Nashville Then: American Baptist College, founded in 1924, over the years in photos
The American Baptist College started as the American Baptist Theological Seminary to educate Black Baptist ministers. The college was part of Nashville's Civil Rights Movement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Longtime parenting columnist and editorial writer Annette Clifford passed away this week
It's always sad when you receive news that a former coworker has passed away. It's so much worse when that coworker was a kind, gentle, compassionate soul who spent her life fighting against social injustices the best way she knew how: with her writing. And she was a hell of a writer. The entire FLORIDA TODAY community was saddened to learn that Annette Clifford, who regaled Brevard County for more than a decade with her parenting column that started in the late 1990s and later with her biting editorials holding government officials accountable, died this week after a long illness. She was only 69 years old. Born in Asheville, N.C, in 1956 and raised in Raleigh, Annette lived an adventurous life before settling down in Satellite Beach with her husband Tom ― whom she married in 1978 ― and their three sons. She spent time living in Algeria, Paris, and on New York's Bleecker Street in the heart of Greenwich Village and earned degrees from The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, New York University and a master's in literature from William & Mary. "She was very private but had a wild, adventurous spirit," her heartbroken husband, Tom, told me this week over a cup of coffee. "I was blessed to have found this partner." But it wasn't her world travels or educational experiences that touched the hearts of so many here on the Space Coast. It was the unique, beautiful, poignant and often comical way she wrote about what it was like to raise three boys in Brevard County. Tom Clifford was the FLORIDA TODAY features editor in 1998 when the reporter writing a weekly parenting column wanted to take a break. He offered Annette an opportunity to give it a try and she took to it immediately. "She was naturally funny in a benign, lowkey, unassuming way and she managed to chanel that into a column talking about being a parent raising three young boys in this day and age," Tom said. "She managed to come up with a great style that was personable, funny and something that everybody could relate to whether you had kids or not. It became an instant hit." After four to five years of writing the column, Annette joined the newspaper's editorial page as a part-time editorial writer and before long was hired full-time. It was her experience growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Movement and seeing racism and social injustice that informed all of her editorial writing. She published a collection of her columns in a book called: "World's Toughest Job: Tales of Modern Motherhood", that is still available on Amazon. It was a sad day in 2010 when Tom and Annette left Brevard for job opportunities in Charleston, S.C. The couple returned to Brevard in recent years and Annette continued writing all the time. She wrote poetry, short stories, a novel and even won the Florida State University 'World's Best Short Short-Story contest' one year. Longtime FLORIDA TODAY columnist Billy Cox stayed in touch with Annette through a writer's group hosted by another former FLORIDA TODAY staffer, Pam Harbaugh, who covered theater and the arts. "I knew Annette best through her personal writing. The columns she wrote for the paper were just the surface material," Cox said. "I'd drive over there every six months or so and we'd all get together and share what we'd been working on. Annette's best work was her fiction, short stories, poetry, at least one novel. I tend to think the South was the source of so much inspiration. Her insights and observational skills could be ferocious and downright scary in their precision. She was probably the best of us, and we were all hoping she might publish and get the wider audience she deserved." "I'm very sad today," he added. Harbaugh remained close to Annette right up until the end. She said Annette, though a serious person, wasn't afraid to show her silly side. She recalled a time when they attended a Crosby, Stills and Nash concert at the King Center in Melbourne and how Annette screamed "at the top of her lungs like a teenage girl" when Stephen Stills walked on stage. "She later told me she had a massive crush on him," Harbaugh said. "I'm sure that found its way somewhere into a poem." To call the last year of her life a difficult one would be a massive understatement. In September, Tom and Annette suffered every parent's worst nightmare when their first-born child, Nick, died in a car accident on US 1. It was a loss she never recovered from. One of the last poems she wrote came months after that devastating loss. She wrote: 'And just now, today, the noise of life came again my way. I listened. What was said? I don't even know. Just that I heard hope murmuring.' Annette is survived by her husband Tom, sons Declan and Graham and four ― soon to be five ― grandchildren. Despite all her writing achievements, it was clear that her family was the center of her universe. "Annette held dear the essence of life, family and friendships," Harbaugh said. "She saw nobility in the humble and resonance in the mundane. That showed in her poetry and prose. It remains sophisticated, smart, filled with wit, sly observation and appropriately melancholy given her French heritage (which also informed her penchant for spitting into the eye of a king)." Arrangements are still being made for a memorial and celebration of Annette's life. "She was so kind, so pleasant, so compassionate, so helpful. She was all these things naturally," Tom said with a sad smile. "Thank God she was there raising these boys with that sensibility." Contact Torres at jtorres@ You can follow him on X @johnalbertorres or on Facebook at Support local journalism and become a subscriber. Visit This article originally appeared on Florida Today: FLORIDA TODAY Parenting Columnist Annette Clifford will be missed
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Ali Velshi: How Americans can defend our democracy against Trump
