Native American Biographies: Elizabeth Peratrovich, Tlingit, Civil Rights

If you talk about civil rights, Elizabeth Peratrovich should be part of the conversation, if that conversation includes all people.  She championed the first anti-discrimination law in the United States.  The Tinglit people live in South West Alaska and occupy the rain forest and Alexander Archipelago.  The tribal boundaries also extend into Canada.  In 1924 the U.S. Government granted citizenship and the right to vote to all native Americans.  However Indians still faced discrimination.  She was born Elizabeth Wanamaker, and married Roy Peratrovich when she attended college in Bellingham, Washington.  They eventually moved back to Alaska and joined the Alaska Native Sisterhood and Alaska Native Brotherhood respectively.  They both became presidents of their local chapters when the moved to Juneau.  Natives were not allowed to attend public school in Juneau.  A law suit forced integration.  However signs saying "No Natives Allowed" or "No Dogs or Indians Allowed" were common in the area.  The Pertroviches could not but a home where the chose.  They took the discrimination issue to the territorial legislature.  Elizabeths testimony on discrimination was the determining factor to swing the vote.  The anti-discrimination law outlawed discrimination in housing, public accommodations and restaurants in Alaska.  It was the first explicit anti-discrimination law in the United States.  It was signed in 1945.  The date of signing, February 16 is now Elizabeth W. Peratrovich Day in Alaska.

Documentary Review: Mississippi State Secrets

Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission  CBS News Production: History Channel
In the height of the Civil Rights struggle, the state of Mississippi established a commission to protect the image of the state and support the idea of segregation.  This was a secret commission, with secret records about their activities.  The Commission was established in 1956 and lasted until 1978.  Their records were not released until 1998 following a court decision.  The state had planned to maintain the closure of the records for over 50 years. 
This commission spied on American citizens, African American and White.  87,000 names of citizens were in the records.  The commission wielded unusual power.  They woulf inform your employer, and many were fired from jobs, they provided information to the Klu Klux Klan, and people would end up dead. 
Two particular cases are the three civil rights workers who were killed in Philadelphia, Mississippi.  The commission had passed the license number to the local sheriff, who happened to have ties to the Klan. 
They had also intimidated juries, as was the case with the murderer of Medgar Evers.  They were also complicit in the case of a family whose home was burned, because the father wasted to vote, and helped others register to vote.
The release of the information allowed some of those involved in racial murders and crimes to be prosecuted, as it was evident juries had been tampered with, and people were subject to retrial in a different environment.

Book Review: Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain by Russell Freedman, Clarion Books, Boston, 2013.

This book starts with a historical preservation project.  Alexander Weiss, a California State Park Ranger was new to Treasure Island.  He happened upon the barracks of the immigration station on Angel Island.  This was not open to the public.  He was astonished by the number of Chinese calligraphy and poems left on the walls of this building.  In this calligraphy was a story, not always a very happy story.

The immigration station opened in 1910.  Before this, immigration issues were handled in San Francisco, but the need became to large.  Immigrants who were allowed ashore were accepted in San Francisco, while those who were not were ferried to Angel Island.  It was touted as a clean and modern facility, but quickly it was overcrowded.  Because of Chinese Exclusion laws which had been passed, immigrants were not allowed from China.  This eventually was deemed constitutional, and individuals were obligated to comply.  Those who could still come were family members of Chinese American Citizens. 

As a result, there was a considerable amount of interrogation and manipulation which took place as part of this review process.  This included a medical exam, of people who were not use to American medicine, and people dressed in white at funerals.   It also included a great deal of interrogation.  Eventually this was general for all people passing, but more for Asian people seeking to immigrate to the U.S.  The process could be lengthy, and sometimes people interred in what seemed like prison for weeks and months.  Often people were deported, but they could appeal.  The majority of those going through the station were eventually allowed to pass.

The station was active until 1940.  At that time, a fire took the main building and it was not rebuilt.  Immigration services were moved to Los Angeles. 

They buildings preserved, have now become a National Historical Site with museum.

Texas Western Miner Basketball Championship 1965-1966

In the season of 1965-1966, Texas Western won the NCAA championship.  Don Haskins was having difficulty recruiting talented players, so recruited seven African American players, and thus set himself up for a run at the national championship.  The were undefeated, except for the last game of the regular season.  At that time Texas Western was independent, and had to be invited to the NCAA.  They beat Kansas in the regional championship in double overtime.  Th overcame Utah in the semifinal, setting up the championship game against Kentucky, an all white team.  When Haskins started five black players in the championship game, it was the first time an all black starting line up played in a championship game.  In fact he played all black players in the final, and the proved victorious.  This story is about overcoming odds.  The odds against Texas Western included their lack of experience in pressure games, lack of experience in playing disciplined ball, but also overcoming race issues.  In the championship game they were the more disciplined and the more talented team.  I watched the movie Glory Road, but it is the after movie interviews which were significant.  There are shots of talking to Pat Riley (player for Kentucky), Don Haskins, and many of the players for Texas Western.  This is an important story in our history.