounty, Montgomery County, Prince
Georges County and Washington,D.C. Each publication contains thetestimonies of our corporate partners.
How does it work?During the AFROs Black History
Month series the newspapers mostactive and sought after series eachyear we feature a Black History andCharacter Education publication thatproles diverse corporate professionals,their success stories and helpfulstrategies for planning a successfulcareer. Each week, eighth-graders fromAnne Arundel County, BaltimoreCity and Baltimore County, Howard
County, Montgomery County, PrinceGeorges County and Washington, D.C.Public Schools receive the publicationat no cost. Te goal is for students toread the featured proles and Blackhistory content and submit an essayconnecting what theyve learned froma particular prole to the importance
of character building. Winners of theessay contest are awarded valuableprizes to further their education andan opportunity to meet the corporateprofessional they chose to write about.
Why eighth-graders?Our research shows that by the
eighth grade, most students have startedto seriously think about their careergoals and and are more receptive tothe information shared by the businesscommunity.
How can the schools help? Allow the AFRO to deliver
Character Education to your school ona weekly basis throughout the month ofFebruary. In addition, provide theAfro-American Newspapers in your schoolsmedia center or library on a weeklybasis for the current calendar year.
Assist in coordinating thedistribution of the publication within
participating school districts. Identify a liaison to advise us on
information concerning charactereducation that can be included in eachedition.
Encourage teachers and students toparticipate in the essay contest.
How do schools beneft? Te AFRO encourages sta and
students of participating schools tosubmit stories, columns, photos, etc.,about the importance of education andgood character.
During February, all participatingschools receive the Character Education
publication to assist students in theirlearning of Black history and to furtherpromote literacy.
Partnership opportunity
Corporations, nonprots and otherorganizations are invited to becomestrategic partners with this campaign.
By becoming a partner, your companywill help provide the AFRO as aneducational tool to eighth-gradersthroughout the region. In addition,your company will illustrate its supportfor professional development amongtodays youth.
Character Education 2011
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4 Character Education/Black History Month February 12, 2011 Afro-American Newspapers
Ive always been an outspoken, social person who wel-
comes new experiences and opportunies. Beginning in ju-
nior high school, I learned that geng involved in acvies
such as student government was an eecve way to further
develop good communicaon and interpersonal skills. In
the 8th grade I was elected president of the student council,
which was a big boost to my condence and showed me
that establishing strong leadership skills at an early age can
have posive lifelong results.
When it came to academics, I knew that there was no sub-
stute for hard work. Teachers played a big role in shaping
my experiences, and as I connued to do well in my school
work, they showed a true interest in my progress. They
were pushed me to achieve success by encouraging me to
take on even more challenges. In response, I was always
respecul and willing to listen to their advice. I made it
a point to surround myself with those who were posive
inuences and tried to strike a good balanced between
academics, giving back to the community, and having social
me with family and friends.
It wasnt too long before I started thinking about my future and looking at
the bigger picture, which included the kind of career I wanted to pursue. I
knew that, because of the strong foundaon I had built though hard work
in school, I was in control and I could choose the career path that comple-
mented my skills and talents. I had the power and responsibility to make it
happen.
I decided that the eld of human resources was a natural t for me be-
cause I like working with a wide variety of people and personalies, and I
like helping others achieve their career goals. Today, as a manager in BGEshuman resources department, I meet with people every day who are look-
ing for guidance and advice. Its so grafying to be in a posion to provide
that support.
Being responsible has been one of the keys to my success. My advice to
students today is to get involved, stay acve, ask quesons, stay balanced,
make good decisions, and be responsible for your acons.
Robert MatthewsManager, Human ResourcesBaltimore Gas & Electric Co.
Be Responsible for Your Actions
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Afro-American Newspapers February 12, 2011 Character Education/Black History Month 5
African Americans and the War Effort
U
ntil July 1862 when Congress passed theMilitia Act, men of
African descent were barred from participating in the armed
forces. Disparate pay and other discriminatory policies
plagued African Americans ghting in the Civil War, but their bravery
and willingness to combat slavery played an indelible role in the wars
outcome.
