See Saw

DR. DOROTHY I HEIGHT, REST IN PEACE

 

Dr. Dorothy I Height and Polly Cowan, Co- Founders of Wednesdays In Mississippi

Dr. Dorothy Irene Height died early this morning at age 98. One of the great leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement, her activism, passion, brilliance and determination changed the lives of millions. She was also my my mother's great friend and colleague. Our family loved Dr. Height, and will miss her deeply.

I direct you to my sister, Holly Shulman's, excellent website documenting the Civil Rights Organization, Wednesdays In Mississippi, founded by Dr. Height and our mother, Polly Spiegel Cowan 

WEDNESDAYS IN MISSISSIPPI WEBSITE

 

From the Wednesdays In Mississippi Website. Click image to link.

Wednesdays In Mississippi mostly worked in secret in order to protect the women who participated, whose lives could be in danger from the mission.

 
"Secret Project in Mississippi- Interracial meeting of Women" NY York Herald Tribune, 1964. From The Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College. Click image to link.

Text:

New York Herald Tribune, Aug. 30, 1964  By Dick Schaap, City Editor:

They met secretly, these few white women and Negro women of Jackson Miss., in a business office on a border  street separating Negro and white residential sections, because the white women were afraid to bring Negros into their home and afraid, too, to go to Negro Homes. Their fear, of course, was of retaliation from the white community. Their interracial meetings were inspired by a project called Wednesdays in Mississippi, a secret project revealed only yesterday, that over the past two months quietly brought into Mississippi 48 Northern women, white and Negro, many of them socially prominent. The mood of these meetings, encouraged by the Northern visitors to help 'build a bridge' between Jackson Negro and white women, was expressed best, perhaps, in the frank remarks of one local white woman who attended. " My husband would kill me if he knew I were here." she said. "But he's a wonderful guy."" These (white) women are living through a frightening, schizophrenic experience," Dr. Hanna A. Levin, of Maplewood, NY, an assistant professor of psychology at Rutgers University, said yesterday.

Mrs Levin was the leader of Team Seven, the last of the Northern teams- drawing women from New York, New Jersey, Boston, Washington, Baltimore, Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Paul - to make an excursion to Mississippi. Six of the teams had seven members; one team had six members: every team had at least two Negros on it.

The Northern visitors included Mrs. Robert B. Meyner, wife of the former governor of New Jersey; Mrs. Jerome B. Weisner, wife of the Dean Of Science at Massachusetts Instititute Of Technology; Mrs. August Hecksher, wife of the director of the Twentieth Century Fund, Inc., Mrs. Robert S. Benjamin, wife of the chairman of the board of United Artists Corp.; Mrs. Dorothy I. Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women; Mrs. Edward L. Ryerson jr., daughter -in- law of the former chairmn of the board of Inland Steel Co, and the overall project coordinator, Mrs. Louis G. Cowan, wife of the director of the Communications Research Center at Brandeis University.

ACTIVITY

Each team flew into Mississippi on a Tuesday - the last group landed on Aug. 18- spent Tuesday night in Jackson, spend Wednesday visiting Freedom Schools and other facilities set up by the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) in such towns as Meridan, Hattiesburg, Ruleville, Canton and Vicksburg, went back to Jackson Wednesday night and returned home on Thursday.

The Negro members of the teams always stayed in private Negro homes. The white members of the fist five teams stayed in motels. Then, as the group slowly acquired contacts in the white community, the white members of the last two teams found lodging in private white homes. Wednesdays In Mississippi employed a paid staff of three women - two white and one Negro - who spent the entire two months in Mississippi.

Many of the visitors paid their own way to Mississippi but a majority were subsidized, at least in part, by such organizations as The National Council Of Negro Women, The YWCA, The National Council Of Jewish Women, The National Council of Catholic Women, The League Of Women Voters and several church groups.

Each woman was briefed by Mrs. Cowan before she left, given background reading material - including the speech by Mississippi Prof. James Silvester (Silver) which lead to his book, "Mississippi: The Closed Society" and a pamphlet called "Behind The Cotton Curtain" - then was debriefed by Mrs. Cowan when she returned. The debriefings were tape recorded.

From the Wednesdays In Mississippi Film Project:

"However, it was on Thursdays that the quiet revolution took root. This was when the “Wednesdays Women” put on their white gloves and pearls and secretly met with Black and White Mississippi women. In living rooms over tea and cookies the Southern women openly discussed their fears and suspicions about the civil rights movement.  Many, for the first time, voiced their support for change. At that time in Mississippi, mixing with outsiders had dire consequences.  Yet the women came,  they listened  and their hearts and minds began to open.  Their clandestine meetings became the catalyst for great change."

