May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

BLACK HISTORY

Segregated Ships for Parents of Black Vets Killed

May 29, 1930: the U.S. Department of War—which had invited the families of veterans killed during World War I to visit their graves in Europe—denied a petition by Black mothers and spouses to travel on the same ship as white families and instead forced them to travel on segregated boats.

With the support of the NAACP, a group of 55 Black mothers and widows, known as Gold Star women, from 21 different states petitioned President Hoover, asking him to allow all of the grieving women to travel together.

“When the call to arms came from our government in 1917,” they wrote, “mothers, sisters and wives, regardless of race, color or creed, were asked to give their loved ones to the end that the world might be saved for democracy. This call we answered freely and willingly. In the years which have passed since death took our loved ones our anguish and sorrow have been assuaged by the realization that our loved ones who rest in the soil of France gave their lives to the end that the world might be a better place in which to live for all men, of all races and all colors.”

“Twelve years after the Armistice, the high principles of 1918 seem to have been forgotten. We who gave and who are colored are insulted by the implication that we are not fit persons to travel with other bereaved ones. Instead of making up parties of Gold Star Mothers on the basis of geographical location we are set aside in a separate group, Jim Crowed, separated and insulted.”

The petition was referred from President Hoover to the War Department, which ultimately declined the Black families’ request. [EJI article] (next BH, see May 31)

Reitman v. Mulkey

May 29, 1967: in a 5-4 decision the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that a California state constitutional amendment allowing racial discrimination by property owners violated the 14th Amendment. [ACLU article] (see June 2)

137 SHOTS

May 29, 2015: while acknowledging that he cannot appeal an acquittal, prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty of Cuyahoga County said that Judge John O’Donnell made serious errors before finding officer Michael Brelo not guilty in the deaths of Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell, and he wants an appeals court to order the judge to correct the record.

McGinty said that Judge O’Donnell’s reasoning in the voluntary-manslaughter trial of Officer Michael Brelo could set a legal precedent that would “endanger the public,” and that that Officer Brelo’s acquittal was based on the judge’s mistaken analysis of laws concerning police use of deadly force and on homicide involving more than one person who fired shots. He said the judge had also considered the wrong lesser charge — felonious assault — when he should have considered attempted voluntary manslaughter or aggravated assault.

“As it stands, the trial court’s verdict will endanger the public, allow for one of multiple actors to escape culpability and lead to more unnecessary deaths by police-created crossfire situations,” Mr. McGinty said in his filing with the appeals court. “This court must return the case with the corrections of law to the trial court with instructions to deliberate and reach a verdict with the correct application of the law and correct determination of lesser offense of voluntary manslaughter — attempted voluntary manslaughter or aggravated assault,” he said. (see 137 for expanded story)

Starbucks

May 29, 2018: Starbucks closed more than 8,000 stores in the afternoon to provide anti-bias training for its employees after two black men were arrested for trespassing at one of the coffee chain’s sites in Philadelphia on April 12.

Roseanne

May 29, 2018: ABC canceled the hit sitcom “Roseanne” hours after the show’s star and co-creator, Roseanne Barr, posted a racist tweet [if “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.] about Valerie Jarrett, a former top adviser to President Obama who is black. (see June 21)

US Labor History

Toledo Auto-Lite strike, day 5

May 29, 1934 (Tuesday): tensions worsened again. The Toledo Central Labor Council continued to plan for a general strike. By now, 68 of the 103 unions had voted to support a general strike, and the council was seeking a vote of all its member unions on Thursday, May 31. Auto-Lite executives, too, were busy. Miniger met with Governor George White and demanded that White re-open the plant using the National Guard. White refused, but quietly began drawing up contingency plans to declare martial law. Negotiations remained deadlocked, and Taft began communicating with United States Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins to seek federal support (including personal intervention by Roosevelt). (see Toledo for expanded chronology)

Walt Disney animator strike

May 29, 1941: animators working for Walt Disney begin what was to become a successful 5-week strike for recognition of their union, the Screen Cartoonists’ Guild. The animated feature Dumbo was being created at the time and, according to Wikipedia, a number of strikers are caricatured in the feature as clowns who go to “hit the big boss for a raise” [2015 Hollywood Reporter article] (see June 20)