In addition to Blacks serving in the military, a number of African
Americans participated in non-combative capacities as cooks, guards,
surgeons and in other trades. Black women also played pertinent roles
in non-combative duties, working as nurses, scouts and laundry and
cleaning attendants.
As the sesquicentennial anniversary of Civil War events approaches,
theAFRO recounts Black Americans contributions to war efforts and
highlights some of the people and events often overlooked in modern
discussions. Week two of theAFROs Black History Month coveragediscusses African-American participation in the ght against slavery;
their behind-the-scenes roles as support personnel and the impact of the
Underground Railroad.
Celebrating Black History Month
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6 Character Education/Black History Month February 12, 2011 Afro-American Newspapers
Black Participationin Civil War Obscured
By Zenitha Prince
Washington Bureau Chief
B
lacks have always been just as willing
as they have been loyal in servingtheir country. According to Hari
Jones, curator, African American Civil War
Memorial & Museum, enslaved and free
Blacks jumped at the opportunity to serve
during the Civil War.
They viewed this from the very beginning
as a coming opportunity to end the tyranny of
slavery, he said of their motivations.
But legally men of African descent were
barred from military participation until July
17, 1862, when the Second Conscationand Militia Actwas passed, giving President
Abraham Lincoln the right to use Colored
men in any capacity they were t to perform
in military. Though Blacks viewed the law as
a victory, it also marked the beginning of a
long history of discrimination against African
Americans in the military, beginning with the
inequality of pay.
Section 15 of theMilitary Actmandated
Hardly a battle was fought to the end of the war in which some Negro troops did not meet the enemy,notes historian John Hope Franklin in his 1980 book From Slavery to Freedom.
Photos Courtesy National Archives
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Afro-American Newspapers February 12, 2011 Character Education/Black History Month 7
inequity in troops salaries Black soldiers were paid $10 minus $3 for uniformscompared to the $13 awarded to their White peers.
Additionally, historians say, Blacks were often used for menial labor. When theUnion rst accepted black volunteers, it segregated them and exposed them to otherforms of discrimination, less overt but still troubling. African American regimentswere given the lions share of the armys menial work, such as digging, construction,sanitation, and burial of the dead, according Christopher E. Henrys essay Victoryor Death: Black Soldiers.
Though Jones disagreed with the characterization of any job in a combat zone asmenial, he agreed that there was discrimination against Black enlistees. There wasa great deal of questioning by their peers, initially, on whether they could hold theirown, he said.
But that doesnt mean Blacks were only noncombatants. As early as 1862, Black
combat troops were involved in military efforts. When you look at the ofcialrecords, theyre performing a broad range of duties from what we would callspecial ops, long range reconnaissance patrols, to the moreconventional assaults on fortied positions. Theyre involvedin every major campaign of the war in some capacity or theother after Jan. 1, 1863, Jones said.
And the Colored Troops soon proved their worth,prompting their increased use in combat and the equalizationof pay in mid-1864 at which time they received increasedpay, arrears and back pay, Jones said. By wars end, 16 Blacksoldiers had been awarded the Medal of Honor for their
valor.In one example of such bravery cited by Victory orDeath, in 1863 the Corps dAfrique, an elite Louisianaunit unusually led by a Black ofcer, Capt. Andr Callioux,successfully waged a Union attack on the Confederate baseat Port Hudson, a town along the Mississippi River. Duringthe battle Calliouxs arm was smashed by a bullet, but hesoldiered on refusing aid and leading his men until he felldead.
A white ofcer who saw the charge of the CorpsdAfrique had this to say in a letter to a friend: You haveno idea how my prejudices with regard to negro troops have
been dispelled by the battle the other day. The brigade ofnegroes behaved magnicently. They are far superior indiscipline to the white troops and just as brave, the essayread.
