1961 can be considered the year direct-action, fight-back grassroots organizing was born. This through the on- the-ground efforts of such Civil Rights Freedom fighting organizations as SNCC, CORE and SCLC and leaders such as, Kwame Ture, under the leadership of George Farmer, Robert Moses, Robert F. Williams, Charles Sherrod and many more. They mobilized behind one goal, and despite the odds, kept Civil Rights movement at the forefront despite the odds.

Events in early January forewarned trouble in America, and media attention to regional racial happenings in the Deep South sometimes were obscured by other events. Early on, in President Eisenhower’s farewell address to the nation warned against the rise of “the military-industrial complex.” As the country prepared itself for the inauguration of John F. Kennedy as President of the United States, riots rumble at University of Georgia in response to the court-ordered admittance of Charlayne Hunter (Gault) and Hamilton Holmes. Three days before Kennedy took off, Patrice Lumumba (34), the 1st premier Congo, is murdered after 67 days in office. On Jan 25, Kennedy holds the first presidential news conference carried live on radio and television.” During that year, Pampers, the 1st mass-market disposable diaper; adult Tylenol, contact lenses are introduced. The US FCC approves FM stereo for radio. The Soviets launched Sputnik V, the heaviest satellite at 7.1 tons. The US Omnibus Housing Act established the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It enabled the FHA to insure mortgages on condominiums. President Kennedy established the Peace Corps with the first volunteers were sent to Ghana. The British Trust Territory of Tanganyika becomes independent as part of the mainland of Tanzania. The first president was socialist Julius Nyerere. South Africa becomes an independent republic. The Berlin Wall is erected. In South Africa Nelson Mandela is acquitted on a treason charge after a 4 year trial. The U.N. General Assembly condemns South Africa for apartheid. The French army revolts in Algeria. The United Kingdom grants Sierra Leone independence. Amnesty International, a human rights organization, is founded. On Apr 24, President Kennedy accepts “sole responsibility” following Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, less than 10 days before Freedom Riders roll into segregated areas on buses throughout the South exposing racial strife and testing new laws on the books against segregation. The Administration is transfixed on the Cold War and other foreign affairs and relations. But they have been given notice.

On Feb. 1, CORE field secretary Tom Gaither — who as Claflin College student-body President had led the large Orangeburg sit-in movement — and 9 others are convicted of Trespassing for sitting-in at the McCrory lunch counter in Rock Hill, S.C. Mar 27, Nine Tougaloo College students attempt to use the white-only Jackson public library reading books not available at the “colored” library. They are arrested for “disturbing the peace” when they refuse to leave. Tougaloo President Daniel Beittel — who is white — courageously refuses to expell the student protesters, despite threats of retaliation against Tougaloo and himself. Jackson State College students organize a prayer vigil and are attacked the next day when they march towards the jail where the Tougaloo Nine are being arraigned.

May 4, a group of 13 CORE civil rights activists, dubbed “Freedom Riders” leaves Washington, D.C., for New Orleans to challenge racial segregation on buses and in bus terminals. James Farmer, director of the Congress of Racial Equality, leads 13 Freedom Riders (7 Black, 6 white) out of Washington on Greyhound and Trailways buses to challenge racial segregation on buses and in bus terminals and test new laws that prohibit segregation in interstate travel facilities. The plan is to ride through Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Their final destination is New Orleans Louisiana. Most of the Riders are from CORE, two are from SNCC, and many are in their 40s and 50s. Little trouble is encountered as they travel through Virginia and North Carolina, but John Lewis and other student volunteers are severely attacked by mobs in Rock Hill, S.C. and some of the Riders are arrested in Charlotte NC, and Winnsboro SC. On May 14, President Kennedy announces the authorization of American advisors to aid South Vietnam against the forces of North Vietnam. The next day, Mothers Day, May 15, a Klan mob of more than 100 ambush and beat the Riders in Anniston AL then set the Greyhound bus on fire. The passengers escape the bus just as the gas tanks are exploding. When the bus manages to reach Birmingham, Commissioner of Public Safety Commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor encourages another KKK mob to savagely attack on the Riders. SNCC-affiliated students in Nashville join the effort and eventually the Freedom Fighter movement transformed into an organization of organizers who move the Movement from protest to social revolution. The voter registration campaign into the Delta — the most segregated region of Mississippi and inspire a new volunteers from beyond the campuses. And out of McComb they bring five young organizers on to the growing SNCC staff — Hollis Watkins, Curtis Hayes, Emma Bell, Ike Lewis and Bobby Talbert — the first of many to come not from college campuses but from the rural South.

