Updated Tuesday, July 26, 2005  

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Heroes From Unites States History

Benedict Arnold got a raw deal. Much has been made of his taking sides with the British after serving many gallant years with the rebels during the American Revolution. However, what is not given equal consideration are the reasons behind his so called betrayal. Some accounts indicate that he was opposed to the continuation of slavery and was persuaded by his in-laws of the hypocrisy that rested in the minds of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Traitor? One would have to research the life of the man and come to their own conclusions.

Clara Brown became the richest woman in Colorado as a result of staking miners, but, for me, her claim to fame comes with her love of her people. During the Great Kansas Migration of 1879, when the Mississippi River was closed down to blacks, it was Clara who responded with food, clothing, tools, and the gold necessary to bribe ferryboat captains to do what southern racist forbidden them to do.

Bessie Coleman, (1893-1926) besides being stunningly beautiful, possessed the courage of the pioneer. In 1921 she earned her wings, and, as fate would have it, in 1926 she took on the wings of a heavenly angel. The first black female aviatrix, she remains a challenging example to any woman wanting to step out of step.

Crazy Horse (1849-1877), chief of the Oglala Sioux, known for his part in the Native American resistance to white expansion in the western United States. As a young man, Crazy Horse fought against United States troops in Wyoming under the Oglala chief Red Cloud. Not only was he courageous, but he was an effective leader. Upon his marriage to a Cheyenne woman, he became the leader of a band of Oglala and Cheyenne who refused confinement to reservations.

When gold was discovered in the Black Hills region in 1874 and prospectors swarmed the area, Crazy Horse joined forces with Sitting Bull, a chief of the Hunkpapa Sioux, to keep their land free of occupation by white settlers. On June 17, 1876, he repelled a detachment of troops under General George Crook at the Battle of Rosebud Creek in what is now Montana. After the battle, Crazy Horse and his people joined Sitting Bull's encampment on the Little Bighorn River. On June 25 the camp was attacked by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry. In the ensuing Battle of the Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse and his warriors killed Custer and most of his cavalry. The United States Army then began a relentless pursuit of Crazy Horse; he finally surrendered in Nebraska on May 6, 1877. A few months later, while reportedly resisting confinement, he was killed by a Sioux soldier, and fulfilled his vision of being murdered by his own people.

Jack Johnson dared to be a man when to be a Negro was to be a "colored boy", and to act any differently could get you lynched. At the time of his heavyweight championship a "black man" was hard to find. Not only was Jack a hard hitting champion, but he talked a lot of trash while he whipped butt. You talk about getting on somebody's bad side. Jack could make a white man scream like a wounded animal. He was big, powerful, arrogant, and, yes, he had a liking for white women. I like him because he "dared" and "dared" again. During his lifetime he traveled the world. He was greeted by the heads of state of England, France, and Russia. He thumped his nose at convention, and whipped everybody they sent at him, but there was no GREAT WHITE HOPE. Not until Jack was convinced into throwing the championship fight for a restatement of his citizenship, and dropping of trumped up morals charges.

Lyndon Johnson, of all U.S. Presidents, demonstrated one of the greatest twists in his nation's history. Southern white politicians have a better track record on correcting racial wrongs than their northern counterparts. Under his administration black Americans received written guarantees of what should have been theirs by birth.

Thomas Jefferson is another figure from history that may not be getting a fair assessment. Certainly his life is complex and a collection of contradictions, but his contributions are far too numerous for him not to be considered one of the greatest minds of American times. Some label him "racist", but I suggest his life demonstrates quite the contrary. It was Jefferson who commissioned Benjamin Banniker to complete the architectural design for Washington D.C. For some there is controversy surrounding his relationship with Sally Hemmings. Not for me. Sally Hemmings was a beautiful girl that blossomed into an even more beautiful woman. She, at the expense of Jefferson, was finely educated in France and spoke the language fluently. Jefferson, the widower, had no significant female relationships throughout his public life, but we know from his early life he was a man who appreciated a good looking woman with a keen mind. From all indications Sally was that and then some.

Mae Jemison, Astronaut met many challenges in her quest to enter and then be accepted in the space program. Meeting, and defeating challenges are necessary ingredients to break down sexism racism.

Abraham Lincoln was not the simple country lawyer some think him. He was a politician, a businessman, and risk taking entrepreneur. There is evidence to indicate that his mother, Nancy Hanks, was a former slave, but her footsteps have all but been erased from the historical path. Lincoln, like Jefferson, knew that black and white men were destined never to trust one another. Prior to issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln attempted to pursued free Negroes to join with freed slaves in the forming of a new, and separate nation. He stands as a hero because he took the path that preserved the union, freed the slaves, and paved the way for a Reconstruction Era that could have possibly been successful in bringing about equality in a land of hypocrisy. Like the Kennedy Brothers we are left to speculate what contributions could have been made had it not been for the assassin's bullet.

Malcolm X, like us all, evolved. During his early years he witnessed the fatal brutality of racism when his father was murdered by a white lynch mob. As a young adult he experienced the indignity of being imprisoned. Not surprisingly he became frustrated as so many black men do, but his frustration drove him to stand firm on his belief that he owed no man an apology for being born black. Initially the MOST militant of militants he mellowed into a man seeking peace and understanding over revenge.

Elijah Muhammad brought hope to men who had no hope. Many might argue that his motives were self-serving, but then aren't most motives self-serving? What can not be disputed is the contributions he made to his people; a people denied the "preferential treatment of citizenship", but educated into believing themselves destined to be "second-class citizens". During his tenure he introduced economic development through manufacturing, farming, and retail sales. Through Muhammad Speaks he brought words of encouragement to the discouraged, and a way to those lost. I ain't mad at him, and know why so many are.

