Black History Month highlight: The Heart of the African-American Labor Movement Beat in a Landmark Detroit Church

The Rev. Charles Hill, pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit and a major figure in the American labor movement.

Black History Month 2025 highlights “African Americans and Labor”

FEBRUARY 2025—The founders of this special nationwide emphasis—The Association of for the Study of African American Life and History—is calling on all Americans to learn more this February about the many roles African-Americans played in the movement to protect and empower American workers. One way you can do that right now is by watching two videos—just a total of 10 minutes—about the role of the Rev. Charles Hill, the prophetic leader who brought together the influence of the African-American church and the power of the emerging labor movement for justice and inclusion.

These videos were produced by the Making Tracks nonprofit in Detroit, which is part of the larger MotorCities National Heritage Area.

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Care to learn more?

THIS WEEK, JOE GRIMM, founding director of the Michigan State University School of Journalism Bias Busters, has also written a column … (describe and link to what Joe writes) …

A HELPFUL GATEWAY TO FEDERALLY FUNDED RESOURCES—from the National Park Services to the Smithsonian—is hosted collectively by BlackHistoryMonth.gov where you’ll find easy links to a half dozen other major repositories of information, images and other historical records.

PLUS, NEARLY 20 MORE DOCUMENTARY VIDEOS focusing on Detroit’s connections between African Americans and the labor movement are indexed on this page within the Making Tracks website.

Click on the cover to visit the book’s Amazon page. (This is just one of many books we publish about peacemaking and overcoming our legacy of racism.)

Since 2007, our online magazine and our parent, Front Edge Publishing, have produced fair, accurate and balanced news about religious, cultural and racial diversity. We have published a series of books by international peacemaker Daniel L. Buttry that include inspiring stories of men and women (and even some children) who risked standing up for justice on behalf of their neighbors, despite bigotry.

We publish Friendship & Faith, a collection of true stories from women who courageously crossed boundaries of religion, culture and race to discover new friends on the other side of their often difficult journeys.

The Black Knight is the memoir of the oldest living African American graduate of West Point.

The work of Dr. Anni Reinking explores complex issues of multi-racial families as described in her wise and inspiring, Not Just Black and White. That link takes you to our 2019 coverage of the launch of Anni’s book. Then, in 2020, Anni followed up in our magazine by writing a two-part series for us: First, she wrote, “Dr. Anni Reinking reminds us it’s ‘Not Just Black and White’.” Then, she added a sidebar headlined: “Dr. Anni Reinking on ‘What can I do now?’” That story includes a list of practical ideas for readers.

Perhaps our most ambitious series of all is co-produced with the Michigan State University School of Journalism Bias Busters. That series includes a number of books about racial diversity, including one on African Americans and one on the Black Church.

 

 

 

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How will you help to build Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s beloved community in 2025?

“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.
You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.
You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace.
A soul generated by love.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


MONDAY, JANUARY 20—Serve in your community this week and learn more about civil rights, as the nation collectively remembers the prophetic life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the third Monday in January annually brings the celebration of a pivotal figure in American history who, during his lifetime, worked ceaselessly for the civil rights movement and nonviolent activism.

However, this year, millions of Americans are struggling with conflicting anxieties and dreams as the King holiday coincides with the inauguration of Donald Trump for his second term as president.

In The Washington Post, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Colbert I. King, writes this week:

America changes hands on Monday. Uncertainty abounds. Many among us have pits in our stomachs over what lies ahead. One question looms large: In the days ahead, will the U.S. government, which so often has come down on the right side, still stand up for justice?

Want a musical setting for our reflections?

This anxiety also has produced many creative and inspiring responses. NPR broadcast an inspiring commentary by musician Lara Downes, who said:

As a musician considering the long arc of history, I realize that now it’s my turn to show up, to be ready and willing to pursue the dream that Dr. King fought for, along with so many of that generation, including my own parents. I don’t know exactly what that will mean—maybe facing my own fears, maybe more.

If you do click the link to this NRP commentary, don’t miss the end of the commentary, because Downes has compiled 26 songs, via NPR, of “Music for Martin’s Dream.” That’s a terrific soundtrack to honor and reflect on Dr. King’s legacy.

