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Kids pose as civil rights icons for new book
Photographer Tricia Messeroux puts a new spin on kids playing dress-up by having them pose as civil rights icons for her new book, "Engineers of Equality." Lisa Bernhard produced this report.
Meet Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ mini-me, as well as Malcolm X’s, and Harriet Tubman’s, too.
Photographer Tricia Messeroux celebrates larger-than-life activists by shrinking them down in size, snapping portraits of kids dressed as civil rights pioneers for her new book, “Engineers of Equality.” "My vision was really to educate kids in a very entertaining and visual arts way about these activists and about these change makers.
So, giving them the opportunity to be part of it, but also making sure that they're informed and they understand who these people are and what they did." The book features side-by-side portraits of real activists alongside children transformed to look like them, as well as bios on each social justice pioneer.
Messeroux insisted the kids show up informed about who they were portraying and to even memorize a notable line or two from their alter-egos.
She photographed Jonathan Ridore at Selma, Alabama’s famed Edmund Pettus Bridge, where the 13-year-old posed as late Congressman John Lewis and delivered big time when it came to reciting what is perhaps Lewis’s most famous line: "Never, ever be afraid to make some noise, get into good trouble, necessary trouble.
To help redeem the souls of America." Nine-year-old Nia Thompson brushed up on Harriet Tubman before posing as the heroic former slave and abolitionist.
"It felt really good.
I mean I get to actually play a hero that basically helped people be free.
And I actually don't know where I'd be without her.
Like if - if she didn't do this I don't know where I'd be." The book features over 30 icons, with pint-sized versions of the late Shirley Chisholm - the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress – and educator Booker T.
Washington.
Messeroux, who was the only Black girl in her school growing up in Boston, said she’s trying to teach kids what she didn’t learn in class.
"There was never any Black history, like, ever any Black history.
And when they tried to give us a little bit of a tribute in February, it was only
That's the only person that they knew, was Dr. Martin Luther King.
And oh, by the way, he had a dream - and that's about it.” Her book also spotlights more recent pop culture pioneers, with 12-yer-old Makaio Bey taking a knee as NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and a tinier version of filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
This Day in History:, Selma to Montgomery March Begins.
March 21, 1965.
Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., between 3,000 and
8,000 marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge
out of Selma on their way to Montgomery.
Over the next five days, they were protected by thousands
of federalized Alabama National Guardsmen and soldiers.
Their numbers would swell to around 25,000.
At the state capitol, King would give his
famous "How Long, Not Long" speech.
The march came just days
after the passage of the civil
rights legislation known as
the Voting Rights Act.
The passage of the legislation followed two
unsuccessful attempts at the march which ended
in violence between police and the peaceful protestors.
President Lyndon Johnson cited the violence,
which had been broadcast on national television,
as a turning point in American history.
How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
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This Day in History: Young
Muhammad Ali Knocks out
Sonny Liston for First World Title.
February 25, 1964.
Cassius Clay was just 22-years-old
when he beat the world champion
in a seven round TKO. Liston had
been favored to win eight to one.
Before the match, Clay had
boasted he would knock Liston
in eight rounds, as he would
“float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”.
This proved to be accurate,
as Liston couldn't land his punches,
leading to a shoulder injury and
ultimately ending the match.
Two days after celebrating the
win with Nation of Islam leader
Malcolm X, Clay would become Muhammad Ali.
The world heavyweight title
would launch Ali's epic career.
He is widely considered one the
greatest athletes of the 20th century
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This Day in History:, Malcolm X Is Assassinated.
February 21, 1965.
Malcolm X was assassinated by rivals
of the Nation of Islam in New York City.
He had been addressing his Organization
of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon
Ballroom in Washington Heights.
Founded months earlier, the organization
advocated black identity and held that racism —
not whites — was the greatest foe of the African American.
The Nation of Islam advocated
Black nationalism and racial separatism.
Malcolm’s new movement steadily
gained followers, becoming increasingly
influential in the civil rights movement.
An estimated 30,000 mourners
attended his funeral in Harlem
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8 Powerful
Quotes, to Celebrate
Black History Month.
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will, Frederick Douglass.
History has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own, Michelle Obama.
I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear, Rosa Parks.
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world, Harriet Tubman.
Injustice anywhere is a threat
to justice everywhere, Martin Luther King Jr.
The best way to make dreams come true is to wake up, Mae C. Jemison.
Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope, Maya Angelou.
Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today, Malcolm X
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5 Super Tuesday , Takeaways.
Biden dominated, but not at
the American Samoa caucus, Jason Palmer was the victor,
taking two delegates from Biden. .
Still, a viable contender has yet to emerge.
