The DAY Program

10/23/2026

ON THIS DAY, WE… CHALLENGED AMERICA BEFORE THE WORLD.

October 23, 1947

This didn’t happen overnight.

For generations, Black Americans organized, documented injustice, and exposed a nation preaching freedom while denying it to its own people.

We fought in World War II for freedoms denied at home. We confronted segregation, lynching, police brutality, voter suppression, and economic discrimination. Our organizing also reached beyond America’s borders.

W.E.B. Du Bois and other Black leaders spent decades building international relationships and connecting struggles across the African diaspora.

Then came an opportunity.

The United Nations was established in 1945. Black organizers recognized its potential as a new institution built around peace and human rights.

In 1946, the National Negro Congress had already petitioned the UN about the treatment of Black Americans.

On October 23, 1947, Du Bois and the NAACP presented An Appeal to the World, a 94-page petition documenting discrimination in voting, education, housing, employment, and more.

This was decades of organizing, research, and strategy coming together to make racial discrimination an international human rights issue.

And what happened?

The UN received the petition but did not investigate. The U.S. government opposed further consideration.

An institution committed to human rights had the evidence, yet no investigation followed.

Still, the petition drew international attention, challenged America’s image abroad, and helped lay groundwork for future human rights campaigns.

79 years later, the issues sound familiar.

Voter suppression. Police brutality. Housing discrimination. Economic inequality. Government accountability.

We’re still questioning the distance between rights promised and rights protected.

Those organizers knew recognizing injustice wasn’t enough. It took research, strategy, collective action, and persistence.

They didn’t stop when institutions refused to act.

Keep challenging. Keep questioning. Keep demanding accountability. Keep organizing. Keep showing up.

The work didn’t end in 1947.

10/23/2026

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Saturday Drum Camp!

For many of you, this was your very first time learning to play the djembe, and we appreciate you stepping outside your comfort zone and trying something new!

There’s so much that happens when you give yourself permission to be a beginner. You’re learning to listen differently, developing coordination, practicing patience, challenging yourself, and discovering what you’re capable of.

But it’s also about something much bigger than learning to play an instrument. It’s about connecting with culture, understanding the traditions behind the rhythms, making music together, and sharing an experience with people who came ready to learn.

And you don’t have to get everything right the first time. That’s what practice is for!

We appreciate every person who chose to spend part of their Saturday with us. We hope you keep that same curiosity and willingness to learn, whether it’s with the djembe or something else you’ve always wanted to try.

A special thank you to The Empowerment Center for opening its doors and making space for opportunities like this in our community. We appreciate the partnership and our shared commitment to learning, culture, and connection!

SATURDAY DRUM CAMP
Every Saturday | 11 AM–12 PM
The Empowerment Center
218 Williamson Rd. | Portsmouth, VA

Always wanted to learn the djembe? Come give it a try! No experience necessary.

Register through the link in our bio!

PortsmouthVA

10/23/2026

You know that feeling when you hear someone playing the djembe and think, “I wanna learn how to do THAT!”?

Well, what are you waiting for?

This Saturday, Kam is back teaching Drum Camp! We’re talking hands-on instruction, proper technique, learning rhythms, and building the skills to play with confidence.

Never played before? Perfect! Already know a few rhythms? Come build on what you’ve learned.

This isn’t just about watching someone else play. It’s your turn to learn!

SATURDAY DRUM CAMP
Saturday, October 24 | 11 AM–12 PM
The Empowerment Center
218 Williamson Rd. | Portsmouth, VA

Youth $15 | Adults $20 | Family $25

All ages welcome. No experience necessary. Drums provided!

Ready to stop watching and start playing? Register through the link in our bio!

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10/22/2026

ON THIS DAY, WE… EMPTIED THE CLASSROOMS AND FILLED THE STREETS.

October 22, 1963 | Chicago Freedom Day

Black families in Chicago had been demanding better schools for years.

While Black students attended overcrowded schools, officials continued putting them in temporary classrooms called “Willis Wagons,” rather than allowing them to attend predominantly white schools with available space.

So the community organized.

On October 22, 1963, nearly 225,000 students boycotted school. Parents, students, and community organizations came together in one of the largest school boycotts of the Civil Rights Movement.

Thousands took their demands directly to the Chicago Board of Education.

And some students attended Freedom Schools, where they learned about Black history and civil rights.

This wasn’t a community turning its back on education.

This was a community refusing to accept less for its children.

And although the boycott didn’t end segregation that day, the organizing continued.

That’s the history worth remembering.

10/18/2026