When the media begins to expose for the first time the true depths of southern racism and America’s racial strife, the nation’s positioning as a leader of the “free world” is exposed and challenged. The government does not move to uphold Federal law and Constitutional protections and CORE, SCLC, and SNCC push even harder to defy the Klan, the Citizens Councils, mob violence, and jail. become a strong-force together in direct action community organizing against racial injustice and voter registration. A new generation of leaders emerges among the volunteer which has burgeoned to more than 1,000, black and white.

Twelve days after the birth of Barack Obama in Hawaii, Martin Luther King, on Aug. 16, protested for black voting rights in Miami. But other events are in the news. The day after the Miami spark, on Aug 17, The Administration is focusing on foreign relations with the announcement of the Alliance for Progress.

Sep 10, Jomo Kenyatta, who knows Barack’s economist father, returns to Kenya from exile, during which he had been elected president of the Kenya National African Union. Three days later battles take place between UN and Katanga troops in Congo. And two days after that on Sep 15, the US resumes underground nuclear testing. On Sep 18, Dag Hammarskjold, Secretary-General of the UN, is killed in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). He was flying to negotiate a cease-fire in the Congo.

While on Sep 20, James Meredith is refused access as a student in Mississippi, two days later President Kennedy is signing a congressional act establishing the Peace Corps.

Oct 6, JFK advises Americans to build fallout shelters from atomic fallout in the event of a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union. And other interesting highlights that distinguished the Civil Rights community organizers who persisted on behalf of all: In October, A US Federal judge rules that Birmingham, Alabama, laws against integrated playing fields are illegal. In November, Freedom Riders were attacked by a white mod at a bus station in Mississippi. In December, Rev/ Martin Luther King Jr. and700 demonstrators are arrested in Albany, Ga. Meanwhile that November, Andrew Hatcher is named associate press secretary to President John F. Kennedy.; the President increased the number of American advisors in Vietnam from 1,000 to 16,000, and two days later increased it by 2,000. Shortly after that, the UN adopted bans on nuclear arms over American protest.

During the year W.E.B. DuBois renounces his American citizenship and spends his last remaining years in the West African country of Ghana. (DuBois died two years later in Accra, Ghana, August 27, 1963.) While Ernie Davis has become the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, Frantz Fanon, Martinique-born writer (The Wretched of the Earth and Black Skin, White Masks), psychiatrist, activist and revolutionary dies at age 36 in Washington, DC. He foretold of Third World liberation struggles. And by the end of Kennedy’s first year, on Dec. 31, the Marshall Plan is expiring after distributing more than $12 billion in foreign aid.

First of a 3-part series: The Principles I Believe In

NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson’s office looks like the city’s chief fiscal officer works there. Decorations are sparse. Visitors sit on a faded floral print sofa – a holdover from when Liz Holtzman was Comptroller. A greeter explains: Thompson felt it is important to spend tax payer funds wisely; fancy office decorations are not a priority.

Thompson, a candidate for Mayor of the City of New York, believes he is the right person to succeed Michael Bloomberg. According to Thompson, there is a huge difference between say, “someone like Charles Barron and myself.” While his personality type is not sensational, Thompson thinks “people have been surprised when I stand up. There is no hesitancy. It’s a direct message. I am running for mayor.”

Thompson says, “This is not a city for just the privileged few. This is a city for everybody. I feel I am the best person to be able to lead this city.”

The contrasts between Comptroller Thompson and Michael Bloomberg are strong. “As Comptroller, I may not have fought with the Mayor on a regular basis, but I disagreed with him when I thought he was wrong.” Thompson recalled the fiscal crisis going back even to 2003, and 2004, when the Mayor wanted to cut city services unequally. “He wanted to cut, if you remember, sanitation services, back then. Sanitation services, one day a week collection outside Manhattan, and really, even above 96th St., one day a week sanitation collection.,” Thompson said. “I pounded him over that. Why? Because he was wrong. I didn’t make any points in City Hall, but it was the right thing to do.”

Comptroller Thompson recognizes the need to fill a budget gap at the MTA, but he thinks Mayor Bloomberg’s support for East River tolls are a bad idea. Thompson has made recommendations “that may not be popular– increased registration fees on automobiles.” He believes the fees should not occur just in the city, but in the 12 counties covered by the MTA. “Do it based on weight on the auto. So you reward people who have lighter, more fuel efficient vehicles,” said Thompson. “If you have a big SUV, it costs you more.”