Haley falls short, While the former governor of South Carolina
did take Vermont, the gap between her
and Trump elsewhere was too large.
Haley falls short, While the former governor of South Carolina
did take Vermont, the gap between her
and Trump elsewhere was too large.
North Carolina's race for governor
could mirror Biden vs. Trump, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who Trump once referred
to as "better than Martin Luther King," is one
of the country's most polarizing candidates.
Democrats are likely to push hard for Attorney General Josh Stein, painting Robinson as an extremist on certain issues along the way. .
Former NFL linebacker
Rep. Colin Allred wins in Texas, He can now skip facing off with
Sen. Roland Gutierrez again and focus on
beating Sen. Ted Cruz in the general election.
Former NFL linebacker
Rep. Colin Allred wins in Texas, He can now skip facing off with
Sen. Roland Gutierrez again and focus on
beating Sen. Ted Cruz in the general election.
After trying four times, Joe Biden wins Iowa, The state has rejected Biden for decades
but was stripped of its leadoff role,
voting with everyone else.
Biden won easily since it was not a caucus,
but rather a primary, and he was already
an incumbent president, AP reports. .
A Trump-Biden rematch is all but guaranteed. .
A Trump-Biden rematch is all but guaranteed.
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A 23-year-old man from Gandhinagar has been indicted in a case of ponzi scam worth $4,00,000 in Alabama in the US. The accused, Pathyam Patel, began selling.. IndiaTimes
Alabama Governor Signs, IVF Protection Bill .
On March 6, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed
legislation aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization
patients and providers from legal liability.
CNN reports that some clinics
are ready to lift a hold on certain
IVF services as early as this week. .
The Alabama bill comes after an
unprecedented state Supreme Court
ruling cast the future of IVF care into doubt.
The Supreme Court case reportedly
stemmed from the accidental destruction
of frozen embryos at a fertility clinic.
The state Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos
are human beings, meaning that those who destroy
them could be held liable for wrongful death.
The latest bill signed into law by the governor
aims to provide both civil and criminal
immunity to providers and patients in the case
of embryos being damaged or destroyed.
However, the fertility clinics say that the new law
doesn't address the core issue and fails to provide
the legal protection necessary to resume care.
The law does not nullify
the Supreme Court’s analysis
that says the law ought to
treat embryos just like people, Katherine Kraschel, assistant professor at
Northeastern University School of Law, via CNN.
CNN reports that experts have warned that
the latest bill could also insulate providers
from standard medical malpractice claims.
The governor stressed that the new law is meant to be
a "short-term measure" and reassured that "there will
be more work to come" on ensuring IVF protections.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Senate Democrats Will Attempt , to Pass Legislation Protecting IVF.
On Feb. 27, Democratic Senator
Tammy Duckworth said that she will seek
an immediate vote on Feb. 28 to pass her
Access to Family Building Act, Reuters reports. .
The push comes after Alabama ruled that embryos are essentially children, causing widespread implications for patients and doctors. .
If you truly care about the sanctity of families,
and you’re genuinely actually honestly interested in protecting IVF, then you need
to show it by not blocking this bill on
the floor tomorrow. It’s that simple, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, via statement.
Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran,
and her husband turned to IVF after
not being able to conceive for 10 years.
They currently have two children. .
I have five embryos that were created
(using IVF); three that were deemed
to be nonviable, would not survive, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, via statement.
Under "personhood laws" such as those
enacted in Alabama, Duckworth said, "I could
be convicted of manslaughter or murder for discarding these three eggs that were nonviable.".
Under "personhood laws" such as those
enacted in Alabama, Duckworth said, "I could
be convicted of manslaughter or murder for discarding these three eggs that were nonviable.".
While many Republicans have objected to Alabama's ruling, they are expected to block Duckworth's bill despite indicating otherwise, Reuters reports. .
Duckworth said that if Republicans end up objecting to the bill, she'd "love" to have those individuals named on the record. .
I expect them to, if they live up to the words
that they’re saying, to not block it. But we’ll
see tomorrow when the rubber hits the road, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, via statement
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This Day in History:, New Orleanians Take to
the Streets for Mardi Gras.
February 27, 1827.
Groups of masked students
danced in the streets,
marking the beginnings of the
city's Mardi Gras celebrations.
The Mardi Gras celebration
was brought to the region by French
settlers towards the end of the 1600s.
By the time students in
New Orleans danced in the
streets in costumes and masks.
the celebration of Carnival
had been popular in Mobile, AL,
for more than 100 years.
The New Orleans student
celebrations were inspired by their Paris studies.
Within five years, a French plantation
owner had begun raising money
to fund the celebration.
The first fully organized
Mardi Gras occurred in 1857
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 00:50Published