By Sandra Long Weaver Thinking of a trip to explore another culture and gain a better understanding of how people live in other parts of the world? Consider traveling to the United Arab Emirates, specifically Dubai and Abu Dhabi. According to the Mandela Research agency, Black American travelers are seeking more cultural and heritage experiences and a visit to the UAE is fifth on list of places Black Americans visit each year. Ghana tops the list. And my recent tour group had 22 Black Americans from all over the country. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect on the eight-day…
Author: Sandra Long Weaver
By Sandra Long Weaver NEWARK, NJ — The 47th stamp in the United States Postal Service Black Heritage Collection was unveiled during a special ceremony sponsored by the New Jersey chapter of the Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections (ESPER) on March 26. The forever stamp of Constance Baker Motley, who was the first African American female federal judge, was designed by artist Charley Palmer. It was unveiled nationally by the USPS in New York City in January. ESPER, a 36-year-old Black organization whose members collect stamps of all varieties, wanted to do something special to honor Motley was…
By Sandra Long WeaverTribune Editorial Director It is rare to have more than one artist discuss his or her work at a gallery. But on Sept. 25, four of Nashville’s Black artists paid tribute to Nate Harris, the owner and founder of Woodcuts Gallery, on Jefferson Street. Harris was celebrating his 34th anniversary in North Nashville. “They have upheld a standard of excellence not only in their framing but in the artists they have exhibited here at this facility,” said native Nashville artist James Threalkill. He said he still cherishes the memory of having his name the marquee as…
By Sandra Long Weaver NASHVILLE, TN — Over and over, those paying tribute to the late Congressional Rep. John Robert Lewis recalled him as a “living saint,” “a kind man”, a “remarkable man” and a “humble man.” During the three-hour memorial service on July 16 at First Baptist Church Capitol Hill and also hosted by American Baptist College, over a dozen speakers including his youngest brother told stories of how Rep. Lewis impacted the country. The event attended by over 500 people, was the first of several during Rep. John Lewis Weekend in Nashville. July 16 was the one-year anniversary…
Commentary by Sandra Long Weaver Tribune Editorial Director We’ve been holding our breath for 11 months. It started when we all watched the video of the public lynching of Mr. George Floyd last May 25. For 9 minutes and 29 seconds, we watched as former police officer Derek Chauvin put his full body weight on the neck of Floyd. We heard Mr. Floyd say over and over again that he could not breathe. He even called out for his deceased mother. We saw Chauvin put his hands in his pockets and look into the camera with a smirk on his…
By Sandra Long Weaver Tribune Editorial Director This week marks the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. But unlike other anniversary events, this is one I will not be celebrating. Instead, I will reflect on how the pandemic has changed my life and the thousands of other persons in the middle Tennessee community. The revelations about how it has disproportionately affected the Black community has been disturbing and eye-opening. Nashville had just begun to assess the damage from the March 3 tornado when the pandemic suddenly changed all our lives. Businesses, restaurants, schools shut their doors. Millions were suddenly…
By Sandra Long Weaver Tribune Editorial Director Meharry Medical College has seen a record number of applications this year as more Black students seek a path to become doctors. James Hildreth, M.D., president of Meharry, said they normally receive around 7000 applications for 110 seats but this year have received just under 10,000 applications. And Dental school applications have increased significantly as well, he said. “The pool is very strong in terms of the GPAs and MCAT scores,” he said. “I’m excited about that.” Applications to all medical schools are up 18 percent. Because more Black, Latino and Native Americans…
By Sandra Long Weaver Tribune Editorial Director NASHVILLE, TN — Finding solutions to the disparities in how people of color receive health care regarding COVID-19 is the challenge facing Dr. James Hildreth and members of the national task force to which he was recently appointed. The work of the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force will be “making sure the needs of the most vulnerable populations are met and looking at the disparities,” said Hildreth who is the president of Meharry Medical College. The task force has already met to go over procedures and will meet this week with its chair. …
By Sandra Long Weaver Tribune Editorial Director NASHVILLE, TN — Visitors to Nashville’s new National Museum of African American Music will come away with an increased understanding of how African American music is connected to every aspect of American lives. The museum is the first in the country dedicated to African American music. Visitors will receive a special bracelet when entering the museum that will allow them to download their interactive experiences to share or review over and over again. During the Jan. 12 media day, journalists were shown the how the interactive programs throughout the museum are creative, fun…
By Sandra Long Weaver Tribune Editorial Director Nashville TN (TN Tribune)–Mr. Leo Kwame Lillard would have wanted us to understand the importance and value of liberation, Rev. Kelly Miller Smith Jr. told the family and friends who gathered Monday, Dec. 28 at First Baptist Church Capitol Hill to celebrate his life of activism. Mr. Lillard, 81, died on Sunday, Dec. 20. He was one of the few 1960 sit-in protestors who was still living in Nashville. He also was one of the founders of the African American Cultural Alliance, the annual African street festival, the annual Kwanzaa celebration and led…