Linda's Blogspot

  The Democratic Party’s Bargain: Power, Race, and the New Deal WikiExplorers search to find project information: The Digital Reading Room felt heavier than usual. Congressional transcripts, correspondence between lawmakers, and political maps of the 1930s glowed across the Explorers’ screens. Today’s mission was not just historical—it was moral. The team was examining how the Democratic Party made a bargain that reshaped the destiny of millions of Black workers. Maya looked up from a thick folder of legislative notes. “This is the part nobody wanted to speak out loud,” she said. And so the WikiExplorers began their search. 1. The Political Landscape: A Divided Party The 1930s Democratic Party was not a unified force. It was a fragile coalition: Northern liberals pushing for a national safety net Southern Democratic segregationists determined to preserve white supremacy A president navigating between the two To pass the New Deal, Roosevelt needed both wings. Southern Democrats knew...

  WikiExplorers: Tracing the New Deal Notch When WikiExplorers set out to learn about the economic forces that shaped African American life during the 1930s, the journey led them directly into the overlooked corners of New Deal history. What they found was a story of promise, compromise, and exclusion—one that revealed how federal policies can uplift some while leaving others behind. Armed with census records, Congressional debates, oral histories, and Black newspapers from the era, the WikiExplorers moved through the archives like detectives. They discovered that Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal was not a single unified plan, but a political balancing act. Southern senators controlled powerful committees, and they refused to support labor protections unless agricultural and domestic workers were left out. The clue lay in simple language: “except those employed in agriculture or domestic service.” This “notch” became the centerpiece of their investigation. WikiExplorers traced how ...

  WikiExplorers: The Notch in the New Deal The Carved-Out People The WikiExplorers team gathered in the Digital Reading Room, where the walls hummed with scanned newspaper reels, congressional records, census data tables, and old photographs of Black farm families standing in dusty fields. This was the beginning of a journey into one of the most impactful—but least discussed—chapters in American labor history: the deliberate exclusion of African American farm workers from New Deal protections. The mission was simple but enormous: Follow the paper trail. Reconstruct the truth. Restore the voices. 1. The First Clue: A Single Sentence The adventure began when one Explorer, Maya, found a short but powerful line in the 1935 Social Security Act: “This shall not apply to individuals employed in agriculture or domestic service.” Those few words looked harmless at first, but as the WikiExplorers dug deeper, they realized that this clause removed millions of people from the safety net that t...

FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt) and the New Deal “notched” excluded African American farmworkers from full participation — that disenfranchised African Americans socially, politically, and economically. How FDR’s Policies Disenfranchised African American Farm Workers During the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal created groundbreaking programs meant to stabilize the economy, protect workers, and uplift poor Americans. But two of the largest labor protections—the Social Security Act of 1935 and the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)—excluded agricultural workers and domestic workers. This exclusion has often been described as a “notch,” “carve-out,” or deliberate exclusion of these occupations. Why Were Black Farmworkers Excluded? At the time, most African Americans in the South worked either as sharecroppers, farm laborers, or domestic workers. Southern members of Congress—who held enormous power in the 1930s—refused to support the New Deal unless it preserved the racial hierarchy o...

  Notch in New Deal Legislation and the Disenfranchisement of African American Farm Workers Introduction The exclusion of agricultural and domestic workers from major New Deal labor protections—often referred to as the “ New Deal notch ”—created lasting economic and political disadvantages for African American farm laborers in the United States. During Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, key programs such as the Social Security Act and the National Labor Relations Act deliberately omitted occupations heavily populated by African Americans, particularly in the South.  Historians widely view these exclusions as compromises made to preserve the racial hierarchy of Jim Crow and maintain the support of Southern legislators. Background During the 1930s, African Americans constituted approximately 65–80% of the agricultural and domestic workforce in the South. Sharecropping , tenant farming, and migratory field labor formed the economic base for millions of Black families. Southern ...

