Tag: Black History Month 2025

Origin of Black History Month

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 28, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 6 Comments on Origin of Black History Month

Today, the last day of February, we’re going to give credit where credit is due. The origin of Black History Month. Q: Who started it? A: Carter Woodson. Woodson was a major American historian living and working during the first half of the 20th century. He founded the predecessor to the Journal of African American History, one of the...

Until August Wilson

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 21, 2025. Posted in General, Racism to Reconciliation. 8 Comments on Until August Wilson

I had given up on plays until August Wilson. Much of my social life for decades had included attending plays. New Stage Theater in Jackson. Several theaters in Memphis. At one point, during a performance, I thought, What are you doing here? The play was not engaging. I was not having a good time. Until I discovered August Wilson. I would...

Don’t Call Me Miss Ellen

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 10, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 6 Comments on Don’t Call Me Miss Ellen

When I was practicing law, I frequently appeared before an administration judge. This one trial, the old dude who the agency hired to act as the judge would call me Miss Ellen. He called the opposition Mr. Cockrell. Me, Miss Ellen. I was a lawyer. The male person on the other side of the case was a lawyer. But I was being talked down to every...

But for Randall Kenan

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 7, 2025. Posted in Featured, Racism to Reconciliation. 2 Comments on But for Randall Kenan

I would never have known what literary journalism was but for Randall Kenan. When I saw the subject matter he was teaching, I groaned. I could not imagine something I wanted less to do with. But Randall was at the University of Memphis as a visiting professor. I couldn’t believe I had the chance to learn under him, even if I would only...

My Tennis Role Model

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 5, 2025. Posted in Featured, Racism to Reconciliation. 10 Comments on My Tennis Role Model

I played competitive tennis as a child. That’s a fancy way of saying I played in tournaments, traveled to regional cities to compete, and followed my rankings in the Southeast. I began playing at a young age. I was seven years old when my sister began at eight–my mother wanted us to take lessons at the same time, so the pro let me...

Black History Month by Me

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 2, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 8 Comments on Black History Month by Me

Okay, guys, I missed February 1st. But they say don’t sacrifice the good-enough to the perfect. This year, 2025, as the Federal government works tirelessly to pretend no merit resides in anyone but straight white males, I will during Black History Month blog on how extraordinary Black Americans have impacted my personal history. Short...