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Watts Riots

Watts Burns

The Watts Riots (or Watts Rebellion) took place in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles from August 11 to 17, 1965. The six-day riot resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, 3,438 arrests, and over $40 million in property damage. It was the most severe riot in the city’s history until the Los Angeles riots of 1992.

In the Great Migration of the 1920s, major populations of African-Americans moved to Northern cities like Detroit, Chicago, and New York City to escape racial segregation, Jim Crow Laws, violence, and racial bigotry in the Southern States. This wave of migration largely bypassed Los Angeles. In the 1940s, in the Second Great Migration, black Americans migrated to the West Coast in large numbers, in response to defense industry recruitment at the start of World War II. The black population in Los Angeles leaped from approximately 63,700 in 1940 to about 350,000 in 1965, making the once small black community visible to the general public.

Autherine Lucy Foster

Autherine Juanita Lucy was the first black student to attend the University of Alabama, in 1956. She was born on October 5, 1929 in Shiloh, Alabama and graduated from Linden Academy in 1947. She went on to attend Selma University in Selma, and the all-black Miles College in Fairfield – where she graduated with a BA in English in 1952.

Later in 1952, at the encouragement of and along with a Miles classmate, Pollie Ann Myers, she decided to attend the University of Alabama as a graduate student but, knowing that admission would be difficult due to the University’s admission policies, she and Myers approached the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for help. Thurgood Marshall, Constance Baker Motley, and Arthur Shores were assigned to be their attorneys. While they started preparing her case, she worked as a secretary. Court action began in July 1953. Continue reading →

Thomas Elkins

patent #221,22

Thomas Elkins designed a device that helped with the task of preserving perishable foods by way of refrigeration. At the time, the common way of accomplishing this was by placing items in a large container and surrounding them with large blocks of ice. Unfortunately, the ice generally melted very quickly and the food soon perished.

Elkins’ device utilized metal cooling coils which became very cold and would cool down items which they surrounded. The coils were enclosed within a container and perishable items were placed inside. The coils cooled the container to a temperature significantly lower than that inside of a room thereby keeping the perishable items cool and fresh for longer periods of time.

chamber commode

Elkins patented this refrigerated apparatus on November 4, 1879 and had previously patented a chamber commode in 1872 and a dining, ironing table and quilting frame combined in 1870.

An improved chamber commode (toilet) was patented by Thomas Elkins on January 9, 1872. Elkins’ commode was a combination bureau, mirror, book-rack, washstand, table, easy chair, and chamber stool. It was a very unusual piece of furniture.

Arthur Springarn

Arthur Spingarn

Arthur Barnette Spingarn (1878-1971) was an American leader in fight for civil rights for African Americans.

Spingarn was born into a well-to-do family. He graduated from Columbia College in 1897 and from law school in 1899. He was one of a small group of white Americans who decided in the 1900s (decade)to support the radical demands for racial justice being voiced by W. E. B. Du Bois in contrast to the more ameliorative views of Booker T. Washington. He served as head of the legal committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and one of its vice-presidents starting in 1911. Continue reading →

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site

Fredrick Douglas home

The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service, Ñ–s located Ð°t 1411 W St., SE Ñ–n Anacostia, Ð° neighborhood east Ð¾f the Anacostia River Ñ–n Southeast Washington, D.C.. Established Ñ–n 1988 Ð°s Ð° National Historic Site, the site preserves the home Ð°nd estate Ð¾f Frederick Douglass, Ð¾ne Ð¾f the mÐ¾st prominent African Americans Ð¾f the 19th century. Douglass lived Ñ–n thÑ–s house, whÑ–ch he named Cedar Hill, frÐ¾m 1877 until hÑ–s death Ñ–n 1895. Perched high Ð¾n Ð° hilltop, the site Ð°lsÐ¾ offers Ð° sweeping view Ð¾f the U.S. Capitol Ð°nd the Washington D.C. skyline.

The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Ñ–s located Ð°bÐ¾ut Ð° ten-minute walk frÐ¾m the Anacostia Metro station, though walking frÐ¾m the station Ñ–s often discouraged by National Mall information workers Ð°nd tourist guide books, whÐ¾ recommend taking Ð° taxi.

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