The Comptroller says he has always stood up. Thompson supported the hiring of Harold Levy as the interim Chancellor at the Board of Education over Rudy Guiliani’s vocal opposition. Thompson recalled, “He (Guiliani) was incensed that we hired somebody over his objections. I thought Harold Levy was better for NYC school children and teachers than Bob Keiley, who was the head of the NYC Partnership, who had embraced a number of the Mayor’s positions.”

Bill Thompson says no matter what the issue, you do not have to scream to get attention. Or have people take you seriously. “I think that’s the type of leadership, strong, committed, strong leadership that I have always exhibited,” he said.

Thompson believes he’d bring leadership that understands the communities and the people of New York City. “Given my background, growing up in the middle of Bedford Stuyvesant, I was very fortunate to have a household where my father and mother were both committed to public service. I learned about the value of public service in that house,” said Thompson. Growing up in a neighborhood some would consider not to be the best neighborhood, Thompson watched people struggle to get by. He is a product of NYC public schools and was raised with a devotion to public service, something he considers to be “incredibly honorable, particularly when you focus on the best interests of people.”

“I understand the hopes and dreams of all New Yorkers,” Thompson said. He doesn’t think Mike Bloomberg understands people who are struggling to get by. “I don’t think he is hostile to it, but I don’t think he understands how difficult it is for many of us to get by from day-to-day. As you look at everything from the cost of shelter and putting a roof over our heads, to making sure our children get a quality education, to even making sure New Yorkers get better paying jobs, and are still able to live in the city that we work in, I think that Mike sees New York in a very limited way, for the privileged few.”

Thompson wants New York City to remain the business and financial capital of the world, “But we have been overly dependent on Wall Street and have not wanted to break that dependence.” There are many areas that the Comptroller believes can diversify business in NYC: biotech, education, continuing to grow education as an industry, healthcare which is a growing industry. According to Thompson, we have a need for a greener city, but “all the materials for a greener city are imported from other places. That is a great opportunity for new industry in NYC.”

He feels there is one area that tends to be overlooked, the small business base of NYC. “We don’t support small businesses in a number of ways. Look at just helping small business cut through red tape in the city, we don’t provide help and support there. Access to capital, NYC has done nothing over the years to help increase and help support access to capital for small businesses. Look at taxes, fines, fees. What are some of those that prevent small business from being established and from growing in NYC. The unincorporated business tax — maybe we would like to eliminate or continue to reduce it. That would help small businesses grow.”

Thompson believes self employed individuals should receive more support from the city. “The biggest growth area in NYC over the past 15 years have been those who are self-employed: from 8% of the workforce in 1990 to 17% now. The business community is carrying an inventory of unused space. I made certain recommendations that those who are self-employed to be able to use space in larger businesses in return for services. We are trying to work something out through the NYC Partnership, through Chambers of Commerce and others.” According to Thompson, there is opportunity to help grow those who are self-employed and small businesses.

An area of concern for the Comptroller is how NYC contracts with small business. “We do tons [of business] in goods and services across our city agencies.” The Comptroller’s office is currently in the process of auditing how NYC awards contracts with African-American, Latino, Asian, women-owned businesses. According to Thompson, “From everything we have seen anecdotally, there really has not been a focus in that area. There has been an effort to sign people up, but there has not been a lot more minority business with city agencies. ” The audit will be released before the beginning of the summer.

Part 2 – March 19^th Women’s History Month Special

President Barack Obama today ended restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, overturning a Bush administration policy that patients and medical researchers said hindered the development of new medical treatments.

“In recent years, when it comes to stem cell research, rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values,” Obama said at the White House.

“In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent. As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering … But in recent years, when it comes to stem cell research, rather than furthering discovery, our government called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering. I believe we have been given the capacity and will to pursue this research – and the humanity and conscience to do so responsibly.”

For Harvard University scientists, Obama’s repeal today of Bush’s restrictions on federal funding will have dramatic practical effects.

For one, the university’s stem cell institute will no longer have to buy two sets of pencils and pads – one for cutting-edge stem cell study and another for work using federal funds barred from supporting stem cell research.

“This will mean the end of the quite onerous bookkeeping and segregation of supplies, equipment and people that were necessary under the Bush executive order,” said BD Colen, spokesman for the institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “Literally, you could not pick up a pencil off a bench if you were working with embryonic stem cells.”

The institute even owns two $35,000 (£25,000) machines to produce slices of tissue – one bearing a green sticker, and one with a red sticker, which could not be used for stem cell research.