 
Dr. Dorothy I. Height was also a fashion icon. She could really wear a hat!  Photo by H. Darr Beiser, USA Today, 2008

 
January 18, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)  President Obama and Dr, Dorothy I Height

 
At Dr. Dorothy I Height's funeral, April 29, 2010, President Obama cries. I love this photo and the fact that Obama was so moved by such a great woman.

For a comprehensive look at WIMS please go to: Wednesdays In Missisippi website

and The WIMS Film Project

And this, From Laura Flanders, GritTV

More GRITtv

DR. DOROTHY I HEIGHT, POLLY COWAN, AND OBAMA'S INAUGURATION

My mother, Polly Spiegel Cowan, civil rights activist, died in 1976. As I watched the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama I held in my heart the image of my mother and her dear friend and colleague Dr. Dorothy Height.

Cheers to you, Mom, watching from wherever you are now. And cheers to you, Dr. Height. I'm glad you got a great seat at the inauguration. You more than deserve it.

From the NY Times, Sept 17, 2009

One of Mr. Obama’s guests, Dorothy Height, 96, will have a place of honor on the platform — in her wheelchair. Ms. Height, a longtime social activist, was accepted at Barnard College in 1929 but was turned away when she arrived because the school had met its quota of two black women.

“I never thought I would live to see this,” she said of the inauguration of a black president. “This is real recognition that civil rights was not just what Dr. King dreamed. But it took a lot of people a lot of work to make this happen, and they feel part of it.”

 

From NewsChanne8 in Washington, DC, January 19, 2009

At 96 years old, Height has seen many firsts, but when Barack Obama  is sworn-in as the nation's first African-American president, it will be an experience for her unlike any other. "I'll be glad I lived long enough to see it and I think it's the answer to so many prayers- something that people have worked on for a long time."

Born in Richmond, Height first started working in New York City. By the late 1930's, she had established herself as a civil rights activist and joined the National Council of Negro Women.

American leaders regularly met with her. Height encouraged President Eisenhower to desegregate schools and President Lyndon Johnson to appoint African-American women to positions in government. "She has been the glue that has held our civil rights and human rights movement together for the last 40 years and one of the things I'm so happy about is that she lived to see the day," said Rev. Walter Fauntroy, civil rights activist.

In 1957, Height was named president of the National Council of Negro Women. It was a position she held throughout the height of the civil rights movement of the 1960's. It was a time when the idea of an African-American becoming president seemed impossible. "You know, I had thoughts that often were disturbing, but you can't work at something if you don't believe in it. And I believed that someday this would happen," said Height.

Now that it is happening, the National Council of Negro Women is gearing up for a huge celebration on Inauguration Day. Height will be at the swearing in and then as the parade comes down Pennsylvania Avenue, there will be a celebration at their headquarters along the route.

"We are the only African-Americans who own a building within this quarter of Pennsylvania Avenue and for the first time we'll be ushering in an African-American president," said Christine Toney, National Council of Negro Women

But while the crowds along Pennsylvania Avenue celebrate a new president, Height will also use the day to reflect. It's been a long road to get here and she knows there is still work to be done. "I think that many opportunities have opened up. The country's come along way and I would say to young people to keep up the spirit that we have now and keep your eyes open and your heart open and see how you can take us to the next step," said Height.

So at 96 years old, Height marks another first on Tuesday - one that's stirring up feelings like none other. "It's not just a feeling of joy. It's a feeling of achievement and a feeling of greater confidence in a society in which we live. I think the possibilities of America are unlimited."

Links to Wednesdays In Mississippi, the Civil Rights organization founded by my mother and Dr. Dorothy I. Height.

http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/WIMS/

http://www.wimsfilmproject.com/

http://lauraflanders.firedoglake.com/2008/11/07/got-docs-wednesdays-in-mississippi/

OBAMA, THE ARTIST

I've been featuring art about Obama for a while, but here's a twist. A drawing by Obama. Or as I'd call him, Obama Picasso.

Drawing by Barack Obama.

Portraits of Senator Chuck Shumer, Majority Leader Harry Reid, Dianne Feinstein and Edward Kennedy. The drawing is owned by Wayne Berzon, who bought it at a charity auction last May to benefit Neurofibramatosis Inc. He paid $2, 075.