The Democratic Party—especially Southern Democrats—were involved in the exclusion of Black farmworkers during the New Deal. How the Democratic Party Was Involved in the New Deal Exclusion of Black Farm Workers During the 1930s, the Democratic Party was a coalition of Northern liberals and Southern segregationists. This coalition shaped the New Deal and directly influenced the laws that excluded agricultural and domestic workers—jobs held disproportionately by African Americans. Here is how the party played a central role: 1. Southern Democrats Held the Most Powerful Positions in Congress During Roosevelt’s presidency: Southern Democrats chaired most major committees They controlled the rules, amendments, and final language of every New Deal bill Roosevelt needed their votes to pass any piece of legislation These senators and representatives were committed to preserving Jim Crow and maintaining the racial labor hierarchy in the South. They made their position clear: They would not suppo...

  The Wikipedia Red Link I did not plan to stumble into the history of the Colored Children’s Orphanage. I wasn’t doing research on 19th-century New York, the Draft Riots, or forgotten Black institutions. I was simply writing my very first Wikipedia article—about an elder born in 1919, Florence M. Rice—during a community edit-a-thon with AfroCrowd.  As I typed, I mentioned that she had spent part of her childhood in the Colored Children’s Orphanage. The Wikipedian helping me at the edit-thon put brackets around the words Colored Children’s Orphanage. Which indicated that a Wikipedia article needed to be written. When I saved the page, the phrase appeared in red. A red link. At the time I didn’t know what that meant. It meant that there was no Wikipedia article about the Colored Children’s Orphanage. That history, that institution, those lives — were missing from the world’s largest knowledge encyclopedia. My article about Florence M. Rice had exposed that gap. A reminder th...

  Finding Red Links on Wikipedia Articles   When you begin your journey as a Wikipedian you expect to learn facts. What you don’t expect is to discover whole histories in the places where information is missing. One of my first lessons came in the form of a red link on a Wikipedia article.  During a Wikipedia edit-a-thon, when I created my first article about Florence M. Rice, an elder born in 1919. In the biography, I mentioned that she spent part of her childhood in the Colored Children’s Orphanage. The facilitator leaned over, added the double brackets, and suddenly the phrase turned red. She explained to me that the Colored Children’s Orphanage did not have a Wikipedia. The red text shows that one is needed.  I learned that red links indicate where knowledge is missing and gaps. The red link pointed toward the history of a Black orphanage in New York City that was set on fire during the Draft Riots. Its absence on Wikipedia was a reflection of how Black institu...

  Two Visions of New York: Mamdani, Sliwa, and the Politics of Lived Experience New York City politics has always been shaped by two powerful forces: those who understand the city through lived experience and those who understand it through theory. The recent mayoral race highlighted this divide clearly, embodied in two very different figures—Curtis Sliwa and Zohran Mamdani. Their contrast is not merely political; it reflects two different New Yorks altogether. Mamdani: A Politics Shaped by Privilege and Abstraction Zohran Mamdani’s story—growing up in a wealthy, upper-class environment—stands in sharp contrast to the realities of the working-class families of New York City. He represents a political lineage shaped by: academic circles global privilege elite education activist language and ideological theory communities insulated from the violence that shaped earlier generations For many New Yorkers, especially those from long-established Black and Brown communities, Mamdani’s worl...

  Nihilism and Urban Youth: From Postwar London to Modern American Cities In Margareta Berger-Hamerschlag’s Journey Into a Fog, postwar London’s youth are depicted as adrift in a world that offers them little meaning or opportunity. Their self-destructive behaviors — reckless nightlife, petty crime, substance use — are not acts of stupidity or mere rebellion. They are, in many ways, expressions of nihilism, a response to social exclusion and cultural invisibility. This phenomenon is not confined to 1950s London. Contemporary American cities exhibit strikingly similar patterns: urban youth navigating structural neglect, fractured families, and economic pressure often adopt behaviors that are adaptive in intent but self-destructive in outcome. Nihilism in Postwar London In the aftermath of World War II, many young Londoners faced: Overcrowded and under-resourced neighborhoods, where public services, recreational spaces, and opportunities for upward mobility were scarce. Broken or abs...