Another 19,000 African Americans also served in theUnion navy, according to the National Archives, where,at rst, they were relegated to positions as remen, coalheavers, mess stewards, or cooks.
In spite of that tradition, however, some black sailorsmanaged to take part in the hottest actions, Victory orDeath stated.
Some examples of naval feats performed by Blacks include the bravery of SouthCarolina slave Robert Smalls, who while impressed into service by the Confederacy,
led a band of Black dockworkers in the seizing of a Confederate boat and its deliveryto the Union navy. And there was William Tillman, a freedman, who singlehandedlyrecaptured a Union ship that was seized by the southern forces and sailed it into NewYork harbor.
Such efforts from Blacks on behalf of the Union were met by Confederate outrage,and the Confederate Congress passed a law saying that captured Black Union soldierscould be shot, hanged, or sold into slavery. Still, African Americans were used inseveral capacities in the Confederate military.
It was against the law to bring Negroes into their army, Jones, the curator, said.What they did do, however, is they would contract with planters for their slavesto build fortications, lay railroad tracks, move suppliesThese enslaved persons,
however, do not get paid; their so-called owners get paid. So theyre not Confederate
The Confederate reaction to Blackparticipation in the Union forces wasbrutal. This illustration depicts themassacre of Colored Union troops andtheir White ofcers by the Confeder-ates at Fort Pillow.
Continued on page 9
AFRO Archives Illustration
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8 Character Education/Black History Month February 12, 2011 Afro-American Newspapers
Giving Back: A Synonym for Character
Ovetta M.
Moore
I have always believed that having great character is the heart of any professionals success and
having a strong spiritual base is the greatest character builder. It is my spiritual core that hasrounely movated me to place the needs of less fortunate people above my personal desires for
success. And somemes that willingness to give rather than receive has brought me some of my
greatest joy. That certainly was the case when I helped USA TODAY Columnist DeWayne Wickham
create and manage the Woodholme Foundaon.
For 10 years, while working with the State of Maryland in a senior leadership posion and serv-
ing on the boards of several community-based organizaons, I helped Wickham run a charitable
program that gave hope to some hopeless young people many others had wrien o. We found a
way to send them to college even though most nished high school with a GPA of 2.0, or less. We
selected them because a teacher, counselor or principal believed they possessed the academic
ability to succeed in college despite their low grades in high school. That teacher or counselor
also cered that the students low grades resulted from something other than lack of eort or
ability. This program, which we called A Second Chance, changed the lives of nearly 50 young
people who were trapped in this naons underclass unl the Woodholme Foundaon reached
out to them.
As the foundaons unpaid president, I worked with Wickham to lead a team of more than 100
volunteers who raised money to pay for The Second Chance program. We gave each of our
Woodholme kids full funding for their rst year of college including tuion, room and board,
tutors, mentors, travel, books, fees and a weekly spend. During the rest of their me in college,
our students received a reduced level of funding and were encouraged to get a student loan and,
if necessary, a part-me job to meet their nancial needs because as Wickham oen said: Our
program is a helping hand, not a handout.
Helping to educate these young people and helping to build their character and self esteem in
the process brought considerable sasfacon to us all. As I watched the foundaon grow, I also
witnessed great character traits expand in many of our volunteers. They eagerly provided love
and support to our students in a way most had never experienced. In one parcular case, a senior
volunteer, Sharon Pinder, invited one of our students to spend a Christmas holiday with her family
when she realized the young lady had nowhere to go during that semester break. The support
that student received from the Pinder family has yielded a surprising benet for everyone involved.
Because of their unselsh generosity, this student who lost her parents in an African civil war found a
new family. Aer struggling through high school in Delaware, she went on to earn two degrees and is now
a Registered Nurse at Provident Hospital in Washington, D.C., specializing in cardiac and crical care. Thefaith the Pinder family showed by making her a part of their family is a product of their great character.
