multicultural

When dreams take flight

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

During airshow season, the Blue Angels team is stationed at Fort Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Their mission is to bring aviation to men, women and children across America. For over 70 years they have mesmerized over more than 450 million spectators.

It is in the nature of a child to dream. Adults sometimes dismiss these dreams as wishful thinking forgetting they once had childhood dreams.

As planes flew over his family farm in Georgia, Donnie Cochran began dreaming of becoming a pilot. The farm seemed to beckon the aircraft. Because the planes’ flight path was over the farm, the daily sighting became a ritual.

When he became older he pursued his dream and became a Navy pilot. The challenge of flying the fighter and flying off a Navy ship inspired him. In 1976, he graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the Navy.

In 1986, Commander Donnie Cochran became the first African American to become a member of the Blue Angel Flight team. He also made history in 1995 and 1996 by becoming the first African American Blue Angels commanding officer.

DonnieCochran

elainemarieartist.com

Serving in the shadows while shining the light

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

James Gould was the builder and first official keeper at St. Simons Lighthouse. After being awarded a contract to build the in 1807, he was appointed as the first light keeper at St. Simons. In 1830 he was paid $17000 to build a keeper’s dwelling. He served as light keeper for 27 years without an assistant lighthouse keeper.

Enslaved Black people often fulfilled the duties of a light keeper. They filled in when the light keeper was absent or sick.

In 1836, an elderly African American woman assisted in the keeping of St. Simons Lighthouse. She served while the lighthouse keeper was incapacitated with grout. James Gould was the Head Light Keeper during that time. He was the builder and first keeper at St. Simons Lighthouse.

Black Light Keepers

elainemarieartist.com

In the long run there is not much discrimination against superior talent – Carter G. Woodson

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Every President since Gerald Ford has declared February as Black History Month and proclaimed a theme. This year’s theme is Black Health and Wellness.

Carter G. Woodson helped found a group that began what was initially Black History week. They chose the second week in February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas.

Kizzmekia Corbett, an African American, is praised as the scientist behind the Covid vaccine. Corbett made headlines when she was part of a team that met with President Trump at the National Health Institute. “Corbett said that her participation during that event marked an important step forward for young scientists and people of color.”

She has a track record of excellence. When Corbett was a student she was selected for the Project Seed Project. The program for gifted minority students gave her the opportunity to study chemistry labs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Afterwards she received a full scholarship to the University of Maryland. During the summer, she earned an internship at the NIH.

After graduation began her doctoral studies at Chapel Hill. She worked as a research assistant studying viral infections. She received her PhD in microbiology and immunology.

Time honored her as “Hero of the Year” for her leadership in developing the Covid Vaccine.

Hero of The Year

KizzmekiaCorbett

Democracy Belongs to All of Us – Dennis Chavez

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

The Statue of Liberty in New York is recognized as a symbol of freedom. A broken shackle and chain lays at her feet representing the abolition of slavery.

Thousands of African Americans migrated to the North between 1900 and 1920 to escape economic hardship and racism and to search for human dignity and financial opportunity.

The veterans of World War I who had fought “to make the world safe for democracy” were determined to make democracy work at home.

From this mass migration, urbanization, and military participation, a dynamic artistic community evolved. The excitement permeated many communities, but New York’s Harlem became the center.

elainemarieartist.com

splash and color.com

Art must discover and reveal the beauty which prejudice and caricature have overlaid. Alan Locke

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

The Harlem Renaissance was a celebration of African American culture in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a rebirth of African American arts. Workshops highlight art by Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Beardon, Augusta Savage and William Johnson.

Thousands of African Americans migrated to the North between 1900 and 1920 to escape economic hardship and racism and to search for human dignity and financial opportunity.

The veterans of World War I who had fought “to make the world safe for democracy” were determined to make democracy work at home.

From this mass migration, urbanization, and military participation, a dynamic artistic community evolved.

The Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art by Andrea D. Barnwel

splash and color.com

Book Review: Lily Brown’s Painting

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Lily Brown’s Painting by Angela Johnson and EB Lewis is a positive and uplifting book that younger children will enjoy. This book highlights the creativity, strengths and love of a delightful African American girl. Lily has a zest for life, adores her family and especially her baby brother.

Lilly is a compassionate and kind girl with an active imagination. She explores the world through her art.

Children and their families will create a watercolor painting of the stars from the book, Lily Brown’s Painting.

While there is a reference to art by Van gogh, Lily also finds inspiration and appreciation in everyday occurrences and elevates them to imaginative heights. There are no limits to her creativity. Lily becomes one with her art often immersing herself in the paintings.

I love that the author, Angela Johnson shares center stage with the illustrator. There is a nice foreword by the artist, EB Lewis, about his creative progress.

Check out my website for lesson plans for this book and other art workshops.

splash and color.com

Justice Delayed

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

The painting “Bus” by Jacob Lawrence.

I love the artist Jacob Lawrence. I’m not alone —-one of his paintings recently broke an auction record to become among the most expensive works by an African American Artist. Lawrence depicted many social events in his paintings.

In the Jacob Lawrence workshop, students will learn about the US executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and discuss the role of the artist in society. Students will create a painting inspired by Jacob Lawrence. This curriculum meets National Educational Standards.

Jacob Lawrence’s painting “Bus” depicted life in the segregated South. The painting shows a bus with whites comfortably seated and blacks jammed in the back with empty seats separating the two races. It is painted in his signature gouache on paper with brown, blue and red color scheme.

To learn more about the Jacob Lawrence workshop and others, visit my website.

splash and color.com

Remember let us remember one book, one pen, one child, one teacher can change the world. Malala Yousafzai

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

The famed Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

On my first visit to Paris, I stayed at the Hotel de la Tulipe, a wonderful inn located near the Eiffel Tower. I traveled with a group of artists headed to Monet ‘s Garden in Giverny, France.

Grab, your flip flops and imagination. Explore Miami Beach’s Art Deco District through the eyes of a child in this delightful coloring book.

During my stay at the hotel, I befriended the Inn Keeper who told me about his creative and compassionate 5 year old. It seems his son wanted to make signs so tourists would not get lost in Paris. He showed me photos of the drawings.

The next day, I gave the Inn Keeper a copy of my Art Deco coloring book, “Splash and Color,” for his son. The following day much to my surprise, he told me his son had almost finished the coloring book and was researching the Internet to see what the actual buildings looked like.

Children have an insatiable curiosity. I’m glad my coloring book inspired this young Parisian.

Explore my a new website to see this coloring book, creative lesson plans and art.

Splash and color.com

Alarm Over Black Home School Movement

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

There’s a rise in Black Home Schooling.

According to an article in the New York’s Times “Remote school may be attend to dropping out… “ The article lists a lot of data to discourage Black and Latino parents from homeschooling without addressing obvious reasons besides Covid that these parents are opting to home school.

After years of being ignored by school systems, these parents are tired of discriminatory tactics by the educational system. It’s a system that often degrades students of color and ignores parental concerns about racial insensitivity of teachers. School books and curriculum reinforce this narrative by routinely overlooking the contributions of non-whites.

All the data in the world will not convince parents whose children have faced bias treatment. This article in the New York Times proves that the educational experts are “tone death.”

The Atlantic

New York Times