“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” — Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist and served as South Africa's first president from 1994 to 1999. Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for peacefully destroying the Apartheid regime and laying the foundation for democracy in South Africa. Nelson Mandela passed away December 5, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Click the hyperlink above to hear the a cappella singing group, Committed, perform their version of "Lift Every Voice and Sing". Committed is an a cappella group comprised of five Oakwood University educated young men from Huntsville, Alabama. Committed emerged as the season two champions of NBC's hit singing competition, "The Sing Off".
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" was written at a crucial time in American history, when Jim Crow was replacing slavery, and African-Americans were searching for an identity of their own. Author and activist James Weldon Johnson wrote the words as a poem, which his brother John Rosamond Johnson then set to music. In 1905, Booker T. Washington endorsed it, and in 1919, it became the official song of the NAACP. It is widely regarded as a history lesson, a rallying cry, a pledge of unity, and as people gather to fight for equality and justice, it is an ever-present refrain.
Book Recommendation:
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
An untold story of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.
“A landmark piece of nonfiction . . . sure to hold many surprises for readers of any race or experience….A mesmerizing book that warrants comparison to The Promised Land, Nicholas Lemann’s study of the Great Migration’s early phase, and Common Ground, J. Anthony Lukas’s great, close-range look at racial strife in Boston….[Wilkerson’s] closeness with, and profound affection for, her subjects reflect her deep immersion in their stories and allow the reader to share that connection.” - Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Movie Recommendation: Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures tells the incredible untold story of Katherine Jonson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) – brilliant African-American women working at NASA who served as the brains behind the launch into orbit of astronaut John Glenn, a stunning achievement that turned around the Space Race. The visionary trio crossed all gender and racial line and inspired generations.
Cultural and Historic Travel
The image above is from Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. It is one of approximately forty "slave castles", or large commercial forts, built on the Gold Coast of West Africa. Ghana is one of many countries on the African continent, rich in history and culture.
We are specialists in cultural and historic travel, partnering with local guides and organizations across the globe to design compelling itineraries.
Now is the perfect time to explore your unique history or a destination that has always fascinated you with its culture. We look forward to embarking upon this journey of discovery with you!