Maybe if the administration needs to raise some more funds, Obama Picasso could be talked into doing some more sketches.With the market so hot right now for Obama Art and Obamabelia, he could make quite a pretty penny.

Full story here

OBAMABELIA : OBAMA INAUGURAL HANDBAG BY FLASHBAGS

 

Be the first on your block to carry the Flashbag Obama Inaugural handmade handbag. Obamabelia at it's finest!

Flashbags, the wonderful woman-owned, independently operated micro business in Winooski Vermont has just come out with their Obama Inaugural Handbag.

These beautiful bags are made of laminated paper, with images inside as well as outside,  hand stitched and sewn with swoops and swirls that complement the composition of each image.  Each bag features  a cellphone pocket, and handles made of beverage tubing. The main edges are bound with clear plastic to keep your bag durable. Very sturdy and comfortable to carry.

Flashbags has been making handbags and accessories for over three years, I've sold them since we both went into business, and I stand behind their amazing product.

THANK YOU TARA, PROTECTOR GODDESS

White Tara, Reverse Painting On Glass, Copyright Liza Cowan 2004

In the excruciatingly long couple of months from the day Barack Obama became the Democratic Nominee for President Of The United States Of America to the night he was elected (yesterday)  I have posted in this blog almost exclusively about the election. I felt it was my civic duty to suspend regular programming to focus on this world changing event.

I've tried to tie my posts to art about Obama, and in so doing, discovered one of my new favorite artists, TMNK, The Me Nobody Knows. My gallery  has been filled with Obamabelia - that kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? I have given away over 5,000 Obama Or Else postcards, and sold over two dozen  handmade limited edition Obama handbags by Flashbags. In the gallery I have blasted the Obama cd, Yes We Can, Voices From A Grassroots Movement, until I have every word memorized, and my customers have now come to expect to hear Obama's inspring words when they step inside the PSAW zone.

I've also kept some Tibetan White Taras around the gallery, particularly in my show window, hovering over the Obamabelia and Obama art. Why? Because I wanted to wrap Obama in the  aura of this powerful protector goddess. Call me spiritual, call me superstitious, but I felt compelled to ask Tara for her help. And, help she did. Along with all other protective deities from multitudes of religions  and spiritual practices from every corner of the globe.

Green Tara would have been a good choice as well. But I had a series of paintings of White Tara that I did several years ago, so she is the Goddess I invoked. Link here for more images and text on my Tara Paintings.

Tara, (Sanskrit, "star") is a Buddhist savior-goddess especially popular in Tibet, Nepal and Mongolia. In Tibet, where Tara is the most important deity, her name is Sgrol-ma, meaning "she who saves." The mantra of Tara (om tare tuttare ture svaha) is the second most common mantra heard in Tibet, after the mantra of Chenrezi (om mani padme hum).  

The goddess of universal compassion, Tara represents virtuous and enlightened action. It is said that her compassion for living beings is stronger than a mother's love for her children. She also brings about longevity, protects earthly travel, and guards her followers on their spiritual journey to enlightenment

According to Buddhist tradition, Tara was born out of the tears of compassion of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. It is said that he wept as he looked upon the world of suffering beings, and his tears formed a lake in which a lotus sprung up. When the lotus opened, the goddess Tara was revealed.

White Tara (Sanskrit: Sitatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-dkar) is sometimes called the Mother of all Buddhas and she represents the motherly aspect of compassion. Her white color signifies purity, wisdom and truth.

In iconography, White Tara often has seven eyes – in addition to the usual two, she has a third eye on her forehead and one on each of her hands and feet. This symbolizes her vigilance and ability to see all the suffering in the world. The "Tara of Seven Eyes" is the form of the goddess especially popular in Mongolia.

In religious practice, White Tara is believed to help her followers overcome obstacles, espeically those that inhibit the practice of religion. She is also associated with longevity.

Green Tara (Sanskrit: Syamatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-ljang), filled with youthful vigor, is a goddess of activity. She is the fiercer form of Tara, but is still a savior-goddess of compassion. She is the consort of Avalokiteshvara and considered by some to be the original Tara. Like Avalokiteshvara, the Green Tara is believed to be an emanation of the "self-born" Buddha Amitabha, and an image of Amitabha is sometimes depicted in Tara's headdress.

In Buddhist religious practice, Green Tara's primary role is savioress. She is believed to help her followers overcome dangers, fears and anxieties, and she is especially worshipped for her ability to overcome the most difficult of situations. Green Tara is intensely compassionate and acts quickly to help those who call upon her.