17 year boycott ends

May 29, 1996: the United Farm Workers of America reached an agreement with Bruce Church Inc. on a contract for 450 lettuce harvesters, ending a 17-year-long boycott. The pact raised wages, provided company-paid health benefits to workers and their families, created a seniority system to deal with seasonal layoffs and recalls, and established a pesticide monitoring system. (LH, see Aug 29; UFW, see August 18, 2000)

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co

May 29, 2007:  the US Supreme Court decided that employers cannot be sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 over race or gender pay discrimination if the claims are based on decisions made by the employer 180 days ago or more. The plaintiff, Lily Ledbetter, was a former employee of Goodyear who alleged that she was paid 15–40% less than her male counterparts, which was later found to be accurate. [Oyez article] (see Sept 24)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

May 29 Music et al

White Christmas in May

May 29, 1942: Bing Crosby recorded the Irving Berlin song ‘White Christmas’. Crosby recorded the song with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra and the Ken Darby Singers in just 18 minutes. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide. (next Cultural Milestone, see February 16, 1948)

Ricky Nelson

May 29 – June 4, 1961, “Travelin’ Man” by Ricky Nelson #1 Billboard Hot 100.

Beach Boys

May 29 – June 11, 1965 – “Help Me Ronda” by Beach Boys #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. (see February 17, 1966)

Crosby, Stills, & Nash

May 29, 1969: Crosby, Stills, & Nash released first album.  (David Crosby age 28; Stephen Stills age 24; Graham Nash, age 27).”(see CSN for expanded story)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Cold War

HUAC

May 29, 1947: the House Un-American Activities Committee opened public hearings into communist influence in Hollywood. (see July 26)

Hollywood 10

May 29, 1950: the Supreme Court denied new hearings for the Hollywood Ten. [jrank dot org article] (RS, see June Peace…; HT, see June 29)

Cuba

May 29, 2015: Secretary of State John F. Kerry rescinded Cuba’s designation as a terrorism sponsor at the end of a 45-day congressional notification period that began on April 14, when President Obama announced his intention to remove Cuba from the list.

The move “reflects our assessment that Cuba meets the statutory criteria for rescission,” Jeff Rathke, the State Department spokesman, said in a statement. “While the United States has significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba’s policies and actions, these fall outside the criteria relevant to the rescission of a State Sponsor of Terrorism designation.” [NYT article]  (CW, & Cuba, see July 1)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

LGBTQ

May 29, 1965: nine men and three women picketed the White House to protest what they called Government discrimination against homosexuals. (see February 19, 1966)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Judicial Milestone

Afroyim v. Rusk

May 29, 1967:  the US States Supreme Court ruled that US citizens may not be deprived of their citizenship involuntarily. The U.S. government had attempted to revoke the citizenship of Beys Afroyim, a man born in Poland, because he had cast a vote in an Israeli election after becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. The Supreme Court decided that Afroyim’s right to retain his citizenship was guaranteed by the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. In so doing, the Court overruled one of its own precedents, Perez v. Brownell (1958), in which it had upheld loss of citizenship under similar circumstances less than a decade earlier. [Oyez article] (see Dec 18)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Consumer Protection

May 29, 1968: the (TILA) Truth In Lending Act passed into law with regulations designed to protect consumers in credit transactions requiring clear disclosure of key terms of the lending arrangement and all costs. It is part of the “Consumer Credit Protection Act”. [US DoT article] (see April 23, 1970)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Vietnam

Hamburger Hill

May 29, 1969: U.S. troops abandoned Ap Bia Mountain [“Hamburger Hill”]. A spokesman for the 101st Airborne Division said that the U.S. troops “have completed their search of the mountain and are now continuing their reconnaissance-in-force mission throughout the A Shau Valley.”

