GirlTREK

The most powerful Black men in America. Then and now.  Did you know that Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Duke Ellington, Medgar Evers, Paul Robeson, Nelson Mandela, Louis Farrakhan, and both Martin Luther King Jr.’s father and grandfather were all Prince Hall Freemasons?  And these are just the names that are on record.  Academics believe that everything we know today about Black American history has been influenced by the Black Freemasonry organization. Many people call them the unseen hand of Black America. The backbone of our progress.  There wouldn’t be a civil rights movement without Freemasonry. They have been behind nearly every pivotal move we’ve made as a people and yet, most of us know nothing about them. Until today!  This promises to be one of those blow your mind episodes where we connect so many dots in history that your head will spin. Then you’ll be calling everyone you know to let them know what you’ve learned.  Now grab your sneakers and hit the road cause we’ve got a story to tell. Don’t miss it.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:A Solider in the Army of the Lord | James Cleveland:https://open.spotify.com/track/7rRFiSgNG9FRzT4rZLFbIQ?si=a6edfc281ddf42dbYou've Been Good to Me | Jonathan DesVerney Gospel Channel:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQYKs9DKTn8

Brick-by-brick, crop-by-crop, farm-by-farm, today’s crew of Black men did the unglamorous work to build an economic future for our people. They built an institution, an infrastructure and an entire new economy to revive the American South. They called him The Black President. He didn’t ask for dignity and equal rights. He assumed them. Booker T. Washington convinced the Carnegies and Rockefellers to invest in the economic and political come-up of his people. And while we love W.E.B DuBois, young Dubois applied for a teaching job at Tuskegee. Don’t get it twisted. Booker T. Washington was the most influential Black man of the turn of the century. And the smartest thing he did was invite a quiet-spoken genius to join his crew. At the turn of the century. Before cars were invented, Henry Ford was asking a black man named George Washington Carver for advice. Ford said Carver was “the greatest scientist in the world.” Time Magazine called him  “The Black Aristotle.” And Mahatma Gandhi praised Carter for feeding a nation. (And y’all talking’bout some peanuts.) Thomas Edison offered Carver  $100,000 to quit working with Washington and work in his lab. He said no. He was devoted to serving his people. They built Tuskegee. 700 acres of farmland, livestock, 27 vocations in industrial trades: farming, printing, wagon making, tailoring, brick laying. The students themselves built the 50-building campus - by hand. And the school has an endowment bigger than Harvard’s at the time. True progress raging across the South until Washington raised his fist at The Atlanta Esposition - his full power on display - bringing the full backlash of Jim Crow terror, lynching and distraction. These men are the most misunderstood crew in Black history - and it may be intentional because when we get economic, industrial and agricultural power.  Listen. Today we try to understand. Both men were born into slavery.  How did they rise to such power? Let’s talk about it. Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:The Rubberband Man| The Spinners:https://open.spotify.com/track/13Mzsb8VzRSZ5w3pM48cn6?si=9584cLZQTm-56OcUToKeDw Will the Circle Be Unbroken | The Staple Singers:https://open.spotify.com/track/2XQlZQGMQKIElKRYSf5NWx?si=q4Nwb5yyTWOzZ5QYtkxhxQVisions of Sunset | Boyz II Men:https://open.spotify.com/track/6lQREztig1UKUHeyQhw7As?si=GtlyZfuHT2SH82aiFGTiAA

"The Black Panther Party may indeed be history, but the forces that gave rise to it are not.“They wait, for the proper season, to arise again."  - Mumia Abu-Jamal Throw your fist in the air and get ready to march, because Day 2 of Black History Bootcamp kicks off with an exposé into one of the most influential crews of our time, The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.  Perhaps no other crew in history had so much cultural influence, or impact on our politics, or instilled so much fear in our government, as the youngsters from West Oakland. J Edgar Hoover called them the “greatest threat” to the internal security of the country, and their 10 point plan and 35 survival programs, became the blueprint for every Black liberation movement that was to follow.  You think you know, but on today’s walk we will dig deep into the origin story of founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. We will break down the strategy of the movement. Explore the relationships that are central to the story, and talk about the enduring legacy of their work from fashion to the Free Breakfast Program.  Bigger than superheroes, this is the real story of The Black Panther Party. Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:Say It Loud | James Brown:https://open.spotify.com/track/5h8ve1B7Gr3k4W0WXAgLxE?si=e3c1490edefa4aa1The Ghetto | Too $hort:https://open.spotify.com/track/3B6WDceNe6lUQnczntRIuf?si=aae685242edb4d31

Zora Neale Hurston, one of the founders of anthropology, discusses the vibrant artistic community called the Niggerati during the Harlem Renaissance. They named their newspaper FIRE and their ideas were foundational to the era. The chapter also explores the importance of expressing freedom openly and surrounding yourself with positivity.

Year-after-year, we have called the name of Harriet and asked her to guide our steps and this movement. We have prayed to the same God. We have taught the lessons of her liberation. We have remained faithful to our vision.Now in 2022, on March 10th, Tubman Day, we honor Harriet with a global walk and celebration. Walk 2.22 miles for Harriet as we take you on a  journey from the Ashanti Kingdom, the home of Harriet’s Great grandmother, to Auburn NY, where she walked to her freedom. It’s an experience rooted in the history, culture, revolution and evolution of Black women’s liberation.  Featuring special guest from Harriet's family:Pauline Copes Johnson, Harriet Tubman’s 3x Great GrandnieceMichele Jones Gavin, Harriet Tubman’s 3x Great Grandniece#WeAreHarriet