.http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/deities/tara.htm

So thanks and prayers to Tara, om tare tuttare ture svaha. Goddess bless Obama and all sentient beings working to make the Earth a better, safer, saner, healthier home filled with justice for all.

We now return to our reguarly scheduled programming.

HE WON! WE WON! POTUS-ELECT BARACK OBAMA.

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer." Barack Obama, November 4, 2008


TMNK - The Me Nobody Knows. Sacred Promise. Mixed Media with oxidized rust application on canvas. Copyright 2008 TMNK. Used by permission of the Artist.

"All of us are equal. That’s the promise that was made to all of us as Americans by the founding fathers, And in doing so an even greater promise was made. That promise was that if YOU were willing to do your best to be your best, you could accomplish anything, even becoming President of The United States. Well if (when) Barack Obama takes the “Oath of Office” America would have finally kept her promise, and hundreds of years of tomorrows have become today.
And by electing Barack Obama, “we the people” are making a new promise, a very sacred promise to future generations. Unity over division. Love over hate, Peace over War. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, FOR ALL OF US. Well close your eyes go to sleep, and get up and vote on Tuesday. I believe tomorrow is today, and today the dream comes true. I promise." - TMNK

PICTURE THE FUTURE: OBAMA'S WORDS

 Barack Obama at Clinton Global Initiative, Sept 25, 2008: excerpts

 "Climate change. Poverty. Extremism. Disease. These problems offend our common humanity. They also threaten our common security. You know this. The question is what we do about it.

We’re not going to face these threats of the future by grasping at the ideas of the past. In many cases, we know what we have to do. We talk about the solutions year after year. This must be the time when we choose not to wait any longer. We must marshal the will. We must see that none of these problems can be dealt with in isolation, nor can we deny one and effectively tackle another. That’s why you’ve come to CGI. Because that’s what this moment calls us to do."

"The scale of our challenges may be great. The pace of change may be swift. But we know that it need not be feared. The landscapes of the 21st century are still ours to shape.

We see the potential for progress every time someone starts a job creating new energy, or an idea carries a community out of poverty; we see it every time a girl walks through the doors of a new school, or a boy lives to see another day because he had a simple net around his bed. These are the dreams that we must make our own.

We live in a time when our destinies are shared. But our destinies will be written by us, not for us. Now, it falls to us to get to work."

Full text here

image: Liza Cowan, 2003, ink on paper: Tara Wtih Cherries - Om Mani Padme Hum

PICTURE THE FUTURE: OBAMA ART, Pt. 4

 

Yes We Can! Voices of a Grassroots Movement: compilation CD from Obama '08

I bought the downloadable version of this new Obama fundraising, community building album, Yes We Can! Voices Of A Grassroots Movement. It costs $24.99 for eighteen songs. Or $30 for a CD. I put it on iTunes and am blasting it in the gallery. The vocal artists are  Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Dave Stuart, Shontelle, Los Lonly Boys, John Legend, BeBe Winans, Suai, Jill Scott, Ozamantli, Jackson Browne, Cheryl Crow, Malik Yusef with Kane West and Adam Levine, Yolanda Adams, Keb' Mo, Karen Stacey and Buddy Miller.

The music is great and I love hearing Obama's speeches and words mixed into the tracks. A recording of Martin Luther King giving his I Have A Dream speech behind BeBe Winan's I have A Dream - it's hard for me to listen without crying.

This beautiful album is not just fun and inspiring to listen to, it's also a great organizing tool.  As an old folkie, I never underestimate the power of music to educate and inspire. 100% of the proceeds go to the Obama '08 campaign. You can buy it from the Obama '08 website. Click here

The following is from the press release by album producers Hidden Beach, the independent record label in Santa Monica, CA:

"Spearheaded by Hidden Beach CEO and Founder Steve McKeever, Yes We Can came about as a result of a broad-based and increasingly urgent desire by artists and other conscious individuals to join in the grassroots efforts to bring about positive change. Hidden Beach, widely respected for innovation, quality and a commitment to social empowerment, was considered the logical place to harness this energy and bring this project to light.

The call for material and participation inspired more than 150 submissions from some of the industry’s most respected, talented and accomplished artists hailing from all music forms and backgrounds. Whether current hits, new tunes or classic tracks, central to the material chosen for Yes We Can are the songs paralleling the Obama campaign’s core ideas of patriotism, perseverance and a sense of shared responsibility, among other concepts defining this historic movement.

