Read. Think. Act.

Catherine Read

by

The Three Mothers – Anna Malaika Tubbs

(Feb. 2021) What a wonderful book! Anna Malaika Tubbs has chosen to profile three incredibly important women and she has done it well. Researching women who did not leave behind nearly the body of work, personal history and accomplishments of their three famous sons was a challenge. It was as challenge well met, and stories well told. This book is a good read. And so enlightening.

Tubbs profiles three Black women most of us know little about: Alberta Williams King, mother of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther, Jr.; Louise Little, mother of Malcolm X; and Emma Berdis Baldwin, mother of writer James Baldwin.

Louise, Berdis, and Alberta were all born within six years of each other, and their famous sons were all born within five years of each other, which presents beautiful intersections in their lives. Because they were all born around the same time and gave birth to their famous sons around the same time, and two of them passed away around the same time, I reflect on Black womanhood in the early 1900s, Black motherhood in the 1920s, and their influence on the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Each of these women truly deserves to be known in their own right. They were strong women who all three valued education and were educated themselves. Tubbs connects their lives with sociological and historical factors of the time that impacted the trajectory of their lives and those of their children. There is so much here that deserves to be pondered, discussed and centered in our discussions of how to create communities – and a country – where Black families thrive.

One of the greatest shocks of this book was learning that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s mother Alberta was assassinated while playing the organ at a Sunday service on June 30, 1974. She was gunned down in Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta in front of a packed congregation, her husband, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr., her sole remaining child Dr. Christine King Farris, and several of her grandchildren – one of whom tackled the 23 year old gunman. The assailant was captured, tried and sentenced to death. “This was later reduced to life in prison, in part at the insistence of King family members who opposed the death penalty. He died in prison of a stroke in 1995.”

The fact that I did not know this speaks volumes about the erasure of Black women in American history. More importantly than how Alberta King died, however, is how she lived. All of these mothers deserve to have their stories told. Their legacy was how they navigated a life where the odds were stacked against them and raised children who had an impact on this country and in this world.

Anna Malaika Tubbs has done us all a great service in doggedly pursuing this project. Time has already started to erase the scant evidence of their lives and left the author to piece together their narrative from what little was left behind for her to find. Sadly, the women themselves were not interviewed in person while they still lived. Tubbs makes the case for why Black women’s stories need to be captured and written down. Not just for the sake of posterity, but so their families know where they came from and what shaped the women who brought them into this world.

I’m so grateful this book was written so that I could read it.

by

Railroaded – Dale Brumfield

Railroaded - Dale Brumfield author (Sept. 2020) This book is an excellent work of research, scholarship and storytelling. Dale Brumfield, a native Virginian, historian, author and cultural archaeologist continues to write about the untold history of this Commonwealth that we never learned in school.

Railroaded is a window into the history and culture of the Commonwealth of Virginia through a very specific lens of capital punishment. To understand how so many young black men were put to death, we must first acknowledge that Virginia is ground zero of the slave trading of captured Africans that began in 1619. Those sales of Black Africans to White landowners established human beings as property, not people, and slavery as an important economic engine of Southern prosperity.

While this book is dedicated to telling the stories of the first 100 people put to death in the newly introduced electric chair from 1908 to 1920, the subtext of these stories is one of white rage, resentment and institutional racism in Virginia that is present to this very day.

There are so many layers to this book. The first that struck me was that the names of the victims and the names of the accused look so very similar. They are the same old Virginia family names that used to fill pages of local phonebooks. I recognize these family names because I have lived in Virginia all of my life and these are the names of my schoolmates, neighbors and leading citizens of the communities where I have lived from Southwest Virginia to Northern Virginia.

That is a reminder that many Black Virginians bear the surnames of the people who owned their ancestors. They do not have a family history of their own with an ancestry separate from those who enslaved them. Their identity was stolen when they were abducted from their own communities on another continent and sold as property to White people who chose what they would be called and whose mark was left on their children, and their children’s children for all of their days.

Reducing Black people to less than human is the foundation upon which this country’s culture and our system of justice and punishment has been built. Virginia’s legislature and our law enforcement created a two-tiered system that was both codified and legitimized in the law.

For many years a Black person was not allowed by law to testify against a White criminal defendant, so crimes such as the rape of a Black woman by a White man were rarely prosecuted, and never resulted in a death sentence since the victim could not testify against her attacker.

As a carryover effect, there was not one White-on-Black capital crime punished by execution – and unbelievably, Virginia did not execute a White for killing a Black person until 1997, when Thomas Beavers was executed for the murder of Marguerite Lowery.

