Articles by Steven Gilchrist

D uring the Civil War, American citizens fought against each other in an attempt to uphold the respective ideologies in which they believed. The South sought to maintain the institution of slavery, and the North desired to preserve the Union. African American soldiers’ participation in the war aided the Union’s victory. The sacrifices of the African American soldiers who served in the Civil War are memorialized at the African American Civil War Memorial, located at 1000 U Street in Washington, D.C. Built in 1998, the memorial includes the “Spirit of Freedom” statue surrounded on three sides by The Wall of Honor. Sculptor Ed Hamilton, of Louisville, Kentucky designed the 9 ½ foot statue, which depicts three African American soldiers and an African American sailor who symbolize protectors of the fight for freedom. The soldiers and sailor are accompanied by a spirit, at the top of the statue, who is symbolically guiding them into battle. The back of the memorial depicts a family with thei...

D id you know that hunger in America is a serious problem? I became aware of this ongoing issue when I read a newspaper article titled “Childhood hunger’s many fronts” by Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post. Experts refer to childhood hunger as a “silent epidemic.” Although it might be silent, hunger and childhood hunger in particular is a complex problem. H unger is not an issue that is confined to people who are homeless or unemployed. Hunger can affect people with college educations, people who have jobs, senior citizens, and children. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture more than 49 million Americans do not have dependable consistent access to enough food due to limited money and resources. In a November 2009 report from the U.S.D.A. the number of children living in homes without enough food was 17 million. D uring his historic presidential campaign, President Barack Obama declared that one of the goals of his administration was to end childhood hunger in the U.S. by 2...

L ast summer I visited two parks in the Boston, Massachusetts area that are especially noteworthy because of the historical significance of the people who the parks are named after. The state of Massachusetts, in particular the Boston area, is well-known for its institutions of higher education and cultural & historic landmarks. Massachusetts also has numerous parks that offer open space for public recreation. O ne place is Macdonald Park in Medford. This park is named after Torbert Hart Macdonald (1917 - 1976) who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Macdonald Park is part of the Mystic River Reservation. The Reservation is home to the Mystic Lakes – one of the best protected streams in Massachusetts. In addition to Macdonald Park, the Mystic River Reservation includes Mary O’Malley Park in Chelsea, Draw Seven Park in Somerville, and Shannon Beach in Winchester. M acdonald attended Harvard College where he was roommates with John Fitzgerald Kennedy. After graduating ...

A re you looking for a book to read that is informative, historic, and reflective? If the answer is yes, then I would recommend reading Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 To the Present, by Dr. Deborah Willis. A s Willis explains in her book, photography has advanced a long way since 1839 when Louis J.M. Daguerre invented the daguerreotype, a machine that made an image on ionized copper. R eflections in Black is the first book to chronicle the history of black photographers in the United States. The front cover of the book is a picture taken by Arthur P. Bedou . The picture shows a crowd with a photographer in the center. T he book is divided into five chronological sections. Each era has a distinct photographic theme. From 1840 to 1900 the theme is portraiture. Part two, which depicts the era from 1900 to 1930, is titled “The New Negro Image.” Part three is photography from the 1930s & 1940s and Part four continues with photography from 1950 to 1979, “Soci...

L ess than one month ago, on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean island nation of Haiti. The earthquake has brought terrible destruction to the country of 9 million people. Despite the lingering effects of the earthquake the Haitian people continue to endure through extremely challenging circumstances. In reading about how the people of Haiti have survived this natural disaster, I was reminded of another aspect of Haiti that I learned about last year. I n June 2009, I visited the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA). Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the Museum primarily hosts exhibits created by African American artists. The NCAAA is the largest independent black cultural arts institution in New England. In 1968, the Museum was founded by Dr. Elma Lewis. Outside of the Museum there is a sculpture that was crafted by John Wilson. Built in 1987, Eternal Presence is an example of the NCAAA’s mission for promoting ...