There are many stories like this which come out of the Woodholme Foundaons
10-year existence. Many of the volunteers gave so much more than they received for
their eorts a true measurement of a persons character. Great character promotes
high achievement. It movates people to commit seless acts and encourages them
to help the less fortunate scale hurdles. It opens our hearts to the disadvantaged, and
our minds to the possibility that we can make a dierence. Great character promotes
honesty, caring and boundless giving. And, for me, there is no greater joy.
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Afro-American Newspapers February 12, 2011 Character Education/Black History Month 9
Members ofthe 54th Regimenthonoring the anni-versary of Union Maj.Gen. Godfrey Weitzelscapture of Richmond the Confederate capital
on April 3, 1865. Therst units of Weitzelscommand included U.S.Colored Troops frominfantry and cavalryregiments.
soldiers, theyre slaves impressed
into labor in support of the
Confederacy.
Like Smalls and Tillman,
however, many aided the cause
of the Union, as did free men
of color. For example, in the
state of Louisiana the governor
authorized the organization of
a single regiment as the state
militia.the Louisiana Native
Guards. That regiment was led
by a group of men who were
clearly Union sympathizers,
Jones said. The defenses of
New Orleans were sabotaged in
1862 and these men were among
the best candidates of those who
sabotaged the defenses
These men go on to become the rst African-American ofcers in the
United States Army in our history. So theyre clearly more Union guys than
Confederate.The singular role of Black troops in the outcome of the
Civil War was encapsulated in President Lincolns 1865
statement: Without the military help of black freedmen, the
war against the South could not have been won.
But that fact has been underplayed and misrepresented
in history books and school instruction, a fact lamented by
W.E.B. DuBois in his essay The Propaganda of History.
To illustrate, DuBois cited W.E. WoodwardsMeet General
Grant, in which the writer asserts, The American Negroes are
the only people in the history of the world, so far as I know,
that ever became free without any effort of their own. . . .They had not started the war nor ended it. They twanged
banjos around the railroad stations, sang melodious spirituals,
and believed that some Yankee would soon come along and
give each of them forty acres of land a mule.
DuBois refuted that, however, saying, The freedmen,
far from being the inert recipients of freedom at the hands
of philanthropists, furnished 200,000 soldiers in the Civil
War who took part in nearly 200 battles and skirmishes, and
in addition perhaps 300,000 others as effective laborers and
helpers.
Black ParticipationContinued from page 7
AFRO File Photos/Willie Redd
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10 Character Education/Black History Month February 12, 2011 Afro-American Newspapers
What do I have to oer? you may ask. You owe it to yourself to nd out.
You all have gis, and some are obvious. Other talents, however, are like
gems from a buried treasure. They require courage and perseverance to
mine over me.
I have worked for Legg Mason Technology Services for 10 years. Five years
ago, I was transioned to the Training Department to work administravely
behind the scenes. Although I was not asked to be a trainer per se, I felt
compelled to learn, since every team member was a seasoned presenter.
Inside, I was terried because I had a fear of public speaking. I can recount
many mes in the past where I would do all in my power to avoid it. Aerprayerful consideraon, I knew it was me to conquer this fear. I told my
boss I wanted to try, and he encouraged me. My fathers instrucon from my
childhood bubbled up inside, Cant nobody beat you, if you work hard! he
would say.
I got to work. In preparaon, I studied my colleagues in acon. I read arcles
and took classes. I pracced over and over. I learned that my nerves, fueled
by adrenaline, could be used posively to power my voice and spark excite-
ment in the audience.
The big day came, and so did the anxiety. But now, I also had bold condence
and authority. It was a success. I not only got through it, but I discovered a
skill that was inside me all of the me, a precious jewel once buried that was
now polished and gliering in the light.
No maer how old or established you become, you should always work to
uncover more of your talents. Dont be afraid. Challenge yourself, for beyond
great fear oen lies the most valuable of prizes. Work hard and dig deep. Just
as a miner who drills into the earth searching for gold and precious stones, ifyou dig deep you will connue to yield, from within yourself, stunning treasures
once hidden beneath the surface ...tools for great success.
