Author: Jackie Oldham

Retired for 12 years, after nearly 38 years as a STEM production editor, trainer, and team leader for a local printer/publisher, I now have the time and energy to pursue my love of writing, music, and other arts. My writing is primarily in the form of essays, book and film reviews, and poems. I am also a musician---a vocalist who plays piano, organ, guitar, and flutes. My music can be found on this page, as well as on Facebook and YouTube. Some of my writing has been published in online and print magazines and books. Check out my site for more details.

What’s In a Name? From “N-Word” to African-American

February 6, 2015

February 2-5, 2015 In my lifetime (61 years), I have gone from being “Colored” to “Negro” to “N-Word” to Black to African-American. How did I get here? When I was growing up, my paternal grandmother and step-grandfather always referred to themselves as “Colored.” In contrast, my maternal grandparents—especially my grandfather—preferred the term “Negro.” All of … More What’s In a Name? From “N-Word” to African-American

The Origins of Black History Month

February 2, 2015

In 1926, the historian Carter G. Woodson, co-founder (with the prominent minister Jesse Moorland) of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, proclaimed the second week of February as “Negro History Week,” to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14). These two beacons of freedom … More The Origins of Black History Month

Black History Month 2015

February 1, 2015

February 1, 2015 February is Black History Month in the United States. And, for this year’s celebration, the National Theme is A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture. In honor of Black History Month, baltimoreblackwoman will join this important celebration by posting essays, videos, and photos highlighting the countless contributions of Black Americans to … More Black History Month 2015

Silence Is Golden—The Remix: Why This Blog Exists

January 26, 2015

Once again, I have allowed days to go by without writing a post in this space, while my email inbox is overflowing with posts from fellow bloggers that I follow. As a new blogger, I ask myself, “If my silences are so frequent, why have I started this site?” The answer is “simple,” and twofold. … More Silence Is Golden—The Remix: Why This Blog Exists

The Lynching of Obama: Or, Porquois (peut-etre) Je ne suis pas Charlie

January 15, 2015

January 15, 2015 “There’s somethin’ happenin’ here What it is ain’t exactly clear There’s a man with a gun over there A tellin’ me, I got to beware” —Buffalo Springfield I have lived through, and have memories of, all the Presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama. In my small way I have admired, respected, … More The Lynching of Obama: Or, Porquois (peut-etre) Je ne suis pas Charlie

A Look Back at “Cabin in the Sky”

January 11, 2015

January 9, 2015 Factoids (extracted from imdb.com; Pictures and Photos from Cabin in the Sky): A 1943 film version of the Broadway Musical of the same name Directed by Vincente Minnelli (father of Liza Minnelli) Cast: Ethel Waters, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Rex Ingram, Mantan Moreland, Bill Bailey, Butterfly McQueen, and others … More A Look Back at “Cabin in the Sky”