Another startling layer to this book is the long and detailed history of violence against women. Rape and assault, along with husbands killing wives, and men stalking and killing the objects of their obsession. Women have not fared well here in the Commonwealth. It took until 2020 for legislation to pass in our current legislature that allows the Courts, through due process, to issue Risk Orders removing guns from the hands of people who are a risk to themselves or others. It’s hard to imagine how many women could have been spared murder while fleeing domestic violence if only we had the political will to protect them.

This book is an important part of Virginia’s history. I think it’s difficult for many people to understand how unarmed Black people can be killed with impunity and no one held accountable. It has ever been thus. It is hardwired into our culture and carried forward generation after generation. The history of law enforcement, the judicial process, mass incarceration and capital punishment present the blueprint to how we got here in 2020. More books like Railroaded need to be researched, written and widely read so that the next generation perhaps makes the intentional choice not to carry these terrible precedents forward.

Listen to my interview with author Dale Brumfield here: https://youtu.be/z0c36–BJWA

by

His Other Life – Melanie McCabe

His Other Life (March 2020) This book was captivating. A real page turner. I love the writing and following Melanie McCabe through her journey as a novice researcher. I’m delighted to know that she is a local English teacher in Arlington, Virginia, and that a writer of such talent teaches creative writing in a public high school. How fortunate her students are to learn the craft from someone so accomplished.

The premise of the book is intriguing. It certainly makes me consider how little we know about who our parents were before they were our parents. In this instance, Melanie’s father Terrence McCabe, had an interesting connection to the playwright Tennessee Williams. The elusive Hazel Kramer, loved by both men, passed away young and tragically. I can appreciate how invested the author came to be in giving her a voice and a presence that is now capture for posterity along with a fuller portrait of the father she lost at such a young age.

It’s a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

by

The Art of Gathering – Priya Parker

Art of Gathering (Jan 2020) This book is a must read. For everyone. From dinner parties and staff meetings to holiday gatherings and funerals, we all spend so much time at “gatherings” that are organized by someone.

Priya Parker points out that surprisingly little thought is given to the structure of gatherings. Because of that, many of us spend inordinate amounts of time in boring time wasters that are often tedious and quite forgettable.

This book changes how to think about the purpose of gatherings – absolutely all gatherings. With each chapter I had “aha moments” that made we wonder why I had not thought about this before.

I will also say that this book should be added to every reading list for leadership development programs, courses and seminars. Same for corporate retreats and strategy sessions. Constructing a meaningful gathering with purpose *is* a core leadership skill. Parker’s examples of the gatherings she has facilitated in her career are fascinating. It also makes the book more of a “show” than a “tell.” Once she tells the story of a particular gathering, she breaks down how and why it worked so well.

I think we all need to incorporate the format of 15 Toasts regularly into our dinner gatherings. Of all the concepts she introduced, I really loved this one. While “communication” takes place at gatherings, it does not always lead to meaningful connection among people. And why would you pursue the first if not for the purpose of the latter? I highly recommend this book. It will change the way you think about how we spend our time with one another and how with the smallest amount of effort it could be so much more meaningful.

by

Faithful Servant Awards on Your Need to Know

(October 2, 2019) Catherine Read sits down with Bishop Kofi Adonteng Boateng of Divine World International Ministries to discuss the Faithful Servant Awards that will be given out at a special ceremony on October 26th at the Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, VA.

In addition to his full time job of being an ordained minister, Bishop Boateng also serves as a police chaplain in Fairfax County. Originally from Ghana, the Bishop has worked hard since he has been in Virginia to familiarize himself with the community, and get to know people who keep his community safe. Several years ago, he invited some police officers to come speak at his church. His goal was to have the officers talk about safety, and give his congregants an overview of how to remain safe and vigilant.

Boateng was so impressed with the officer’s presentation, as it gave him a much better understanding of the police force and the role it serves its residents.  It was the beginning of a wonderful relationship, which has grown and blossomed over the years. He believes it is incumbent on citizens to get to know the officers in their community, as it is important to partner with them in order to keep communities safe.

In the news we often hear about police brutality, and instances where police are biased against minorities. Boateng wants people to know that he does not see it this way in Virginia. He sees police officers that put themselves in danger each and every day, in order to serve and protect everyone in their communities. He wanted to do something to recognize and celebrate the individuals who go above and beyond each and every day.

So, he established the Faithful Servant Awards in 2018. Officers from Fairfax County, Prince William County and Alexandria City will be recognized at the ceremony, which will be held on October 26th. His dream is to grow this program around the country, so that bridges can be built between communities and those who serve them. He is particularly interested in establishing programs like this in places where the relationships are not strong, like Chicago and Atlanta, as he believes that bringing people together is the best way for them to understand one another.

