August Heroes & Sheroes
This month we will commemorate the birthday of our historic role model, Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr., born on August 17, 1887, in Saint Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. Garvey was known as the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Formed in Jamaica in July 1914, the UNIA aimed to achieve Black nationalism through the celebration of African history and culture. Through the UNIA, Garvey also pushed to support the "back to Africa" movement and created the Black Star Line to act as the Black owned passenger line that would carry patrons back and forth to Africa. He also fostered restaurants and shopping centers to encourage black economic independence. In addition to his support of PanAfricanism, Marcus Garvey was a Black nationalist and believed in racial separatism.
This month we will commemorate the birthday of our hero, Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard III., born on August 22, 1933, in Galveston, TX. Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard III was an influential scholar, educator, and psychologist (1933–2007) known for his work on African and African American history and culture, which he integrated into educational curricula. Born in Galveston, Texas, he held notable academic positions, including Dean of the School of Education at San Francisco State University and the Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Urban Education at Georgia State University. Hilliard was a prominent advocate for Afrocentric perspectives, challenging biased standardized testing and contributing to educational models that affirmed the intellectual capabilities of African American children.
This month we will commemorate the birthday of our hero, Grand Master William Phillips, Jr., born on August 17, 1933. It was in Seoul, South Korea, 1954, where his U.S. Army Battalion was attached to the U.S. Special Forces, that Grandmaster Phillips first saw karate being practiced by Korean soldiers. It was not until 1963 at the 12th Street YMCA in Washington, D.C. that he learned karate classes were being offered. The connection between these two events was a turning point in life for Grandmaster Phillips. The YMCA’s Instructor was 8th Degree Black Belt Ki Whang Kim from Seoul, South Korea. He was the highest ranked in Moo Duk Kwan and Tang Soo Do in the United States. In 1963, he was appointed Chairman of the American Moo Duk Kwan Association. In 1970, Grandmaster Kim was elected to the Black Belt Hall of Fame. Then, in 1977, Grandmaster Kim was voted Instructor of the Year. By 1980, Grandmaster Kim received his 9* Degree Black Belt. He received his 10th Degree posthumously in, 1993. Grandmaster Phillips trained in the martial arts styles of Moo Duk Kwan and Tang Soo Do under Grandmaster Kim for eight years. It took him four years to make 1 Dan. He contributed to the Roots community in many ways, and his legacy will live on!