This is an adapted excerpt from the May 24 episode of 'Velshi.' In the wake of Donald Trump's second term, more and more Americans are asking a critical question: 'What can I do to defend democracy in America?' That question marks a shift away from the comforting illusion that courts, politicians or institutions will save America's democracy on their own. They won't. Institutions have failed us repeatedly, as we have learned that what we thought were guardrails are merely suggestions, reliant on goodwill, decency and the honor system. Real political change in America doesn't come from the top; it never has. It comes from the bottom, from ordinary people resisting in big and small ways. That's the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. The political scientist Gene Sharp, nicknamed the 'dictator slayer,' wrote something of a playbook for resisting authoritarian regimes. He didn't invent these strategies, but he observed them. For decades, Sharp studied how ordinary people challenged brutal regimes around the world, and what he found was simple, yet powerful: All rulers — even the most oppressive — rely on the cooperation of the people. Through fear, apathy or consent, they maintain power. But when people refuse to cooperate, when they disobey, that's when authoritarian systems begin to crack. That's why historian Timothy Snyder begins his book titled 'On Tyranny' with this warning: 'Do not obey in advance.' Because it's in those first, often invisible, acts of surrender that authoritarianism takes root. As we face creeping authoritarianism here at home, Snyder's advice stands as a call to action for Americans confronting Trump. History shows that the courage to stand up to authority and hold power to account has helped sustain our democracy and other democracies around the world. The historian Drew Gilpin Faust, a former president of Harvard University, captured that spirit in a powerful essay for The New York Times about the Union soldiers of the Civil War. She wrote: I have read dozens of these men's letters and diaries, windows into why they fought, into what and whom they loved and what they hoped for at the end of a war they knew they might not survive. Together they did save the Union … These men made our lives possible. They were impelled to risk all by a sense of obligation to the future. We possess a reciprocal obligation to the past. We must not squander what they bequeathed to us. We owe it to them, and every generation that came after them: women who won the right to vote, students who walked into newly desegregated schools under armed guard, trade unionists who faced violence for fighting for the rights of workers, those who fought for voting rights, reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+ dignity. They didn't wait for permission. They disobeyed in advance. They withdrew their cooperation from injustice. Oftentimes, they blatantly and openly broke the law, as TV cameras rolled. Which brings us back to Sharp's basic premise, a very Gandhian premise. He believed that noncooperation, the deliberate refusal to obey or comply, is one of the most powerful ways to disrupt oppressive systems. Because when enough people stop participating in the machinery of control, that very system begins to break down. So, if you're wondering what you can do, here are some ideas that draw from proven strategies of resistance — adapted for today's world. In Missouri, a government-run tip line targeting the trans community was flooded with thousands of fake reports, including the entire movie script of 'The Bee Movie' submitted over and over again. The result? Total system collapse. Utah and Texas faced similar backlashes, with Utah shutting down its own surveillance hotline under the weight of memes and mass trolling. This, of course, is what undergirded the Civil Rights Movement in America, but here's a more recent example: In Idaho, a middle school teacher refused to remove a sign that read 'Everyone Is Welcome Here.' It didn't mention politics, race or gender, but was still deemed too controversial. After a monthslong battle, she resigned two weeks ago in protest. This can include using the opposition's own tools against them. In 2024, Oklahoma's Republican-controlled Legislature passed a law allowing parents to opt their children out of 'harmful' educational material. Now, a group of parents has turned that law on its head. In response to Superintendent of Public Education Ryan Walters' new curriculum, which includes conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and Christian nationalist ideology, a parent group called We're Oklahoma Education, or WOKE, is fighting back. They've created an opt-out form allowing families to withdraw their children from lessons on 'Judeo-Christian concepts of ethics and government' and 'discrepancies in 2020 election results.' Their approach is not only bold but legally savvy since the group is using the very law that conservatives passed, which was designed to shield students from so-called progressive content. The opt-out letter warns schools that failure to comply could result in legal action. This one, of course, is close to my heart. When Target pulled Pride merchandise and scaled back diversity, equity and inclusion commitments, thousands of Americans launched a boycott campaign on TikTok, Facebook and other platforms. The result? Target's quarterly profits dropped and the company admitted that backlash from both sides had harmed its bottom line. In Worcester, Massachusetts, viral footage of an aggressive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid showed federal agents detaining a woman as her daughters clung to the car, one of them holding a baby. Bystanders, including a city councilor and a school board candidate, intervened. The video sparked immediate outrage and protests across the state. In response, Worcester officials released bodycam footage and then took action: The city issued an executive order barring city employees from cooperating with ICE or inquiring about immigration status. This is the final, and perhaps my favorite, form of disruption. Civil rights activist Bruce Hartford noted that humor and audacity go hand in hand: 'You can weaken, unbalance, and ultimately overthrow the king quicker by laughing at him than by futilely screaming fury at him.' Groups like the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and The Satanic Temple have used satire to expose religious favoritism in public institutions. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whose adherents refer to themselves as 'Pastafarians,' mocked efforts to teach intelligent design in public schools by proposing a noodle-based deity, highlighting the dangers of blurring church and state. The Satanic Temple, which is not to be confused with the Church of Satan and does not promote devil worship, took similar action, demanding equal representation when governments promoted religious symbols like Ten Commandments monuments or sanctioned prayer in public schools. Their logic forced officials to either accommodate all religions or retract their policies altogether. So if you're asking yourself what one person can do, these are ideas to hopefully get you thinking. And remember this final piece of advice from Snyder: 'Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny.' This article was originally published on
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
The Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative announces dedication ceremonies
The Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative has reached a significant milestone in its mission to document the region's Underground Railroad history, with an additional eight verified sites now officially listed on the National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Supported by an Appalachian Regional Commission POWER Grant awarded to the Lawrence Economic Development Corp., this nine-county, tri-state project spans the tristate region of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. When completed, the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tour will consist of 27 verified Network to Freedom sites. The initiative aims to preserve historically significant locations and promote economic development through cultural tourism in the Appalachian region. The Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative will host two dedication ceremonies during the month of June to unveil the historical markers indicating sites added to the NPS Network to Freedom. The Campbell House, home to John and Elizabeth Campbell, served as a station for Underground Railroad operations in Lawrence County, Ohio. The Campbells worked with other local abolitionists to assist freedom seekers in the area. This dedication event will be held on June 4, 2025, at 10 a.m. and will take place at The Campbell House, 305 N. 5th Street in Ironton. Also, taking place on June 4 at 11:30 a.m., will be the dedication of the Ironton African Methodist Church. The African Methodist Church of Ironton, Ohio, known today as Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, was founded by Retta and Gabe N. Johnson. The couple helped freedom seekers escape through the Hanging Rock Iron District, a region encompassing the tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky and what was formerly part of the state of Virginia and is now part of West Virginia. This even will be held at the Ironton African Methodist Church, located at 514 S. 8th Street in Ironton. Two locations in Portsmouth will be dedicated in on Sunday, June 8. Pleasant Green Baptist Church, Portsmouth's oldest active Black Baptist congregation, was founded by formerly enslaved individuals and allies and has deep connections to Underground Railroad history in Appalachian Ohio. Allen Chapel AME Church, a historic African American church with roots tracing back to the pre-Civil War era, Allen Chapel played a pivotal role in supporting freedom seekers in Portsmouth. As a central institution within the local Black community, the church's members, including John J. Minor and his wife, Martha Minor, Joseph Love, John Q. Weaver and his wife, Mary Weaver demonstrated resilience and agency, actively participating in the Underground Railroad and leaving a legacy of courage and hope that continues to inspire future generations. This dedication event will take place on June 8th at 4 p.m., at 1421 Waller St. in Portsmouth. Dr. Andrew Feight, Director of Research and Outreach for the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative, expressed the importance of this work, stating, "It is exciting to see this federal investment in the historical assets we have in the tristate region. Our research is recovering important lost chapters of local history that will transform our understanding of the past and help draw interest and visitors to the region. This is a history for which we all can be proud as Americans and it's an honor and a humbling experience for me to play my part in the endeavor." Marty Conley, LEDC/Tourism Director of Lawrence County, Ohio, added, 'We're honored that the Appalachian Heritage Freedom Tourism Initiative has helped make it possible for the National Park Service to recognize these Underground Railroad sites. This is a meaningful step in preserving these stories, and we look forward to safeguarding even more local history for future generations.' 'Pleasant Green Baptist Church symbolizes the importance of the history of the African American church as it relates to what it means to help people be set free,' explained Rev. Antonio Neeley, the Pastor of Pleasant Green Baptist Church, who has also served as an Outreach Specialist on the project. 'The church assisted freedom seekers in gaining their freedom, which is important to both American and world history. I am proud to be connected to these great leaders of Portsmouth as an African American male, a pastor, a Christian, and a citizen of the city of Portsmouth.' Karen Nance, Outreach Specialist for Cabell County, West Virginia reminds us why the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative is important for the region: 'The biggest thing we need when we tell the stories of slaves is that we need to remember that they were people. They had talent, ambition, work ethic…all the things that make human beings human beings. We know all these things about the enslavers - the architecture they lived in, the clothes they wore — and we need to know more about the enslaved. We're telling heroic stories of people who were seeking their freedom.'