“This year’s election has inspired unprecedented enthusiasm and activism. Obama supporters from Nevada to New Hampshire are finding their own way to get involved– volunteering to knock on doors, registering new voters, and artists have created new works, including posters, sculptures, and music,” said Obama campaign spokeswoman Moira Mack. “With the stakes so high and November right around the corner, we are thankful to all the Obama supporters who are communicating the importance of voting in this election.”

“Thanks to the hard working staff at the entire Obama campaign along with the help of some of the world’s top artists and industry professionals, we’ve created what we believe to be the first-ever presidential campaign compilation,” said McKeever. “The incredible response by the creative community to this project underscores how deeply inspiring this campaign has been across boundaries. The artists involved here truly reflect America’s diversity, and speak to a real grassroots approach to affecting change.”

DON'T HIDE - TAKE ACTION

Liza Cowan:self portrait 2008

Get on out and do something to help Obama win. You'll feel better.

One small thing you can do every day: OBAMA POSTCARD

Obama Or Else postcard. Design Liza Cowan 2008 Creative Commons

Remember to send me an SASE to get these post cards. $.59 postage gets you ten cards. Or email me if you or your organization wants more. Liza(at)pinestreetartworks.com.

The cards are great for starting conversations about the election. Mail them, hand them out, leave them around your neighborhood. Organize. Make Change Happen. (Don't you just hate McShame for stealing the word change? Lying liars. Can't even think of their own buzzwords.)

Pine Street Art Works, 404 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Remember - you can make your own cards too, even if just a few on your home computer or at your local copy shop. Be creative and say what you believe. Or go ahead, use mine (tho I'd like a teensy credit somewhere) Just get the word out and Organize!

Update Nov 6th - Now that the election is done and won, these cards have become collectibles rather than propaganda. I gave away close to five thousand of them gleefully. Now they cost $1.00 e

$1.00 per card

+ $0.75 postage for up to ten cards.

send check or cash to pine street art works. 404 Pine Street. Burlington VT 05401

Obama Postcard - Free for you

I'm convinced that Obama has to be President. Has to be. The planet depends on the US pursuing a different course from the reckless criminality of the last 8 years of the B*sh regime. So I ask myself "what can I do?" This is a question I think each of us has to be asking. 

I live in Vermont, which will certainly go Obama. I'm stuck at work where I am the sole cook and bottlewasher,  or home taking care of the kids, and I'd be dead awful at voter registration anyway. But what I am good at is graphic agit prop. Postcards and etc.

So, I've made the Obama or Else postcard. Possibly the first of a series, we'll see. It's at the printer now.

If you want some, send me a stamped self addressed #10 envelope. I'm not charging for the cards, but you have to pay for postage and handling. I'll stuff a random amount into the envelope - depending on supplies - and you can send them out or do what you think is best. If you want larger amounts, email me - liza@pinestreetartworks.com - and we'll figure out how that can be accomplished.

Send the SASE to Pine Street Art Works, 404 Pine Street, Burlington VT 05401

UPDATE: Now that the election is over, and WE WON!, these cards are no longer available for free. You can now buy them for $1.00. See pay pal wigit on the right sidebar.

Obama - Or Else

my campaign contribution - I've made it as a postcard

Were you glued to your radio, tv or computer last night listening to Obama? I was. For the first time in my life I had a moment of hope, or faith, that America has the possibility of becoming an ethical country - with all that implies. Or, ethicalish. As my friend Laurie Essig said of her emotional response to the speech, "Don't worry, I  know corporate and military interests still control everything." But still, it was quite the night.

Obama hit every note. And the resonance with the 45th anniversary of the March On Washington was perfect. Eerily perfect, I thought.  I was at that march. I was fourteen. My entire family traveled from NY City to Washington DC for the historic event. As my friend Paul Fishcher pointed out today, "it was strategically uncool for McCain operatives to mock Obama's backdrop, which referenced the ancient pillars of democracy and the MLK speech site."

 

This is the best photo I could find on a google search for Martin Luther King in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. If anyone knows the name of the photographer please let me know. It is against my ethics to post photos without credit, but I couldn't find it.

Last night, after watching Barack Obama's speech I dreamed that I met him. It was a very uplifting experience, in a very friendly way, as if  I had met long lost cousin.

And speaking of wonderful relatives, this is just in from my brother Geoff Cowan, in Los Angeles from The Jewish Journal - an ad from "Why I'm A Democrat.