Whatever happened to North Carolinian Joan (pronounced Jo-Ann) Little from the mid-1970s? Her infamous murder trial 48 years ago for which she was acquitted of knifing to death a white North Carolina jailer attempting to rape her while incarcerated became a cause-celeb worldwide and shined attention on the treatment of women in the judicial system. I remember the case well. I had just returned to Atlanta in 1974 after discharge from the US Army. I began working as a news anchor for WIGO radio, which at that time was located…
Editorials
Let The Black Woman Lead By Orlando Taylor, Poet and writer In the United States, the Black woman has become the fastest-growing educated group of Americans and is making moves in both business and politics. Essence magazine reported that Black women accounted for “68 percent of associate’s degrees, 66 percent of bachelor’s degrees, 71 percent of master’s degrees and 65 percent of doctorate degrees awarded to Black students during that time frame,” by 2020. Black women are going to college, creating businesses, and engaging in the political arena in greater…
By Bettianne Hart In anticipation of the rigorous confirmation hearings awaiting the nation’s first African-American woman nominee to the Supreme Court, dozens of Atlanta women joined hundreds of other women to rally for confirmation and show support for Judge Jackson. Rally organizers convened by the National Council of Negro Women and the Black Women’s Roundtable of the National Council on Black Civic Participation brought together leaders of national women’s groups, including sororities and labor groups to mark the historic event. Melanie L. Campbell, CEO and convener of the BWR led…
By M. Paulyne Morgan White, Sparkling Specialties The women history month legacy of 2020 celebrating “100 years of women winning the right to vote” was marked with grandeur, however, it was punctuated with the global pandemic, COVID-19. Many activities were cancelled. Yet, women and celebration and the suffrage movement desired and were determined to continue the commemoration during the 2021 year. Together with the National Women’s History Alliance and other national organizations, called for an extension for the long time planning and vow of adopting a theme “We refuse to…
From Two Tragedies Came a Hero (1941) and a ‘She-ro’ (1946) The month is December, the years are 1941 and 1946. Sadly, two unforgettable tragedies occurred during both years. But from the ashes emerged two heroes of African descent; Pearl Harbor sailor Doris “Dorie” Miller 80 years ago; the other, Atlanta native Rozena Neal, an all-night elevator operator at the Winecoff Hotel 75 years ago in downtown Atlanta. Ladies first. Ms. Neal, along with another “sistah,” night maid Alice Edmonds, were working their 10 pm to 6:30 am shifts at…
Prevention is Treatment Nancy Nydam, Director of Communications Georgia Department of Public Health (Atlanta, Georgia) Atlanta, Georgia – World AIDS Day, observed each year on December 1, is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV, and remember those who have died from an HIV-related illness. Started in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first-ever global health day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks Georgia fourth in the nation for the number of new HIV…