Ebony Anderson
Discover Your Hidden Treasure
Specialist Voice and AVSenior Applications SupportLegg Mason Technology Services
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Afro-American Newspapers February 12, 2011 Character Education/Black History Month 11
What brought me to this point in my career? Condence. My old historyteacher, Mr. Shapiro, once told me that I always had it in me. But, what was
it? A brain capable of understanding work and solving problems if I tried
hard enough and pushed myself to succeed? Prior to the 10th grade, I never
thought I could be as smart as my older sister and would never measure up to
her. Unfortunately, this made me doubt myself. As a result, I never made the
eort to be at the top of my class and was just an average student. However,
my ah ha moment came when I was in the 10th grade and I told Mr. Shap-
iro about the progress I was making in my new school. He looked me in the
eyes and said, Donna, you always had it. At that pivotal moment I began to
believe in myself, and since then, have never doubted the possibilies of whatI could do.
My career did not jump start overnight either. I observed, studied, took
wrien and mental notes, as well as the necessary rm-related and college
courses that would help me be producve and successful. I started working
in the nancial industry in 1989 with no knowledge of the industry, especially
mutual funds. I saw my new job as a challenge and learned the mutual funds
operaonal business from my colleagues, supervisors, and managers. Like
a sponge I soaked in everything that they taught me. I completed each as-signment that was given to me no maer how dicult it was, because I was
condent in succeeding. Twenty-one years later and several job changes, I am
sll in the mutual funds business. As a vice president of my department, I am
responsible for the implementaon of product iniaves and changes.
Somemes people are afraid to take the next step because they are comparing
themselves to others and their successes. However, if individuals would only dare
to grasp the condence that everyone possesses, they would see that just like
knowledge, possibilies in life are endless.
Without condence you are twice defeated in the race of life, with condence
you have won before you have started. - Marcus Garvey
You Always Had It
Donna
Cyris-HallVice President/ManagerProduct AdministrationLegg Mason
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12 Character Education/Black History Month February 12, 2011 Afro-American Newspapers
By Valencia Mohammed
Special to the AFRO
Although much of the Civil War recorded reects the struggle between Whites
from the North and South over the issues of slavery and states rights, Blacks
played signicant parts in non-combative roles throughout the war and
towards the end, combative positions as well.
It is vitally important for African Americans to understand the signicance of ourcontributions to both sides of the Civil War in non-combative [ways], said Hari Jones,
52, curator at the African American Civil War Museum.
Both the Union and Confederates needed laborers to perform such tasks as builders
for fortication sites and railroads, blacksmiths, saddlers, chaplains, cooks, guards,
surgeons, teamsters, surgeons and supply clerks. Black women worked as nurses,
scouts, and laundry and cleaning attendants.
In the spring of 1861, Union army Gen. Benjamin Butler gave refuge to three
Black men who were working for the Confederate army. The Confederates paid slave
owners to use men claimed as property for various labor
tasks. Butler convinced the Union president that it should
conscate this property as contraband of war. In August
1861, Congress passed the First Confscation Actwhich
authorized generals to conscate captives and contract their
services for the Union army.
In July 1862, Congress passed the
Second Confscationand Militia Act, whichgave the captives freedom. The Union
army hired these men to perform a host of
duties and paid them wages. Word caught
on quickly throughout the South that the
federal government was hiring runaways as
contract laborers. In two months time, 4,200
runaways who sought freedom came to
Washington, D.C.
At that time, there were a half-million
Blacks in Non-Combative RolesSpun the Civil War
Continued on page 14
Blacks wereemployed ascooks and othernon-combativecapacities duringthe Civil War.
U.S.S. Hunchback,a gunboat commissioned
for patrol duty on the JamesRiver (1863-1865). Many Blacks,
such as banjoist John Tomilinseen in the foreground, were hired
as musicians. Of the 52 crewmembers shown here 16 are
colored.