By signing an executive order repealing the nearly eight-year-old ban, Obama cheered patients, doctors and scientists who maintained that Bush had substituted ideology for science and had set back critical medical research in order to placate conservative supporters.

Stem cell research advocates say that Obama’s executive order is but a first step toward enabling full federal support for the study. A federal law that Obama cannot overturn with an executive order currently prohibits federal dollars from being used to create new stem cell lines, for example.

“There’s additional work,” said Susan Solomon of the New York Stem Cell Foundation. “It’s a great first step, and to have a president who supports this research is absolutely fantastic.”

Embryonic stem cells are prized in medical research because they can develop into any kind of tissue. But the research raises profound ethical questions, because human embryos – typically conceived in vitro – are destroyed so that stem cells may be harvested. Conservatives say it creates human life only to end it.

The research is allowed in Britain, which in the years since Bush’s restrictions, has become a world centre of stem cell study.

Since Bush’s August 2001 ban American stem cell research has been sustained by private funds that have declined lately as the economy has hit a downturn. The fiscal stimulus bill passed by Congress last month includes $8.2bn in new tax dollars for the National Institutes of Health.

Harvard stem cell institute co-director Doug Melton will apply for federal grants to research ways to turn stem cells into heart cells, pancreatic cells to treat diabetes, and neurons that could someday yield a cure for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

“It is a relief to know that we can now collaborate openly and freely with other scientists in our own university and elsewhere, without restrictions on what equipment, data, or ideas can be shared,” Melton said in a statement. “Science thrives when there is an open and collaborative exchange, not when there are artificial barriers, silos, constructed by the government.”

Yesterday, Tuesday, January 20th at 12 noon, over two million people standing in Washington, D.C., billions watching on televisions around the world, millions of viewers through the Internet and many millions more listening to the radio, all bearing witness to the formal Inauguration and Swearing-in Ceremony of Barack Hussein Obama on the steps of the United States Capitol as the 44^th President of the United States of America.

Yesterday we were witness to America finally becoming America for all the people and we can see changes all around us. Changes in simple things: A financial question from an Ebony magazine reporter at the president-elect’s press conference. Newscasts where the African-American anchor hands off to the African-American reporter on the mall. More African-American pundits on the talk shows. But change must go deeper than that, and now we are called upon to make changes in our own hearts and minds. That is where shackles remain and that is where they have to be cut away by a new consciousness and belief in a new beginning. As we celebrate, we must remember that we came this way, not by faith alone, but by hard work, sacrifice and personal decisions of courage and vision by the known and the unknown. To make the changes in the dismal statistics in the economic, education, criminal justice, and health care that are needed, it is not by faith that they will be made, but by a duplication of the hard work, persistence and demanding consciousness of those who have contributed to bring us to this place.

When Obama came on the national scene in 2004 with his groundbreaking speech before the Democratic National Convention, the world was still reeling from the aftermath of the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy of 3 years before. By the time he announced his candidacy for President in 2007, coherent voices providing direction and hope for the nation were not to be found; the world was gasping for change. Obama, poised and prepared, was ready to take charge.

President Obama is the first to say he did not get where he is by himself. He followed others: from ancestral community organizers Tubman, Douglass, Brown, Bethune and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to presidential aspirants who dared to scale the walls of power, activist Eldridge Cleaver, comedian Dick Gregory, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, activist Jesse Jackson, Sr. (Democratic presidential nominee in 1984 and 1988), activist Al Sharpton (2004), to warrior spirits behind the scenes, far too many to even begin to list. Then of course there are the everyday lives and organizations for which 2009 is a watershed year.

Around this time some 400 years ago, 11 enslaved Africans sought and secured their freedom and land, the first official organized act of self-Emancipation; 200 years ago in January 1809, The New York Society for Mutual Relief celebrated the first anniversary of the Slave Importation Ban passed by Congress; the NAACP celebrates its 100^th year and this week we celebrate the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 80^th birthday.

What Obama has brought to the world is a milestone in itself. Sharing his limelight are the billions who agreed with him: “Yes we can.” This is not the Age of Obama that the mainstream media would narrow our horizons to, it is the Age of All of Us that is reflected in President Obama and his wife, Michelle.

Yet, while the essence of what they are is spectacular, it is unique only in how the Obamas put a myriad of positive qualities together. Not the least of them is intelligence, decency and commitment, qualities found throughout the ages and in the hearts of people who are builders of children, builders of community and builders of institutions. We offer a few of those people and a few pivotal moments that have contributed to this time in our special edition of Our Time Press on the Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44^th President of the United States, “Reflections on Excellence.”