MLK Day: A History

Martin Luther King, Jr. became a Baptist pastor and helped to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, serving as its first president. In 1963, King helped to organize the March on Washington and, there, delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech.

King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for combating racial inequality through nonviolence.

When a bill was introduced for a federal holiday in honor of Dr. King, some representatives argued that an additional paid holiday would be too expensive and that Dr. King, having never held public office, was ineligible. Supporters of the bill began rallying the public, and when Stevie Wonder released “Happy Birthday” in 1980 to raise awareness of the campaign, 6 million signatures were collected. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill that established a federal holiday on November 2, 1983. The holiday was first observed in 1986, and today, Americans are urged to honor the “King Day of Service” by spending the day doing something Dr. King viewed as unparalleled: serving others.

Care to Learn More?

The official nationally sponsored gateway for Dr. King is hosted by The National Park Service.

There’s also a wonderful, visual celebration of Dr. King hosed by The Smithsonian.

And, this week, learn more about national efforts to honestly report on the tragic legacy of racism in America. Also in January 2025, we published a story headlined: After more than a century, the U.S. officially corrects the record of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Click on the cover to visit the book’s Amazon page. (This is just one of many books we publish about peacemaking and overcoming our legacy of racism.)

Since our founding in 2007, our online magazine and our parent, Front Edge Publishing, has reported fair, accurate and balanced news about religious, cultural and racial diversity. We have published a series of books by international peacemaker Daniel L. Buttry that include inspiring stories of men and women (and even some children) who risked standing up for justice on behalf of their neighbors, despite bigotry.

We publish Friendship & Faith, a collection of true stories from women who courageously crossed boundaries of religion, culture and race to discover new friends on the other side of their often difficult journeys.

The Black Knight is the memoir of the oldest living African American graduate of West Point.

The work of Dr. Anni Reinking explores complex issues of multi-racial families as described in her wise and inspiring, Not Just Black and White. That link takes you to our 2019 coverage of the launch of Anni’s book. Then, in 2020, Anni followed up in our magazine by writing a two-part series for us: First, she wrote, Dr. Anni Reinking reminds us it’s ‘Not Just Black and White’. Then, she added a sidebar headlined: Dr. Anni Reinking on ‘What can I do now?’ That story includes a list of practical ideas for readers.

Perhaps our most ambitious series of all is co-produced with the Michigan State University School of Journalism Bias Busters. That series includes a number of books about racial diversity, including one on African Americans and one on the Black Church.

 

 

 

Allhallowtide, Dia de los Muertos, and Samhain: A ‘Halloween’ trio of holidays

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 and SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2: Deeply rooted in a centuries-old Gaelic and Irish seasonal festival known as Samhain, today’s Halloween is considered by many to be the time of year that spirits can roam the earth. From Samhain to Mexico’s Day of the Dead, world cultures celebrate the belief that at this time of year, the veil between this world and the next is particularly thin. It’s not all solemn, though—today’s secular Halloween also brings out bright Jack-o-lanterns, loads of candy and a pretty good excuse for adults to join in on the costuming fun with kids!

HALLOWEEN: CHRISTIAN TO SECULAR

Allhallowtide, the triduum of Halloween, recalls deceased spirits, saints (hallows) and martyrs alike, in one collective commemoration. The word Halloween is of Christian origin, and many Christians visit graveyards during this time to pray and place flowers and candles at the graves of deceased loved ones. In the Christian faith, the two days following All Hallows Eve—All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day—pay homage to the souls that are now with God.

Did you know? In medieval England, Christians went “souling” on Halloween, begging for soul cakes in exchange for prayers in local churches.

Halloween’s secular side has emerged during the past century, and today, trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, visiting haunted houses, watching horror movies and dressing up like favored characters has become custom in Western culture.

SAMHAIN: GUISING FOR A TRICK AND PREPARING FOR THE DARKER SEASON

The original Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and ushered in winter, or the “darker half” of the year, in Gaelic Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. During this time of year, bonfires were lit for the purpose of divination and as a protective and cleansing measure. Legend has it that spirits could easily come to earth, and many people would leave out food and drink for the roaming entities.