  Albert Morris (Historian) Albert Morris (born July 28, 1921) was an American self-published historian, educator, and community activist known for his independent research on African and African American contributions to world civilization. Based largely in Harlem, New York, Morris combined scholarship, mentorship, and cultural advocacy to uplift African-descended communities through education, athletics, and heritage awareness. Early Life Albert Morris was born in Harlem at a time when the neighborhood was a center of African American intellectual and artistic life. He grew up during the final years of the Harlem Renaissance, exposed to the teachings of Black educators, writers, and community leaders who shaped his curiosity about African history, science, and culture. Self-Published Scholarship Morris is best known for his self-published book Creations and Recreations of the African Family in the U.S.A., Inventions, Science and Industry (1975; revised 2003). The book compiled hi...

  Monologue: Life of Albert Morris “If you want the truth about who you are, you must walk toward it.” People ask me why I spent all those years gathering stories, digging through history, writing my book at a little wooden table in Harlem. The answer is simple: I was searching for the pieces of us that had been scattered across continents and centuries. And once I found them, I wanted to place them back into the hands of our children. I didn’t do that work alone. For years, I stood alongside elders, scholars, and cultural workers who kept the flame burning. One of the great influences in my life was the Ghana Nkwanta Project here in New York City, founded by Elder Adunni Oshupa Tabasi. Elder Tabasi was a visionary—someone who understood that Africa was not a memory, not a myth, but a living inheritance. Through that project we studied, traveled, prayed, strategized. We built bridges where the world had tried to build walls. Those gatherings changed me. They gave me a language for ...

  Africa: The True Human Link — A Journey Through Ancient Angola, Kongo Civilizations, and the Struggle for Freedom Africa has often been described as the cradle of humanity, the continent where the earliest humans emerged and where some of the world’s most sophisticated early civilizations flourished. Among these civilizations, Ancient Angola and the Kongo world stand as monumental pillars of political innovation, spiritual depth, and resistance to foreign domination. From the Earth Temple traditions of the Bakongo to the leadership of Queen Nzinga and the modern liberation efforts of Dr. Agostinho Neto, this region’s story is one of continuity—a people reclaiming their identity after centuries of disruption. I. Ancient Angola: Land of Kingdoms, Villages, and Early Human Pathways Long before the arrival of Europeans, the land now known as Angola was dotted with thriving communities who developed complex social systems, robust trade networks, and spiritual practices embedded in the...

The new Quarter‑Zip Movement, particularly, has surfaced among young Black men in the U.S. A self-development movement. The Quarter-Zip Movement: More Than a Sweater — A Shift in Identity In late 2025, a subtle but fast-spreading shift in men’s fashion started online: the humble quarter-zip sweater — long associated with suburban dads, corporate “business-casual,” or finance-bro attire — has been revived by a younger generation, especially among Black and Gen Z men. What began as a joke on social media has morphed into a full-blown cultural moment: the Quarter-Zip Movement.  Though it’s a clothing trend on the surface, many of its participants view it as symbolic: a redefinition of self-image, aspiration, and the kind of dignity they wish to project.  The Spark: From TikTok Skit to Social Media Wave The Movement’s ignition can be traced to a viral post on TikTok from creator Jason Gyamfi (TikTok handle @whois.jason). In early November 2025, he posted a video where, clad in a...

  Awakening vs. “Woke”: The Deep Divide Between Inner Truth and Cultural Noise In today’s American conversation, the word woke is everywhere—celebrated by some, rejected by others, and argued over endlessly. But when compared to the spiritual awakening described in the New Testament, the contrast is striking. One is rooted in inner transformation; the other is tied to public identity, conflict, and social rhetoric. Below is an exploration of the three major differences that separate these two concepts and why the distinction matters. 1. Spiritual Awakening Softens the Heart; Modern “Woke-ness” Hardens the Debate In the New Testament, awakening is a quiet unfolding within the soul. It reveals humility, gentleness, forgiveness, and clarity. A spiritually awakened person listens more than they speak. They respond rather than react. Their presence brings peace, not pressure. By contrast, modern “woke” culture is shaped by public debate—social media battles, political argument, and mora...