“Freedom, by definition, is people realizing that they are their own leaders.”- Diane Nash On this special episode, we're walking and talking with Diane Nash, one of the most influential activists of any generation - co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and organizer of the Freedom Rides. This historic conversation commences on the Blackest day of the year - Saturday, August 28th. This day marks the anniversary of the abolishment of slavery in the UK, the murder of Emmitt Till, the March on Washington, the Presidential nomination of Barack Obama, and the day that our beloved Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman departed this earth. We mark this day because we do not believe in coincidences or happenstance, but in sacred forces and synchronicity, in supreme math and divine signs, and as a movement we join arm in arm with revolutionaries from around the world who stop each year in August to pay homage to the countless organizers and activists who sacrificed their freedom and lives in the struggle for Black liberation.This is an opportunity for the whole family to gather and experience living history, to walk real-time in the footsteps of a Civil Rights legacy, and to celebrate the Black women who paved the way and continue to do the work. We who believe in freedom cannot rest. Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Booker T and the MGs | Green Onions:https://open.spotify.com/track/4fQMGlCawbTkH9yPPZ49kP?si=A2YEDouTQaaLp_WVtIv1mw&dl_branch=1James Brown | Get Up Offa That: Thinghttps://open.spotify.com/track/0nyrltZrQGAJMBZc1bYvuQ?si=mrM0uXPBSSyB9UPfmnFqGw&dl_branch=1

Monday, May 31st will make the 100th anniversary of one of the worst incidents of mass racial violence in the history of this country, the Tulsa Race Massacre. Over the course of two days, more than 100 residents of one of the most thriving and prosperous Black neighborhoods in the country were massacred by a violent white mob. They came seeking to destroy what these proud men and women had built – a community organized around shared values and cultural pride with deep economic roots and political power.This Monday, as a tribute, a rallying cry, and a call-to-action we invite you, your loved ones, and your community to take a walk with us in this special edition of our viral walking podcast. Together we will spend 60 minutes calling in the ancestors, honoring what was lost in Tulsa, and discussing how this movement plans to lead the rebirth of 1,000 Black neighborhoods starting this summer.This virtual walk can be experienced from wherever you are and will be led by GirlTrek Co-Founders, Vanessa and Morgan along with a special guest, Tamika Mallory.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Ella's Song| Sweet Honey in The Rock:https://open.spotify.com/track/0MTTqcQmbLW94gMLYMl95k?si=d4c79d0411914eeeA Meditation for Black Women | Monet Marshall and Nia Wilson:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgf2COTsFUAValarie Kaurs' Prayer:https://www.today.com/video/what-if-this-is-not-the-darkness-of-the-tomb-but-the-darkness-of-the-womb-watch-valarie-kaur-s-speech-917892675740

“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion." - bell hooks If you are like us, you are sitting with a deep ache in your heart. Just as we’d begun to shake off some of the weariness that we’ve held while watching the verdict come down in the murder of George Floyd, we see Ma’Khia Bryant’s video pass through our timelines and read the news that a 16-year-old Black girl has been shot four times by police.   Sisters, we know this feels relentless. It is relentless. And that’s their strategy. The pressure is on to keep us in an exhaustive state of grief that robs us of our joy, our will to organize, and our collective faith. We must resist. And we must reject the urge to hold the rage. And we must keep moving forward with our collective healing as a people because on the other side of healing is liberation. In that spirit, and in honoring GirlTrek’s legacy of healing Black women through the ancestral tradition of walking, you are invited to join us for a National Walk and Talk. Together we will spend 60 minutes moving through grief, honoring our dead, discussing the path forward, and connecting with the divine power that guides us all.  Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Stand by Me | Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir:https://youtu.be/AyFlLjdNqk8Amazing Grace | Lizz Wright:https://youtu.be/bBrucMaLNBQ

On September 12, 1992, Mae Jemison, became the first Black woman to fly into space. This Black woman genius, who can trace her family roots back to the plantations of Talladega County, Alabama, flew 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds, and orbited the earth 127 times. Listed among the items that she carried with her was a poster of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, a West African statue, a picture of pilot Bessie Coleman, and a banner reppin’ Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Mae Jemison is truly her ancestor’s wildest dreams. Her life is a masterclass in excellence, sprinkled with Black stardust. Come to this walk with anticipation. There is much to learn from this pioneer! Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - 21 Cosmonauts at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 women who were ahead of their time.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Alvin Ailey "Cry" with Yolanda Adams "Right on Be Free" | Black Girls Rock 2018:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIAbeGLbXlcSaturn | Stevie Wonder:https://open.spotify.com/track/5RgWdJs6H52nMyZFQspQWH?si=ad8c70fbe3a84a20

On the very spot where the transatlantic slave trade began, in modern-day Angola, the most epic fight for liberation in our history was waged between the entire Portuguese Empire and one Black woman. Standing toe-to-toe. Them and her. Queen Nzinga. Say her name. We are the #daughters of Queen Nzinga Mbande. Queen of the Ambundu Kingdoms of the ruling family of Ndongo and great sovereign power of Matamba. Ohhh that’s delicious. Let it roll off your tongues: Nzzzzinga, Nzingha, Njinga. Her name alone defies the English alphabet, spelled differently across history. No matter how you spell her name, one thing is certain, trained in military precision and political warfare, young Nzinga defeated the colonizers, protected her people for 37 years, and set into motion a liberation movement that would ultimately defeat the colonizers. We will not be your slaves. Adjust your crowns queens, we’re going in. This is the greatest story never told. Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - 21 Cosmonauts at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 women who were ahead of their time.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Summertime | Angelique Kidjo:https://open.spotify.com/track/6ZoY4JuMpnTkQTLE8tYP5k?si=9f4aa8cf123f439dTry Me | Tems:https://open.spotify.com/track/2DYp6Gfu2JguZra6xL8IAV?si=9b3d681841e04baf