In many households, ancestors were welcomed to the table with particular enthusiasm, and large meals were prepared. Multiple sites in Ireland were, and still are, associated with Samhain, and the spirits that emerge there at this time of year. Guising—donning a costume—was thought to “trick” ill-intentioned spirits roaming the streets near Samhain, and hallowed-out turnips were lit with a candle and placed in windows, their monstrous carved faces frightening bad spirits.

Today’s Samhain emerged as part of the late 19th century Celtic Revival, and Neopagans, Celtic Reconstructionist Pagans and Wiccans all celebrate the holiday, in slightly varying ways. Most keep the widespread traditions of lighting bonfires, paying homage to ancestors, welcoming the “darker” season and preparing feasts with apples, nuts, meats, seasonal vegetables and mulled wines.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: DAY OF THE DEAD

Vibrant decorations for Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, mark towns in Mexico and Latin American communities far and wide, as the lives of the departed are celebrated with vigor. The full festival of Dia de los Muertos typically lasts two or three days (in some regions, customs begin on October 31), and traditionally, November 1 pays tribute to the souls of children and the innocent while November 2 is dedicated to deceased adult souls.

In Mexico, relatives adorn altars and graves with elaborate garlands and wreaths, crosses made of flowers and special foods. Families gather in cemeteries, where pastors bestow prayers upon the dead. For children, Dia de los Muertos celebrations mean candy like sugar skulls and once-a-year treats; music and dancing delight celebrants of all ages.

ALL THINGS HALLOWEEN:
DIY COSTUMES, DÉCOR, PARTIES & MORE

What’s Halloween without some good costumes and tasty treats?

Bob Marley feature film adds to awareness of Rastafari celebration of Haile Selassie

TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2024—Critics were divided in their reviews of the 2024 feature film Bob Marley: One Love, but there is no question: Millions of moviegoers around the world are freshly aware of Marley’s remarkable life, his stirring music and his devotion to Halie Selassie through Marley’s own participation in the Jamaican Rastafari religious movement.

So, this summer, we are likely to see more public awareness of Selassie’s birthday on July 23, 1892. This would have been his 132nd birthday. (To learn more about the movie, which continues to circulate via streaming, DVD and Bluray, here is a link to Edward McNulty’s review.)

Rastafari around the world—estimated to number 700,000 to 1 million—hold Nyabingi drumming sessions to remember Haile Selassie I as God incarnate. (Note: The belief that Selassie is God incarnate is not universally held; some Rastas regard Selassie as a messenger of God.)

TAFARI MAKONNEN: FROM MUD HUT TO PALACE

Beginnings were meager for this emperor-to-be, born in a mud hut in Ethiopia. Selassie—originally named Tafari Makonnen—was a governor’s son, assuming the throne of Ethiopia in a complex struggle for succession. The nation’s leaders favored Tafari for the role of emperor—and, in 1930, he was crowned. Selassie would become Ethiopia’s last emperor.

Years prior to Haile Selassie’s enthronement, American black-nationalist leader Marcus Garvey began preaching of a coming messiah who would lead the peoples of Africa, and the African diaspora, into freedom. When news of Selassie’s coronation reached Jamaica, it became evident to some that Selassie was this foretold messiah. Beyond the prophesies in the book of Revelation and New Testament that Rastafari point to as proof of Selassie’s status, the emperor also could trace his lineage back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Rastafari pointed to Selassie as the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David and the King of Kings.

Did you know? The Rastafari receive their name from the combination of Ras—an honorific title, meaning “head”—and Tafari, part of Selassie’s birth name.

Selassie remained a lifelong Christian, but never reproached the Rastafari for their beliefs in him as the returned messiah.

 

Independence Day celebrations start this week, so plan your July 4 festivities early

And, buckle up for record traffic on the nation’s highways

THURSDAY, JULY 4: Start planning your Independence Day festivities, now, because many communities nationwide are hosting events as early as this week! Among the earliest in the nation is Detroit’s enormous fireworks show along the Detroit River on Monday, June 24, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Plus, we already know that many highways will be jammed around July 4. The AAA annual travel forecast reports: “AAA projects 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday travel period*. For the first time, AAA looked at the entire July 4th week, plus the Saturday before and the Sunday after the holiday. This year’s projected number of travelers for that time period is a 5% increase compared to 2023 and an 8% increase over 2019.”

And check any airline plans you’re making, too! Some major airports nationwide are urging travelers to show up early for flights on and around July 4 this year, because of the anticipated crowds.

