Understanding Diversity through Social Studies

Summer Solstice

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:47:00 +0000

Here is a piece I wrote on the Summer Solstice ~

The Summer Solstice celebration has been an event that spans hundredsof years and although I've never had the opportunity to experience thecelebration at Stonehenge I still find it intriguing. Stonehenge hasleft historians, archeologists (read more at Clio-the History Muse)

John Dillinger is mortally wounded

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:24:00 +0000

Seventy-four years ago today, John Dillinger was shot dead in front of the Biograph Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. The FBI was laying in wait as Dillinger and his "lady in red" exited the theatre.

Ellen Poulsen, who wrote the book, Don't Call Us Molls: Women of the John Dillinger Gang, published a wonderful article today on Dillinger's death. Poulsen's book follows the lives of the women who were not only involved with Dillinger, but the Dillinger gang as well.

In her article she writes about Polly Hamilton, the "lady in red", who actually helped the FBI to take Dillinger down.

To read Ms. Poulsen's article, please click here.

The Longest Walk 2: Mission Statement

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:23:00 +0000

Most of you who know me knows that I care very much about the Native Americans and the things they hold sacred. The following two blog posts are about the Longest Walk 2 that began in San Francisco, February 11, 2008. Please read on to learn about the latest event that is taking place involving Native Americans.

The Mission Statement
The Longest Walk 2008
February, 11 - July 11, 2008
4,400 miles

OUR MISSION:

We walk with the message: All Life is Sacred, Save Mother Earth.

We shall walk for the Seventh Generation, for our youth, for peace, for justice, for healing of Mother Earth, for the healing of our people suffering from diabetes, heart conditions, alcoholism, drug addiction, and other diseases.

Through the elements of the seasons, we shall walk through the rain, snow, over mountains, high winds, through the heat and cold, nothing shall deter us from completing our mission: All Life is Sacred, Protect Sacred Sites.

Let those who doubt, hear our pledge. Let those who believe, join our ranks. As we walk the final miles, by our side will be elders, families, children, people of all races, from many walks of life, the old and the new America. All Life is Sacred, Clean Up Mother Earth.

OUR GOAL:

The Clean Up America Campaign is an effort to clean up our country�s highways and roads by collecting debris found along the Longest Walk route. This monumental task will engage Walkers in a global effort at a grassroots level to promote harmony with our delicate environment.

Longest Walk participants will carry specially marked trash bags to separate the collected refuse into trash bins and recycling bins. A rotating team of walkers will pick up trash along the way with trash pokers leaving a health trail of earth in their path.

Longest Walk 2 reaches Harrisburg, PA area on their way to Washington, D.C.

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:55:40 +0000

Credit Brenda Norrell

On February 11, 2008, in San Francisco, California, American Indian tribes from all over North America along with supporters began the Longest Walk 2 to commemorate the first Longest Walk held in 1978. The purpose of the walk in 1978, which ended in Washington, D.C. on July 11, was to bring attention to 11 congressional bills that would abrogate Native American treaties by the United States government. The 1978 Longest Walk defeated the bills and one month later, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 was passed.

In the following video, you will see, hear, and learn the significance of the Longest Walk 2.

credit Skipthomassedona - youtube

Thirty years later, on July 11, Longest Walk 2, a grassroots effort to bring attention to environmental disharmony and also intended to bring attention to the health and well being of Mother Earth, human life, all communities, and the preservation of national Native American sacred sites, will commence in Washington, D.C. The mission of LW2 is a parallel mission with the Alliance Community Media that convenes from July 9 to July 12, 2008 in Washington, D.C.

Events while in Pennsylvania

The Walkers arrived in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area after holding a Pow Wow in Farmington, PA on June 21 and on June 28, a prayer vigil in Lewisburg, PA for Leonard Peltier, a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who was wrongly arrested in the mid 1970s for shooting 2 FBI agents and is incarcerated at the Lewisburg Federal Prison.

On June 29, Dan and I had the opportunity to attend a benefit performance by two of the bands, One Tribe and Earth Vision Weavers, at Your Daily Grind in Mechanicsburg, a suburb of Harrisburg.

In Harrisburg, the Walkers held a rally on the capitol steps June 30. Video below:

credit Cinzano1000-Roxbury News

On July 1, the Walkers held a prayer vigil at the Carlisle Indian School Cemetery where 190 children are buried. The children were students of the Indian school whose deaths were caused by tuberculosis, smallpox, and stress (broken heart). After leaving Carlisle the Walkers traveled to Codorus State Park where they stayed until July 6.

Washington, D.C. Bound

There are two groups of Walkers, the northern Walkers, and the southern Walkers. Each group has its own itinerary with the southern group traveling through the southern part of the United States and the northern group traveling the northern part of the United States.