AFROF
ilePhoto
Photos Courtesy National Archives
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Afro-American Newspapers February 12, 2011 Character Education/Black History Month 13
Impact of the UndergroundRailroad on the WarBy Stephen D. Riley
AFRO Staff Writer
By the time the rst musket was red, hailing the
start of the Civil War, the Underground Railroad
was coming to an end. Fueling the tension
between northern and southern states during its peak
years from 1850 to 1860, thefamous slave network had
already guided many Blacks
to free states and petitioned
several citizens to stand up
against slavery before the war
began in 1861. While it wasnt
the primary cause of the war,
the Underground Railroad
played a major role in leading
to the abolition of slavery
towards the wars conclusion.Born around the
tumultuous time of the
Fugitive Slave Law of 1793,
which held originating
states responsible for
catching runaway slaves,
the Underground Railroads
vigilantes saw the perfect
opportunity to create meeting
grounds and secret hideouts
among other avenues to bearslaves north to free land. With
the only threat of prosecution
coming from ofcers of
their residential lands, many
Blacks took the risk to escape,
eeing at night by foot or
wagon and resting by day at
undisclosed hideaways. Once the Fugitive Slave Act
and Compromise of 1850 were passed simultaneously in
the same year tightening slave laws and requiring all
federal ofcers to aide in the return of runaways the
Underground Railroad, or Freedom Train as it was
affectionately called, took on a revolutionary life of its
own.
People underground got really involved with the
issue of slavery and had very strong feelings about
what should happen. Feelings that were so strong that
people were willing to risk their own lives and their own
freedom to help Blacks ee to the North, says Debra
Newman Ham, professor of history at Morgan State
University and senior author and editor ofThe African-
American Mosaic: A Guide to Black History Resources
in the Library of Congress (1993) and author ofBlack
History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National
Archives (1984). It was this sentiment prior to the Civil
War that helped lead to the animosity between the North
and the South.
In many ways the work of the Underground Railroad
and its general, Harriet Tubman who later led raids,
and served as a nurse andspy among other duties for
the Union army served
as a precursor to the war.
According to M.W. Taylors
essay General Tubman Goes
to War found inHarriet
Tubman, Black Americans of
Achievement, in April 1860
Tubman led a raid in Troy,
N.Y., where she overwhelmed
dozens of lawmen to rescuefugitive slave Charles Nalle.
Harriet Tubmans victory,
commented biographer Earl
Conrad, was a high point of
the fugitive slave history that
racked the nations breast for
10 years. If [John] Browns
Virginia raid was a dress
rehearsal for the Civil War,
Harriets action was a bugle
call for the war to begin,
Taylor cited.
For free Blacks, it wasnt a
decision of which side to take
after the Civil War began,
but how soon to join. With
the Confederate and Union
states trading counter blows,
escaped African Americans who had traveled north to
free land felt obliged to join the Union Army in attempt
to put a halt on what had quickly became a crucial
AFRO File Illustration/ T.S. Stockett
Harriet Tubman led many slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad, and many ofthose ex-slaves contributed toward the Union cause in the Civil War.
Continued on page 14
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14 Character Education/Black History Month February 12, 2011 Afro-American Newspapers
freedmen and 3 million Blacks enslaved in America. In a short period, millions left
the plantations, made it to the Union lines and became freedmen. This devastated the
Southern economy. Thus, labor force was critical to the Confederate army.
Unlike what has been portrayed in the past, this showed Blacks refused to be
passive in the war that would lead to their freedom. They took an active role, said
Jones.
Jones recalled a well-known phrase by Frederick Douglass used to encourage the
Union Army to recruit Blacks to ght for them: Why are you ghting the war with
one hand? Release the Blacks and let them ght for you.
African Diaspora historian andBlack, Copper and Brightauthor Carroll Gibbs -
credited with writing the only book on the Black Civil War regiment of the District ofColumbia - points out little known history about the signicant roles Blacks played in
the Union armys victory.