MACY’S CELEBRATES JULY 4 ON NBC and Peacock: Just as Macy’s has branded Thanksgiving as an occasion for a colorful nationwide celebration, Macy’s also is branding July 4. This year, the 48th annual Macy’s 4th of July fireworks display will take place over the Hudson River. That’s a move that has New Jersey residents cheering, reports NBCNewYork: “For the first time in more than a decade, the annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks spectacle will be held on the Hudson River—giving New Jerseyans a front-row seat to the fireworks extravaganza that lights up the iconic New York City skyline. … New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy welcomed the news expressing his excitement to the location change from the East River to the Hudson River.”

Click on this thumbnail-sized copy of the Declaration to see it enlarged so you can read the text and the signers’ names.

THE DECLARATION: A HISTORY

With the fledgling battles of the Revolutionary War in April 1775, few colonists expected complete independence from Great Britain. Within a year, however, hostilities toward Great Britain were building and the desire for independence was growing, too. Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet, “Common Sense,” fueled the unifying aspiration for independence.

In June 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a five-person committee to draft a formal statement that would vindicate the break with Great Britain: Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson, considered the most articulate writer in the group, crafted the original draft. A total of 86 changes were made to the draft before its final adoption on July 4 by the Second Continental Congress. On July 5, 1776, official copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed. (Learn more from History.com.)

One year following, in 1777, Philadelphia marked the Fourth of July with an official dinner, toasts, 13-gun salutes, music, parades, prayers and speeches. As the new nation faced challenges, celebrations fell out of favor during ensuing decades. It wasn’t until after the War of 1812 that printed copies of the Declaration of Independence again were widely circulated, and festivities marked America’s Independence Day. Congress declared July 4 a national holiday in 1870.

‘A CAPITOL FOURTH’ from D.C.

A salute of one gun for each U.S. states is fired on July 4 at noon by any capable military base, and in the evening, A Capitol Fourth—a free concert broadcast live by PBS, NPR and the American Forces Network—takes place on the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C. For facts about the Declaration and more, visit USA.gov.

Who’s appearing this year? The band Chicago, Boyz II Men, Belinda Carlisle, Babyface, Renee Fleming—and many more.

Plus, PBS is offering lots of other helpful information, including:

AND MORE JULY 4 RECIPES

Nothing sets the stage for a summer party like the occasion of the Fourth of July! Dig up those red, white and blue decorations and recipes, and invite neighbors and friends over for a birthday bash for the nation.

From the perfect grilled steak to a fresh-fruit patriotic cake, here are some of the great links we’ve found for Independence Day: Martha Stewart, Food Network, Food & Wine, and Real Simple. HGTV offers last-minute snack ideas.

Or, stay indoors with a lineup of patriotic movies—Forbes offers a top-10 list of movies, including “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “Johnny Tremain,” “Live Free or Die Hard” and “The Patriot.”

It’s a $22-billion Easter for most Americans in 2024

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2024 and SUNDAY, MAY 5—It’s Easter! Twice this year—as usual—although the entire Christian world will be united next year on April 20, 2025, and again in the spring of 2028.

Despite many years of discussions about unifying the worldwide celebration of Easter, Christian leaders remain far apart in what continues to be known as the Easter Controversy. In truth, it’s more of a controversy in other parts of the world—because across the United States Easter is almost universally assumed to be March 31 this year.

Doubt that? Just ask Hallmark and a host of the nation’s largest retailers. The National Retail Federation’s annual report on Easter spending says:

Consumer spending is expected to reach a total of $22.4 billion this Easter—the second highest in the survey’s history, after last year’s record-setting $24 billion when the holiday fell nine days later in the year. … Consumers plan to spend an average of $177.06 per person on top items like candy, food, gifts and clothing this year.

Of course, the religious meaning of Easter has nothing to do with chocolate.

Here are the major milestones leading to (Western) Easter

Western Christians across the globe entered Holy Week on Palm Sunday, and begin the Easter Triduum—recounting the final days of Jesus’s life and Passion—on Thursday, with Holy (Maundy) Thursday.

HOLY (MAUNDY) THURSDAY: THE LAST SUPPER

The Paschal Triduum is initiated with Maundy Thursday, the fifth day of Holy Week. Alternatively known as Holy Thursday or Covenant Thursday, this day commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with the Apostles.