On July 7, the two groups merged at Greenbelt Park, Maryland, 13 miles from Washington, D.C. The following schedule lists the events that will take place beginning Friday, July 11. Dan and I plan to be in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, July 12 for the Pow Wow that will take place at the National Museum of the American Indian.

(below the schedule are links to various websites that includes photos and stories during the walk)

Highlights of Schedule:

Friday, July 11
7 am Converge at Malcolm X Park and walk to White House
1:30 pm: Walk to Capitol steps, Constitution Ave NE and Independence Ave SW
6 pm: Walk to Sylvan Theater: Washington Monument, 15th St and Independence Ave SW
7:30 pm Honoring walker; film tribute to Floyd Westerman and Vernon Bellecourt
Saturday, July 12
9:30 am: Water ceremony at Lincoln Memorial
Noon: Powwow at National Museum of the American Indian (4th St on DC Mall)
Sunday, July 13
10 am: Powwow at National Museum of American Indian
2 to 6 pm: Concert

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

The Longest Walk 2

(There is so much more to write about, but for now I'm going to stop. Please check back soon to see what more you can learn about this very important journey.)

**disclaimer: The photos and videos used are for educational and reporting purposes only and therefore permissible under the fair use copyright act.

Public Enemies Update

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:55:48 +0000

While reading about John Dillinger and his gang, Colleen (aka Osh), who posts on the Public Enemies Blog, found an interesting flaw. In Bryan Burrough's book, Public Enemies, Burrough states that Anna Patzke was the bank teller Dillinger took hostage during the 1933 Racine bank heist. In several other books and newspaper clippings Ursula Patzke is referred to as the bank teller taken hostage. Anna Patzke was the significant other of Dillinger's plastic surgeon.

After I researched and compared notes with Colleen, I agree, Ursula Patzke was the bank teller taken hostage by the Dillinger gang.

As a historian, researcher, and a writer getting the facts straight is very important, however, taking into account the amount of research that goes into a book like Public Enemies is intense and understandable how an error can be made.

Please don't get me wrong and think I approve of making historical errors, because I don't. Accuracy in research is VERY, VERY important, which leads to the importance of documentation. I am a skeptic when it comes to research, which makes me an obsessive researcher ~ you know, leaves no stone unturned.

Mr. Burrough has, overall, written a splendid book. He attempted to put together a list of characters and to tell their story in a way that no other has. The book has drawn interests from Michael Mann, who is now making it into a major motion picture with outstanding actors and the book has provoked readers to look further into Dillinger and his "bad" habits.

I have nothing but respect for Mr. Burrough and admire the fact that he took on such a difficult task of putting the crime spree of the early 1930s into a time line with its players so we all can learn about that period in American history.

If you want to read the conversation Colleen and I had and to see the actual documentation we found please check out the history forum.

Thu, 29 May 2008 03:06:33 +0000

Archaeologists find ancient army HQ

Wed May 28, 2008 9:18am EDT

By Jonathan Wright

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian archaeologists have discovered what they say was the ancient headquarters of the Pharaonic army guarding the northeastern borders of Egypt for more than 1,500 years, the government said on Wednesday.

The fortress and adjoining town, which they identify with the ancient place name Tharu, lies in the Sinai peninsula about 3 km (2 miles) northeast of the modern town of Qantara, Egyptian archaeologist Mohamed Abdel Maksoud told Reuters.

to read more click here ------> Archaeologists find ancient fort

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Female Gangster

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:34:43 +0000

I just finished an article on Evelyn Billie Franchete. She was John Dillinger's girlfriend who found herself in prison for protecting him. The piece is after the John Dillinger article, so, if you already read the Dillinger piece, you will need to scroll down. If you haven't read the Dillinger piece, I encourage you to do so - then scroll down.

While researching Evelyn Frechette I found myself feeling sorry for her. There isn't a whole lot on the web about her and ancestry.com has less. The fact that she is of American Indian decent has helped to perserve some of her history.

There is no doubt that I'm a romantic and therefore believe that she and Dillinger had a very special love, but their time together was short.

~ commented added 4.22.2008 ~ Ms. Poulsen's answer to Evelyn's reaction to Dillinger's death, The only thing that I uncovered was a letter written by Mary Kinder to Pete Pierpont. The letter is published in my book. Mary mentions that "Billie sure is blue," as Billie's mother died at around the same time as Dillinger, in an automobile accident.

Billie also mentioned in a pamphlet called the March of Crime that she needed time, after her arrest, for her nerves to settle. So I am sure she was in bad shape after the arrest and Dillinger's death.

picture from Ellen Poulsen's website

When she was arrested, Dillinger cried and wanted to break her out of prison. Although he found other women to fulfill his needs, somehow, his heart still belonged to Billie. This is obvious when he traveled to Milan, MI to check out the prison Billie was in. He wanted to figure out how he could get her out. But the prison was a fortress, so he gave up the idea and moved on.

