connecticut recognizes marriage equality

Today, Connecticut became the third state to recognize marriage equality by allowing same-sex couples to marry there.

Today, the Connecticut Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision and ruled that same-sex couples enjoy the same right to marry as different-sex couples under the state constitution. The court ruled that it is a violation of the state constitution to deny gay and lesbian couples the right to marry, and that it is not enough to provide rights to gay and lesbian couples through a separate system of civil unions.

Congratulations to those in Connecticut who have been working for and waiting for this momentous day. We only hope that more states will join California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts in granting marriage rights to all of their residents.

ntl celebrates black history: ida b. wells

Bloggers have often been called "citizen journalists." We face obstacles that traditional journalists do not, namely access. Ida B. Wells faced obstacles in her day, as well: she wasn't white.

Ida B. Wells was an activist for civil rights. She campaigned against lynching and protested for women's suffrage. Born in 1862, she was certainly ahead of her time. A Webster University article outlines her struggle:

Wells was characterized as a militant and uncompromising leader for her efforts to abolish lynching and establish racial equality. Wells challenged segregation decades before Rosa Parks, ran for Congress and attended suffrage meetings with the likes of Susan B. Anthony and Jane Addams, yet most of her efforts are largely unknown due to the fact that she is African American and female.

She was born in Mississippi to a carpenter and a cook, slaves that found freedom only a few years after Ida's birth. She dropped out of school at age 16 to take care of her family after her parents and a sibling died of yellow fever.

She later attended college at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she was an outspoken advocate for women's rights. According to Wikipedia, she's quoted as writing: "I will not begin at this late day by doing what my soul abhors; sugaring men, weak deceitful creatures, with flattery to retain them as escorts or to gratify a revenge."

In 1884, Wells was asked to abandon a seat on the train she had paid for in first class and instead sit in the smoking car. When she refused, she was physically assaulted by three men, and instead of moving to the smoking car, she exited the train at the next stop. She hired a lawyer and sued; the court awarded her $500 in damages. Wells shared her story with The Living Way, a weekly church newspaper in the black community, and thus began her writing career.

In the late 1800s, Wells toured the United States and Europe on an anti-lynching campaign. In 1909, she helped to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, an organization that still exists today.

She died in 1931 after a long life of struggle for equal rights. She was an activist, an advocate, a journalist and a pioneer. Her bold actions undoubtedly helped foster and inspire a civil rights movement that would one day bring equality to our country.

ntl honors the life of martin luther king, jr.

Today, Jan. 15, is the celebration of the life of a true American hero... it's Martin Luther King Day.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a political activist and Christian minister that famously led the American civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1955, after Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat and was subsequently arrested, King led the 382 day Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott ended with a Supreme Court decision that totally banned segregation on all public transportation.

King continued to passively lead the fight against racial discrimination in the United States for the rest of his life, leading marches and protests across the country, promoting equality, and even speaking out against the Vietnam war.

He was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his teachings of non-violence and equality. Nine years after King's death, President Jimmy Carter posthumously awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, reminds us that we recently lost the beloved leader's wife, Coretta Scott King.

This is the first year that we’ll recognize Martin Luther King Day since the death of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Mrs. King and I were friends and confidants for many years. She was an incredible woman – graceful and dignified – who showed strength in the face of indignation and tragedy.

Following Dr. King’s assassination, she continued his legacy promoting social and economic justice for all. Mrs. King was determined to make his dream a reality. And we would not be celebrating the legacy of Dr. King today without her contributions.

If you are looking for something productive and meaningful to do on this day off of work or school, Dallas South Blog has a few suggestions, including the 26th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration, sponsored by the City of Dallas, and a sermon preached by Rev. Jesse Jackson.