Some scholars believe that the name “Maundy Thursday” derived from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase stated by Jesus to describe the purpose for his washing their feet. (“A new commandment I give to unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”) In some churches, to this day, clergy ceremonially wash the feet of 12 persons as part of Maundy Thursday services. Following the Maundy Thursday service, in most Christian denominations, the altar is “stripped” in solemn fashion in preparation for Good Friday.

Today, even outside of the church building, global traditions for Maundy Thursday are varied and colorful. In the United Kingdom, the Monarch offers Maundy money to worthy elders; in Bulgaria, Easter eggs are colored and homes are prepared for the upcoming holy days. Holy Thursday is a public holiday in many Christian countries.

Did you know? In Bulgaria, Easter eggs must be painted on Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday in the early morning, before sunrise. The first painted egg must be red. 

At the conclusion of Maundy Thursday services, the attitude in the Church becomes somber, dark and mournful. Church bells fall silent until Easter.

 

Stick crosses Good Friday

Photo courtesy of Pickpik

GOOD FRIDAY: THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

While in the Garden of Gethsemane on Thursday night, Christian tradition says that Jesus was located by the Romans—led by Judas Iscariot—and arrested. This led to interrogation, torture and, eventually, to Jesus’ death by the horrific Roman method of crucifixion. In the Catholic Church, Good Friday is a fast day of the deepest solemnity. The altar is bare, vestments are red or black and the cross is venerated.

EXTRA: Joseph Haydn composed “The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour On the Cross,” commissioned in 1785 or 1786 for the Good Friday service at Cádiz Cathedral in Spain. Listen to it here.

In many parishes, the Stations of the Cross recount Jesus’ journey to the site of the crucifixion. In countries such as Malta, Italy, the Philippines and Spain, processions carry statues of the Passion of Christ. In Britain, Australia and Canada, hot cross buns are traditionally consumed on Good Friday (find a recipe here).

HOLY SATURDAY: QUIET AND SOLEMNITY

 

Holy Saturday, or Black Saturday, ushers in with the darkness of Good Friday, commemorating the day that Jesus’ body lay in the tomb. Traditionally, the altar remains bare or is draped in a simple black cloth. In Catholic parishes, the administration of sacraments is limited. Holy Saturday is a time of suspense, quiet and solemnity, as Christians continue to mourn the death of Jesus Christ. In Catholic tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows is given the title Our Lady of Solitude, for her grief at the earthly absence of her son, Jesus.

THE EASTER VIGIL—In the evening on Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil begins. A service that begins in darkness is illuminated, in Christian tradition, with the Light of Christ—the Paschal candle. After prayers, chants and biblical readings, “Gloria” is sung for the first time since Maundy Thursday. The church is flooded with light, statues covered during Passiontide are unveiled and the joy of the Resurrection begins. The Paschal candle, the largest and most exquisite candle in the church, is lit each day throughout the Paschal season.

‘Stopping by …’ Robert Frost’s poetry to mark his sesquicentennial

Robert Frost in about 1910. (Photo in public domain.)

ON MARCH 26, 1874, Robert Frost was born not in New England, as many of his readers may assume, but in San Francisco. In fact, he did not become a New England farmer until 1900, when his grandfather gave him and his wife Elinor a farm in Derry, New Hampshire. He had suffered from ill health during his studies at Harvard and his family assumed that moving to a farm might improve his health. In fact, contrary to popular assumptions, Frost was a terrible farmer at first.

Of course, farming fueled much of his poetic vision, which eventually led to his becoming the only poet ever to win four Pulitzer Prizes. (He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 31 times, but never won that award.)

His legacy has shaped American culture in countless ways, including during the presidency of John F. Kennedy, countless references in films and TV shows and in the works of such best-selling novelists as George R.R. Martin and Stephenie Meyer. And, he was a huge influence on the life and work of Nobel Prize-winning poet Joseph Brodsky.

To mark this milestone, and the publication of a special new selection of Frost’s most beloved poems by the Library of America, ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm wrote this tribute to Frost (and Brodsky’s promotion of Frost) in Goodreads, headlined: Sharing Poetic Pointers with Old Friends