Freedom Calendar 08/16/08 - 08/23/08

August 16, 1817, Birth of Republican anti-slavery and civil rights activist U.S. Rep. Henry Davis (R-MD).

August 17, 1937, Republicans organize opposition to former Ku Klux Klansman and Democrat U.S. Senator Hugo Black, appointed to U.S. Supreme Court by FDR; his Klan background was hidden until after confirmation.

August 18, 1920, Republican-authored 19th Amendment, giving women the vote, becomes part of Constitution; 26 of the 36 states to ratify had Republican-controlled legislatures.

August 19, 1862, Republican newspaper editor Horace Greeley writes Prayer of Twenty Millions, calling on President Lincoln to declare emancipation.

August 20, 1996, Bill authored by U.S. Rep. Susan Molinari (R-NY) to prohibit racial discrimination in adoptions, part of Republicans’ Contract With America, becomes law.

August 21, 1959, Republican James Kealoha becomes first Hawaiian and Chinese-American Lt. Governor of Hawaii, after Statehood.

August 22, 1867, Founding of Fisk University; named for Republican Clinton B. Fisk, Commissioner of Freedmen’s Bureau that assisted emancipated slaves.

August 23, 1882, At Texas Republican Party convention, over half of delegates are African-Americans.

“This government will meet its responsibility to help those in need. But policies that increase dependency, break up families, and destroy self-respect are not progressive; they're reactionary. Despite our strides in civil rights, blacks, Hispanics, and all minorities will not have full and equal power until they have full economic power."

Ronald Reagan 40th President of the United States

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