Gibbs concurred with Jones analysis and offered more details about instrumental
non-combative roles Blacks played. Blacks engaged in many signicant operations
such as espionage. The information gathered from these secret missions were very
important to the success of the Union, said Gibbs.
Mary Bowser, a housekeeper for the Confederate President Jefferson Davis, spied
for the North inside the Confederate White House. William Jackson, a coachman, who
also worked for Davis, gave valuable information to top military Union leaders after
he escaped to freedom. John Stobell, a well-known Black spy, delivered information
back and forth enemy lines at great risk to his own life by assuming differentoccupational disguises. Mary Tovestre, a housekeeper in Norfolk, Va., worked for a
naval engineer. Tovestre conscated naval attack plans, headed north and gave it to
the Union army. The plans were of the rst iron clad ship, The Merrymac. With this
information, the Union army decided to iron clad its most advance ship, The Monitor.
In 1862, Robert Smalls, a slave, not only conscated plans to build a large
steamship to be used by the Confederates in the Charleston Harbor, he stole a large
vessel and led a party of Blacks to safety to the Union army. Smalls later became a
senator during the Reconstruction Period.
In Maryland, Black folks did not get their freedom until Nov. 1, 1864. Maryland
fought hard to keep Black people enslaved and it was dangerous for Blacks to walk
off nearby Maryland plantations into the District. Sometimes there were dead Black
bodies just feet away from the District border. Washington, with its 69 forts, became
a magnet for slaves seeking freedom from Maryland and Virginia.
U.S. Rep. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) recently introduced a bill to provide the U.S.
National Parks with funds to restore important landmarks of the Civil War and to
educate Americans and tourists about its history.
Black historians question whether local ofcials understand the signicance of the
sesquicentennial anniversary.
We need to make sure our voices are heard when politicians make awards for
commemorative events, Gibbs said. We must be involved in organized events about
the Civil War or our history will be lost in sauce and our children will believe we did
nothing to obtain our freedom.
source of income for their former slave
masters.
Slavery, by the time of the Civil
War, was so protable in the South that
slaves were producing the majority
of all the cotton used in the world,
Newman Ham says. And this was
the time of the Industrial Revolution
when textile industries in the northern
United States, England and other parts
of Europe were just really ourishing.
So the southerners wanted to hold onto
this institution that was making them
very rich and the northerners were just
adamant that the institution should end.
Although anxious to join the war
efforts, African Americans could not
ght due to a 1792 law that forbid
them to bear arms in the U.S. army.
But just as cleverly as they found their
way around the Fugitive Slave Law,
desperate Blacks found other ways tohelp the army. Utilizing the knowledge
of their former plantations, ex-slaves
served as scouts, guides and spies
and worked as cooks, launderers and
blacksmiths among other occupations
for the Union army, forcing an impact
without even donning a rearm.
After Congress passed the Second
Conscation and Militia Act of 1862,
authorizing President Abraham Lincoln
to employ Blacks in the Union army,African Americans slowly began to
answer the call to arms and help tilt the
battle towards ending American slavery.
Fed up with slavery and inhumane
treatment, participating in the war
wasnt just an option for many, but a
chance to demonstrate their own power
after years of being powerless.
African Americans saw the war as
a war for their liberation, said Edna
Greene Medford, associate professor
of history at Howard University
and coauthor ofThe Emancipation
Proclamation: Three Views. Even
though nobody suggested that, thats just
how they saw it. Thats how enslaved
people saw it [and] thats how free
Blacks saw it as well. Enslaved people
took the opportunity from the chaos
of the war to escape the plantation. It
wasnt even called the Underground
Railroad at the time it was just fugitives
from slavery taking advantage of the
war because they werent even always
going to the North; people were running
to the union line at many instances.
Once reaching the union line, ex-
slaves were beyond willing to donate
their services to a righteous cause.
But it wasnt just runaways who were
participating, some of the now freshly
minted soldiers were free Black menfrom the North who had never been
enslaved a day in their life. In fact,
Blacks, both freed and ex-slaves, made
up close to 10 percent of the Union
army, the third-highest percentile of the
near 2.2 million Union soldiers who
served during the time period.