To learn more about the Faithful Servant Awards, you can find them online or on Facebook at

by

Laura Jane Cohen on Your Need to Know

(September 11, 2019) Catherine Read interviews Laura Jane Cohen, candidate for the Fairfax County School Board in the Springfield district. Cohen is a former FCPS teacher, parent of two FCPS students, and former PTA president.

This November Virginians will head to the voting booth to elect almost all of our local officials across the commonwealth, including all 140 seats in the General Assembly, the Board of Supervisors, Sheriff, Commonwealth’s Attorneys, Soil and Water Conservation Board and School Board. Cohen has decided to challenge an eight-year incumbent because she believes that her opponent is out of step and not engaged with the community that they represent.

As a former FCPS preschool teacher and long-term substitute, Cohen has the deep understanding of what teachers need to succeed in the classroom. As a parent of both middle and high school students, she can also relate to the needs of parents as well. By being able to see things through multiple lenses, she aims to deliver results for all of her constituents.

Cohen first got involved in advocacy work after the horrific Sandy Hook school shooting. Her local school, Cherry Run Elementary, was designed as an open-concept school.  None of the classrooms had doors. After what she witnessed she could not fathom sending her children to school in classrooms that could not be secured.

She spoke with the Principal to see about getting doors installed to help protect students. His initial response was that he was not able to do this because the school was on the list for Capital Improvements, so they would just have to wait their turn.

In Cohen’s eyes, this was not an acceptable answer. She then brought together various parent groups to help advocate for updating the school. At the end of the day they were able to accomplish their goal. This helped fuel Cohen’s desire to improve the schools for all students.

Cohen truly wants the school system to work for all students.  After her daughter was diagnosed with a learning disability, she worked hard to navigate the system to ensure that her daughter had access to the resources that she needed to thrive in the classroom.

What she learned through this process was that, although the resources are there, it takes a lot of effort on the part of parents to ensure that the school delivers the needed services.  One of her goals is to make that process easier to navigate and implement for all students in need, not only for the ones who have parents who are able to make it happen. She also wants to make it easier for teachers to be advocates for their students.

Lastly, Cohen draws a distinct comparison between herself and her opponent, Elizabeth Schultz.  After the Parkland massacre, Schultz called for arming teachers, instead of trying to figure out how to prevent future tragedies.  Additionally,  she did not want to include LGBTQ staff and students when updating the FCPS non-discrimination policies.  Cohen wants the school system to be open, fair and welcoming to all students.  To learn more about Cohen’s campaign you can visit her website. 

by

Elaine Tholen on Your Need To Know

(September 4, 2019) Catherine Read sits down with Elaine Tholen, Director of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and candidate for FCPS School Board. Soil and water conservations districts were established after the dust bowl by the US Department of Agriculture to create local teams of people working on the ground with private landowners to ensure best practices for farming and agriculture.

The Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and its Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3), provides and promotes leadership in the conservation of natural resources through stewardship and education programs. It coordinates conservation efforts statewide to focus effectively on issues identified by local member districts. Their mission is to serve and strengthen soil and water conservation districts in the stewardship of natural resources. There are 47 soil and water districts in Virginia.

The board consists of five members; two of who are appointed and three are elected. They work together, in conjunction with the chairperson, to carry out local efforts to promote good environmental practices, as it applies to land and water. They help private landowners with everything from establishing safe water runoff, preventing flooding, creating rainwater gardens and helping with storm water management.

An important part of their work is to educate the public on environmental issues. The Youth Conservation Leadership Institute attracts young people who are interested in learning more about the environment. Students who are accepted into this program run their own project to explore an issue that is meaningful to them. They then present their findings at the annual conference that is held at George Mason University.

Catherine speaks with Sitara Sastry, a youth leader who conducted a project testing drinking water at Oakton High School. At the time that she did her project the school was under construction, and there was a lot of “chatter” about weather or not the water was safe to drink.

Sitara learned quite a bit about the water at the high school, where it came from and the different uses (drinking water vs. HVAC cooling water for the air conditioning). She really enjoyed having an opportunity to get hands-on experience, and is now interested in pursuing environmental science, or environmental engineering, in college.

Elaine has really enjoyed the many years she has spent at the head of the Soil and Water District, but has decided this year to run for the Dranesville District School Board position. With a background in teaching in FCPS when she was younger, and parent of two boys who graduated through the public schools, she looks at this as an opportunity to continue to serve her community. You can learn more about Elaine on her website. Elections for School Board, Supervisors, all 140 seats in the General Assembly, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff and the Soil and Water Conservation Board will be held on November 5th.

by

Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center

(Aug. 29, 2019) Making Change Radio host Catherine Read sat down with Stacey Picard and Saif Rahman of Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center to discuss the many ways the center serves the community. Stacey is the Assistant Director of Social Services and Raif is the Government and Public Affairs Director.The original Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque was founded in 1983 in a small brick house in the Culmore neighborhood of Fairfax County’s Mason District. In 1991, a large donation made possible the building of what is now the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center which includes the mosque that serves the area’s 40,000 muslims.

