The AADC recently welcomed Beatrice "BeBe" Coker, a social justice advocate, community mobilizer and proponent of Black history, as the guest speaker at AADC Alumnae Reunion Weekend 2021 for a breakout session hosted by the AADC Black Alumnae Network on June 5. After a long career in public service, Ms. Coker remains a civil rights leader and advocate. During her career, she was appointed by former Delaware Gov. Pierre S. du Pont to join the Citizens Alliance for Public Education to ensuring peaceful desegregation of schools. She volunteers for many organizations that support justice for young people.
"In order to know who we are, we must know our history," said Ms. Coker. She explained the origins of Juneteenth in her talk and the importance of gaining a better understanding of Black history.
“It has significance because the first Juneteenth occurred on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas and slaves were freed,” she said. She noted that it took more than two years for the news of the Emancipation Proclamation signed in 1863, which ended slavery, to reach those in Texas.
"It's just one part of our history that is to be celebrated," she said.
Throughout her life, Ms. Coker has been a champion of education and racial justice, sharing the importance of Black history in her community, shedding light on untaught history. For some students in New Jersey, that is changing. In February, the Cherry Hill Board of Education became the first district in the state to make African American history a required course for graduation for its high school students, with the new course to be taken by freshmen and sophomores beginning in the fall.
She shared some resources during her talk. Suggestions include:
“Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson
“Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America,1619-2019” by Ibram X. Kendi
“Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy” by George G. M. James
“The Negro in the Making of America” by Benjamin Quarles
“Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad” by Jacqueline L.Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard
“A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn
“High on the Hog,” a Netflix series that traces the history and impact of African American food
“From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans” by John Hope Franklin
We encourage all alumnae to take part in our AADC Excellence in Inclusion and Equity Initiative that began more than two years ago. Through this Initiative, we have conducted a series of workshops that provide opportunities to hold difficult conversations. With this important initiative, seeded through the generosity of an alumna, the AADC has prompted discussions on how we can advance equity and inclusion in the context of uncomfortable realities and build on the intrinsic trust among alumnae and friends and help make the world a better place.