Whether as noncombatants, heavily
armed troops or freedom seekers,
the Underground Railroad paved the
way for new lifestyles for many whotraveled along its varied pathways. As
a direct means for former slaves to link
to northern allies, the Underground
Railroad was more than a route for
southern servants to venture on. As time
progressed and runaways transformed
into soldiers and battle combatants,
the Freedom Train contributed more
towards the war than its originators
couldve ever imagined.
Non-Combative Roles Underground RailroadContinued from page 12 Continued from page 13
8/7/2019 Character Ed 2011 Week 2
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Afro-American Newspapers February 12, 2011 Character Education/Black History Month 15
Success is Measured by Character, Not Status
Lynnette F. CarterSourcing Process Leader,Network Strategic Sourcing
Verizon
My name is Lynnee Featherstone Carter and I work at Verizon's Silver
Spring, Md. locaon. I am a sourcing process leader in Network Strategic
Sourcing, and I negoate mul-million-dollar network maintenance con-
tracts across all regions of Verizon (North America, Central America, Europe,
Asia Pacic) with some of Verizon's top strategic suppliers. I have worked for
Verizon for 14 years and have a breadth of network management experi-
ence in all aspects of the business. I received a bachelors degree in indus-
trial engineering from Morgan State University and a masters of business
administraon (MBA) from the University of Maryland.
Any successes that I have aained I aribute to the pursuit of values and
purpose; and endurance in that pursuit.
Given the current levels of governmental, corporate, and individual ethical
misdeeds that connue to be disclosed in the media, I believe an under-
standing of virtue, ethics and character as essenal traits will enhance our
ability to curb ethical misconduct and succeed in society.
Virtue is a concept that always has denoted excellence on the part of an
individual. In classical Greek philosophy, the only ethics was virtue ethics,the excellence of character. Therefore, success is actually a quest to fulll
character virtue, not status. The fulllment of success is obtained as we
adhere to the following traits of character that would be virtuous in any
environment: honesty, loyalty, sincerity, courage, reliability, trustworthiness,
benevolence, sensivity, helpfulness, cooperaveness, faithfulness, de-
cency, modesty, openness, cheerfulness, tolerance, reasonableness, tacul-
ness, winess, gracefulness, liveliness, persistence, prudence, resourceful-
ness, peacefulness, warmth, hospitality, and especially gratefulness!
8/7/2019 Character Ed 2011 Week 2
16/16
16 Character Education/Black History Month February 12, 2011 Afro-American Newspapers
Afro-American NewspapersCharacter Education Essay Contest
T
he Afro-American Newspapers Character Education
Contest was launched 14 years ago to promote
positive character development among the nations
leaders of tomorrow our youth.We believe good character has to be taught and
modeled, which is why we have chosen to prole local corporate
professionals and business leaders in our publication.
Te featured individuals, time and time again, incorporate positive
character traits such as honesty, respect, responsibility, courage
and perseverance in their everyday lives, proving to be positive role
models in their community.
For the contest, students are asked to read the featured proles
and choose the one that inspires them most to incorporate positive
character traits in their own lives. Students should then write an essay
that best explains why they chose the article and how they plan to use
what theyve learned to shape their future.
Essays should be between two and four pages in length (double-spaced) and must be typed.
Essays will be judged on neatness, grammar, punctuation and the
students ability to give insight on what they learned from the prole.
Judges are impartial volunteers and may include teachers, sta from
local colleges and universities and the editorial sta at theAFRO.
For more information concerning the Afro-American Newspapers
Character Education Contest, please contact: Diane Hocker,
410-554-8243.
Deadline: April 8, 2011Mail typed essays to
:Diane Hocker Afro-American Newspapers2519 N. Charles Street Baltimore, Md. 21218
or e-mail them to:
charactereducation@afro.com
No faxes will be accepted
Cash prizes to be awarded
Eighth-Graders Only