Outrage over what appeared to be a senseless loss of American lives was exacerbated by pictures published in Life magazine of 241 U.S. soldiers killed during the week of the battle. Gen. Creighton Abrams, commander of U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam, was ordered to avoid such battles. Because of Hamburger Hill, and other battles like it, U.S. emphasis was placed on “Vietnamization”–turning the war over to the South Vietnamese forces rather than engage in direct combat operations. [US Army article]

DRAFT CARD BURNING

May 29, 1969: in NY, a Federal grand jury indicted eighteen men on draft-evasion charges. A 19th was charged with illegally wearing a military uniform during a draft card-burning demonstration. (Draft Card Burning, see June 4; Vietnam, see June 1)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Fourth Amendment

Schneckloth v. Bustamonte

May 29, 1973: the US Supreme Court ruled that in a case involving a consent search, while knowledge of a right to refuse consent is a factor to be taken into account, the state does not need to prove that the one who is giving permission to search knows that he has a right to withhold his consent under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. [Oyez article] (see June 20,1979)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Irish Troubles

May 29, 1981:  the names of four prisoners on hunger strike together with five other Republican prisoners, were put forward as candidates in the forthcoming general election in the Republic of Ireland. (see Troubles for expanded story)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

ADA

 

May 29, 2001: the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that disabled golfer Casey Martin could use a cart to ride in tournaments. [NYT article] (see May 2, 2002)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

TERRORISM

May 29, 2001: four followers of Osama bin Laden were convicted in New York of a global conspiracy to murder Americans, including the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa that killed 224 people. (All were sentenced to life in prison.) (see Sept 11)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Iraq War II

May 29, 2003:  50 days after the fall of Baghdad, President Bush proclaimed a fresh victory for his administration in Iraq: Two small trailers captured by U.S. and Kurdish troops had turned out to be long-sought mobile “biological laboratories.” He declared, “We have found the weapons of mass destruction.” The claim, repeated by top administration officials for months afterward, was hailed at the time as a vindication of the decision to go to war. But even as Bush spoke, U.S. intelligence officials possessed evidence that it was not true. (see Sept 17)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Kandahar massacre

May 29, 2013: it was announced Robert Bales would plead guilty (thereby avoiding the death penalty) and describe the events of March 11, 2012 (see June 5)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Women’s Health

Idaho abortion ban

May 29, 2015: the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill’s earlier decision that Idaho’s “pain-capable abortion” ban was unconstitutional. In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the appeals court held that banning abortions from 20 weeks on was “facially unconstitutional because it categorically bans some abortions before viability.” The court also found other portions of Idaho’s restrictive anti-abortion laws unconstitutional. [Spokesman-Review article] (see June 9)

Arkansas abortion ban

May 29, 2018: the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider whether an Arkansas law restricting access to medication abortions  unconstitutionally burdens a woman’s access to abortion services.

By rejecting the legal challenge, the justices allowed a lower court order to lapse that had blocked enforcement of the law, which was passed in 2015. As a result, the restriction took effect. (see June 26)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

STAND YOUR GROUND LAW

May 29, 2015: Michael Lafay, the lawyer for Matthew Apperson, a 36-year-old Winter Springs man accused of firing into George Zimmerman’s pickup on May 11 as they two traveled in separate vehicles down West Lake Mary Boulevard (Sanford, FL), announced that Zimmerman would use a “stand your ground” defense in an attempt to clear himself. (see November 28, 2016)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

Fourth Amendment

May 29, 2018: in Collins v Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court put restrictions on police searches of vehicles ruling in a Virginia case involving a stolen motorcycle that officers generally cannot search a vehicle on private property without a warrant.

The 8-1 decision called into question evidence police obtained from a motorcycle search that was used to convict defendant Ryan Collins of receiving stolen property. The Supreme court returned the case to lower courts to determine if the police had other lawful grounds for entering the property without a court-approved warrant.

The stolen motorcycle was covered by a tarpaulin and parked on private property next to a house in Charlottesville, Virginia. (see June 22)

May 29 Peace Love Art Activism

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

May 29, 2020: the Supreme Court  turned away a request from a church in California to block enforcement of state restrictions on attendance at religious services.