Bass Reeves was a man amongst men at a time when that was anything but healthy. A Deputy United States Marshall appointed by Judge Isaac Parker that carried a badge from 1875-1906 in what is now the state of Oklahoma. Imagine the courage it took for Bass, and his counterparts, as they searched the Plaines and mountain ranges for rustlers, robbers, and thieves. During his career Bass made over three thousand arrests, shot and killed fourteen men in gun battles, and lived to retire peacefully. Unheralded as a western hero he was what all the movie and television western lawmen propertied to be, but weren't.

Thurgood Marshall was a black man who refused to accept "separate but equal" because, as a black man, he knew better. He used the law to keep the law honest. From arguing for right before the U.S. Supreme Court to sitting on that court he fought all his life for a day of full equality for all of our nation's people. Unfortunately he died before realizing his dream.

Stagecoach Mary was a big-boned black woman that challenged the Old West with the best of them. She earned her keep in a variety of jobs; freight driver, stagecoach driver, and laundress. She was once fired for getting into a gunfight with a man who had insulted her, and one another occasion she knocked a man unconscious who owed her money.

Frances Albert Sinatra was more than a singer, and movie idol. He stood as an example of the true grit required to claim success. Up and down, Sinatra remained true to his beliefs and life style. He was also a great humanitarian that supported just causes his entire career.

William Still, the mind behind the Underground Railroad is certainly worthy of the title; hero. It was Still who laid out the plans, selected the "conductors", and paved the way to the greater freedom of Canada. His life demonstrates that it is not fanfare that makes an impact, but substance.

Harriet Tubman (1820-1913) remains the greatest example of personal courage ever demonstrated. Not to belittle the courage of the moment, but Harriet faced her dangers time and time again. Nineteen times she is reported to have ventured into slavery territory to retrieve slaves and lead them to freedom. During the Civil War she acted as a scout, spy, and on one occasion led U.S. soldiers to Confederate stores where badly needed war supplies were either confiscated or destroyed. She not only spoke out against slavery, but she risked her life in support of her beliefs.

She was born a slave in Bucktown, Maryland, near Cambridge. Her name then was Araminta Ross, but her mother called her, Harriet.  From her father Harriet learned the ways of the woods. She could track, trap, and skin with the best of them. I suppose God was talking to Harriet too. When she was but 13 years old she interceded when another slave was being misused. She was struck on the head with a 2 lb weight and suffered blackouts for the remainder of her life. She married a freed slave named John Tubman in 1844.

Some people just can't stand there and watch silently. Harriet Tubman was one such person. For her every day was hell on earth and in 1849 she ran off and fled to Philadelphia. Wow, when Harriet runs she runs.

In 1850 the United States Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act and Harriet realized that running away was not enough to gain freedom. She then vowed to return to Maryland and help others flee the country. She made her first return trip that same year. Keep in mind that this new law made it illegal to assist a slave in securing freedom. Over the years she successfully led over three hundred slaves to freedom with NONE being re-captured. In 1857 Harriet led her parents to freedom. They settled in Auburn, New York.

The REWARD for the capture of Harriet Tubman, a.k.a. Moses, reached as high as $40,000; a virtual fortune in those days. Okay, lets do some simple math. Slaves, on an average, cost about $800, and Harriet led off let's say three hundred. $240,000 is a lot more money, and that's what we can estimate the lost she brought to Maryland plantation owners. But Harriet represented more than lost of property. She offered hope to those with the hope of a slave. She offered freedom to those chained, and she delivered.

Harriet befriended John Brown, and considered him the true liberator of her race. She helped raise money for him, and was instrumental in getting his audience with those whose doors were barred to him. Her interests for equality also included women and she became active in the woman's movement. Then came the Civil War.

Harriet was again at service. She labored as a nurse, scout, and spy for the Union Army. Her knowledge of the forests made her invaluable, and on one occasion she was responsible for millions of dollars in Confederate war supplies being destroyed. During another mission she brought about the freedom, at one time, of over 750 slaves.

You go girl !

After the war Harriet returned to Auburn, where she helped raise money for black schools. The author Sarah H. Bradford wrote Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman (1869). Still no sense of doing enough Harriet, in 1908, established a home in Auburn for elderly and needy freed slaves. It became known as the Harriet Tubman Home.

Oprah Winfrey qualifies as a contemporary hero, but only one of many from the world of entertainment. She had contributed to today's image of African-Americans, and women. Through her television talk show she had reached millions of Americans with positive messages. No Oprah bashing here. She is evidence what can be achieved.

Coleman Young, (1918-1997) a former Tuskegee Airmen, and mayor of Detroit, Michigan for a score of years remains a great American hero. Against the advice of many he refused to bend to the economic pressures brought against his city by the power manufacturing concerns of his state. The city paid dearly for his defiance as white businesses fled Detroit leaving a dramatically reduced tax base to govern such a large metropolis. Even so Coleman never wavered throughout his tenure as mayor. Brash, direct, and blessed with the will of the people Coleman Young laid the ground work for one of the strongest black economic communities in the United States today.

Coleman Alexander Young was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. His family moved to Detroit in 1923, when Young was five years old. After graduating from Detroit’s Eastern High School in 1935, he worked in a variety of jobs, including stints at the Ford Motor Corporation and the United States Postal Service. He was also an active union organizer. During World War II (1939-1945), Young served as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American pilots.

Mr. Young is another one of those from contemporary history that I've met personally many times, and quite frequently in Flood's, a Detroit nightspot. He was genuine, but what I most appreciated about him was that he owed the world no apology for being born black. In fact he seemed to revel in it.

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