Marian Anderson 125, February 27, 2022

listal.com

Contralto Marian Anderson was born 125 years ago today, on 27-February-1897. I have seen other dates mentioned. During her career she broke many color barriers. She is most famous for her 1939 concert in Washington, DC. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to let her sing before an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband took up the cause and arranged for her to sing from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on 09-April-1939. My grandmother and two oldest aunts joined with the First Lady and resigned from the DAR. The DAR later repudiated its position.

FDR Polio, 100 Years -- August 11, 2021

100 years ago today, future President Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted polio. He made a heroic fight and was able to return to politics and save the United States from the Great Depression and lead us through World War Two. 

FDR 75 Years -- April 12, 2020

75 years ago today, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died.  My mother always says he was the only president she had known. 

Executive Order 9066 -- February 19, 2017

ourdocuments.gov

Seventy-five years ago today, on 19-February-1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which set up military zones in the United States and allowed for the internment of Japanese-Americans and for restrictions on German-Americans and Italian-Americans. 

When I grew up, many neighbors and parents of friends had been interned.  They generally did not want to talk about it. My Italian-American grandmother had to follow a strict curfew. 

When I was in college, we argued about whether this was necessary.  It was not.  There was Japanese spying and sabotage in Hawaii, but they didn't intern Japanese-Hawaiians because it would have destroyed the economy. 

May Day, 2016 -- May 1, 2016

Today is International Workers' Day.  FDR knew that workers need to organize to get justice.