  Miss Conwright’s Monologue: “The Fake Awakening” Now listen here, babies—come on in close. I’m gon’ tell you something that the world won’t whisper to you, because the world itself is too busy shouting. And half the time, it don’t even know what it’s talking about. There’s a whole lot of folks out there calling themselves woke. Mm-hmm. Yes, Lord—woke. Like they didn’t just open their eyes this morning same as everybody else. But let me tell you something: There’s a big difference between waking up and being awake. See, being woke these days? That’s a costume. A mask. A pair of borrowed clothes people put on so they can walk ‘round acting like they got some higher sight. But spiritual awakening? That’s a stripping down. A quiet surrender. A seeing-with-the-heart that no crowd can cheer you into. That awakening—Christ’s awakening—that’s the kind you gotta live, not perform. You hear me? Some folks out there talking loud about justice, fairness, this issue, that issue—oh, they got p...

  The Woman Who Made Starbucks Her Office: Remembering Florence Florence M. Rice grew up in the Colored Children’s Orphanage in New York City. She once told me — as we sat together in a Starbucks on 125th Street in Harlem — that the children there were taught two rules above all else: never lie and never steal. She was in her nineties when she said it, yet the words were still crisp in her memory, as if she had learned them only yesterday. Starbucks was her “office.” She claimed it with a smile. Anyone who wanted to meet with Ms. Rice knew to come there. She would be at a table near the window, surrounded by books, papers, and manila envelopes — always ready to share something new, something historical, something that mattered. Her apartment, and truly her entire life, was an archive. She preserved documents not just as keepsakes, but as a responsibility. And she brought those papers to us — often carefully folded, sometimes freshly photocopied — offering pieces of history she felt...

My Information Possessions: Living in a Digital Age For more than twenty years, I have lived without a television—by choice, not by deprivation. I was never a couch-potato watcher, never someone who found comfort in the passive glow of a screen that talked at me. Instead, I have always been drawn to tools that invite participation, discovery, and creation. As the digital world expanded, I found something that fit my personality in a way television never could: a universe of platforms that allow me to gather knowledge, shape information, express ideas, and remain engaged with the world on my own terms. Today, I inhabit a landscape made up of tools that have become my information possessions—my personal library, studio, and workshop combined. Wikipedia, Wikicommons, YouTube, ChatGPT, X/Twitter, CapCut, WhatsApp, Telegram, e-books, Facebook, and Kindle publishing are all part of an integrated ecosystem that fuels my curiosity and creativity. They are not distractions. They are instruments...

  There is a simplicity and freshness in Jesus’ teachings that feels utterly different from the heaviness, lawfulness, and complexity of the Old Testament. Many spiritually sensitive people resonate with Jesus’ tone—mercy, healing, consciousness, inner alignment—than with the legalism, ritual, and tribal concerns of ancient Israelite culture . Refections : 1. Jesus’ Teaching Is Ageless Because It Is Consciousness-Based The Old Testament is rooted in: tribe nation law ritual external obedience The New Testament—especially through Jesus—is rooted in: inner life thought love consciousness direct experience with God That shift is colossal. It’s like going from stone tablets to an inner light. This is why you feel like the world hasn’t learned the basics—because Jesus’ teaching requires inner transformation, not just outer behavior. Few people understand how radical his simplicity really was. 2. Confusion Between the Testaments Is Very Real You’re absolutely right: Most people blend the...

Jane Jacobs’ Dark Age Ahead: A Warning for a Forgetful Civilization When Jane Jacobs published Dark Age Ahead in 2004, she offered what would become her final and most cautionary work. Known primarily for her groundbreaking urban studies text The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jacobs pivoted here from analyzing city streets to diagnosing the deeper cultural foundations of North American society. Her message was stark: civilizations fall not only through invasion or disaster but through the slow unraveling of the cultural habits and systems that hold them together. Jacobs called this unraveling a “dark age”—a period not solely marked by chaos or violence, but by forgetting: forgetting how to solve problems, forgetting how institutions are supposed to function, forgetting the values and practices that allow communities to thrive. In her view, a dark age begins long before people recognize it, and once cultural memory is lost, rebuilding becomes extraordinarily difficult. Five P...