I asked Ellen Poulsen, the author of Don?t Call Us Molls: Women of the John Dillinger Gang, where id Evelyn get her nickname "Billie?" Ms.Poulsen wasn't sure, but believes it had something to do with Evelyn's father. His name was William. There is also suspicion that Evelyn had a baby who was stillborn. The baby's name was Billy. Whether it is true she had a baby or not is unknow.

The other interesting thing about Evelyn is her obituary. When I was trying to locate the original obit that was in the newspaper I learned that her name on the obituary is Evelyn Wilson, the last name of her second husband. Why that is, I don't know and Ms. Poulsen wasn't sure either. At the time of her death she was married to Arthur Tic. She never had any children to either husband.

Although, I wrote this article on Ms. Frechette, I don't believe I'm done researching her. Like I said earlier, I have become very fond of her.

One more history tidbit - during this crime wave the dust bowl was occurring in the midwest. To get an idea of what the weather was like in the 1930s click here.

Here is Evelyn's Obituary.

American History early 1920s & early 1930s

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:23:00 +0000

Right now my life is filled with history projects having to do with early American history.

I started grad school in January with hopes of earning a degree in Applied History. I will define what Applied History is a little later, but for now I need to write about all this history that is spinning around in my head.

My grad class topic is Violence and Genocide. I know, what a happy topic. Getting through the Holocaust part of the class was my most challenging point, but I made it and now we are moving into violence in the United States.

On April 21st I have to do a presentation on the Tulsa Race Riot in 1921. Before taking this class I knew nothing about the event. I put a call into the Tulsa Historical Society to gather more information and hoping that some information can be sent to me in time for my presentation. I am also reading the book Riot and Remembrance: America's Worst Race Riot and Its Legacy, by James S. Hirch.

The riot began on May 31st when a black man accidentally tripped getting off an elevator. His hand touched the female elavator operator and she screamed rape. The Tulsa Tribune took the event and posted the following headline in their newspaper, "To lynch a Negro tonight". This event set off one of the worse race riots in United States history.

Here are two links to youtube that give accounts of the riot. The videos were co-produced by Tim Estiloz.

Part One - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NboclI2h-5s&feature=related

Part Two - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHVQEk8fi2M&feature=related

The other part of American history that I'm focusing on is Dillinger and the making of the FBI.

As I said in an earlier post and in my Public Enemies article, if it weren't for the gangsters of the early 1930s J. Edgar Hoover more than likely would have been out of a job.

In high school I studied Al Capone and the gangsters of the 1920s and have always thought of the gangster era in a romantic way, however, it was a very violent time.

The Dillinger story is very popular now due to the making of the movie Public Enemies. In researching Dillinger I came across this interesting article where the granddaughter of William Patrick O'Malley, Carol Kasper, speaks out against the glamorization of John Dillinger in Michael Mann's current movie.

William O'Malley was a detective shot by the Dillinger gang during a bank robbery in East Chicago. To read more about Ms Kasper and her grandfather click here

Be sure you read the discussion area, you will learn an interesting piece to the story.

I would love to hear what you think of either historical piece, so please feel free to comment.

(if for some reason the links are broken and you cannot access them, please let me know. thanks)

Thanks for stopping by.

Public Enemies vs J. Edgar Hoover

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:40:33 +0000

In 2004, Bryan Burrough's published the book, Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34. In an interview with Jeff Tubins he stated that as a kid he grew up listening to stories his dad told of gangsters that ran between Texas and Minnesota robbing banks.

Burrough finds that the lead gangsters of 1933 and 34 were sociopaths. Stealing and killing came naturally, except for John Dillinger. While Bonnie and Clyde, "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson to name a few were sociopaths. Dillinger came from a decent home with loving parents. While robbing banks was his forte', killing was not. He only killed one person during robbery and to him that was done in self-defense.

Click here to read the essay I wrote about John Dillinger and J. Edgar Hoover.

Published by Penguin books

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Kosovo Claims Independence

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:31:35 +0000

On February 17, 2008, Kosovo adopted the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government Assembly of Kosovo and declared its independence from Serbia.
This is history!

(it makes me think back to what it must have been like when the United States claimed independence from England.)

Of course Serbia is not happy with this and today, February 21, attacked the United States Embassy, setting it on fire. As far as what I've heard from news reports no one was in the embassy. Why attack the United States Embassy? Because we were one of the first to recognize Kosovo's independence.

Map of Old Yugoslavia before Serbia, Montenengro, and Kosovo became independent.

I copied the links from Wikipedia and I hope the links work and the information is accurate ~
I don't like relying on other sources until I have thoroughly reviewed the references.
Here you can see a timeline of what was once Yugoslavia.

If you have any comments on this topic, please post them here. Thank you.