Dar Al-Hijrah serves muslims from over 50 countries, and the muslim community that has been here for generations back to the colonial days of early America, and Friday prayer services regularly have 3,000 attendees. For many muslims new to this country, the mosque is their primary source of information and assistance. But in addition to serving the local muslim community, there are social service programs that serve the needs of a diverse population that also includes Hispanic and Vietnamese community members.

The Islamic Center works with local churches in the area to deliver services such as meals, food distributions and health care services. There is a program at Dar Al-Hijrah to teach women to sew and provide them a sewing machine in order to provide them a path to earning income while caring for their families at home. There are programs that are done in collaboration with other area non-profits to provide specific kinds of services like English as a second language and English language literacy.

Dar Al-Hijrah is open to everyone and there are events such as their “Bring a Friend Iftar-Dinner” every Tuesday evening during Ramadan. They also host community meetings like the one that will be held about the upcoming national census on September 25th. Everyone is welcome here and the community is invited to come take a tour of the center, volunteer with one of the many programs offered here, and to collaborate on meeting some of the pressing needs of the Culmore area.

You can follow Dar Al-Hijrah on Twitter and Instagram @hijrahva or on Facebook at /hijrava/ and upcoming events can be found at www.hijtrah.org

by

Delegate Kathleen Murphy on Your Need to Know

(August 28, 2019) Catherine Read interviews Delegate Kathleen Murphy (D-34) about her reelection campaign for the Virginia House of Delegates. Murphy was elected to the House in a special election in 2015, succeeding Barbara Comstock. The 34th District encompasses McLean, Great Falls, parts of Vienna and stretches into northern Loudoun County.

All 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly are up for grabs this year.  This includes the Board of Supervisors, School Board, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff and the Soil and Water Conservation Board. As Murphy hits the doors to talk to voters, one of the top concerns that she continues to hear about in her district are concerns about traffic. Congested roadways has a major impact on quality of life, and voters want to know that she is engaged in looking at creative ways to solve these problems.

Delegate Murphy sits on several committees in Richmond, including Transportation, General Laws, and Cities, Counties and Towns. She is always looking out for her constituents, and works hard to ensure that their needs are best represented in Richmond.

Growing up as a military brat, Murphy understands the importance of taking care of our veterans. She is a member of the Military and Veterans Caucus, and specifically chairs the women’s working group for the Board of Veteran Services. Virginia has one of the largest veteran populations, and Murphy works day in and day out to serve the approximately 104,000 female veterans in the Commonwealth. Many times these women are overlooked, and do not know how to access services. Her working group is designed to change that paradigm.

Gun violence prevention is another issue that Murphy has championed during her time in elected office. Her brother was brutally murdered during a botched robbery attempt, so she is intimately aware of the pain and suffering of those who are affected by gun violence. Last year she chaired the Safe Virginia Initiative, to look at how laws could change to reduce the instances of gun violence.

Unfortunately, with the GOP in control of the legislative agenda, she does not believe there is much of a chance that anything will change. After over 20 years in control, there has only been a loosening of gun laws. Even though the majority of Virginians support universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, and red flag laws, there has been no movement on the issue.

After the horrific mass shooting in Virginia Beach, when the Governor called a special session to address gun violence legislation, the GOP dismissed the session after a mere 90 minutes. Murphy points out that we will never have any meaningful change until there is a change with who is in control of the statehouse.

by

Historian Carroll “C.R.” Gibbs – Making Change Radio

(Aug. 22, 2019) Host Catherine Read sits down with Carroll “C.R.” Gibbs to discuss Jamestown, the first recorded history of enslaved people landing in Virginia in 1619, and the impact of mythology versus factual history.

CR Gibbs is the author/co-author of six books and a frequent national and international lecturer on an array of historical topics. He has appeared several times on the History Channel and French and Belgian television. He wrote, researched, and narrated “Sketches in Color,” for WHUT-TV, the Howard University television station. “Sketches in Color,” is a 13-part companion series to the acclaimed PBS series, “The Civil War.”

The Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum features Gibbs on its Online Academy website. He is also a D.C. Humanities Council scholar. In 1989, he founded the African History & Culture Lecture Series whose scholars provide free presentations at libraries, churches, and other locations in the Washington-Baltimore area.

The schedule for upcoming lecture series in 2019 can be found on Port of Harlem’s website.

Making Change Radio can be heard every Thursday night at 9 pm (EST) online at Radio Fairfax or on Ch. 37 locally.