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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

ADDENDUM: Over the years, this iconic photo was said to be Louise Jenkins Meriweather being unbothered and smoking at a protest. Although I'm sure that Meriwether would have stood her ground—it's not her. I researched it and the woman remains unidentified. #KeepItWoke #DedicatedToTam✡️🕊

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

First Book Prize, which continues to elevate debut women and nonbinary writers of color. A true literary giant! She left behind more than books. She left a record of Black life told on Black terms. Remember her.📚🙏🏽❤️ #KeepItWoke #DedicatedToTam✡️🕊 apnews.com/article/loui...

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The novel was so powerful that James Baldwin (below) wrote the foreword. Not because it was sentimental, but because it was real. Meriwether specialized in writing about people history often overlooks: •Working-class families. •Young Black girls. •Everyday survivors. They mattered. (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

and resilience of Black coming-of-age experiences in her stories. Her breakthrough novel, Daddy Was a Number Runner (1970), is considered a classic of Black literature. Told through the eyes of a young girl, it captured Depression-era Harlem from the inside out. (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

⚠️WOKE CONTENT⚠️™️ 🧵 Before Black stories were welcomed by mainstream publishers, Louise Jenkins Meriwether was already telling them. Take a moment to celebrate the life of this amazing trailblazer. Pull up a seat🪑, my friends.(cont) #ProudBlue #ResistanceRoots #USDemocracy #Voices4Victory

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

You're very welcome, my friend. 🙏🏽😊💙 Many people have bought into the right-wing bastardization of the term "woke". I tell them that I purposely label my content as such—to reclaim its true meaning. #KeepItWoke

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

I have to find out what became of those brave young men. That would make an interesting thread.

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Because of him: •Gas & grocery prices skyrocketed •ICE goons murdered US citizens •Alienated our closest allies •Started a war with Iran that led to deaths of US military personnel—with no exit plan. •Ended the Affordable Care Act Feel free to add to the list. #VoteBlueDownTheBallot

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

An official investigation ruled Officer Calvert’s fatal shot a "justifiable homicide." No officers were charged. The ruling left deep scars in Tampa's Black community that lingered for generations. Rest in power, Martin Chambers. You didn't deserve this.😪🙏🏽🕊 #KeepItWoke #DedicatedToTam✡️🕊

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Scrambling to restore calm, Gov. Claude Kirk Jr. called in military force. Local Black youth organized into the Youth Civic Unity Committee—nicknamed the "White Hats" for their distinctive headwear. Led by community figures like high school coach Jim Williams, these young (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

White Tampa Police Officer James Calvert chased three young Black men suspected of burglary. One of them was 19-year-old Martin Chambers (below). As Chambers ran, Calvert shot him in the back, killing him. Word spread through Central Park ("The Scrub")—a Black community instantly.(cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

⚠️WOKE CONTENT⚠️™️ 🧵 June 11, 1967: A White police officer shoots and kills a Black teen, igniting the Tampa Bay Riots— 4 days of violence that reshaped the city forever. Here's the story. Pull up a seat🪑, my friends.(cont) #ProudBlue #ResistanceRoots #USDemocracy #Voices4Victory

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

footprint of both parties. The early KKK was built on white supremacy, states' rights, and Southern nationalism. Today, white supremacists wave Confederate flags at right wing (Trump) rallies and explicitly endorse nationalist policies—true story. Receipts? We got 'em! (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

flipping the "Solid South" from blue to red. Why MAGA uses the argument? It acts as a rhetorical shield. By pointing to 19th-century party origins, commentators attempt to deflect modern accusations of racism, score quick political points, and ignore the modern ideological (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

🧵 "The KKK were Democrats!" is one of the most tired political talking points on the internet. It relies on a 19th-century fact while completely ignoring 150 years of political history. Let's put this BS to rest, my friends.(cont) #ProudBlue #USDemocracy #ResistanceUnited #Voices4Victory

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

There's a lot of people who need to hear this—especially our African & Caribbean brothers & sisters. I'm a foundational Black American and I have to say: this young lady tells it like it is! She's definitely invited to the cookout.🔥 #ProudBlue #ResistanceUnited #USDemocracy #Voices4Victory 🔊

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Louisiana Voters: Jamie Davis isn't a career politician—he’s a farmer, local leader, and fighter for Louisiana families. From lowering healthcare and energy costs to investing in our schools and towns, Jamie will fight for you in D.C. (cont) #ProudBlue #USDemocracy #ResistanceUnited #Voices4Victory

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

In response, Black residents formed the United Front of Cairo led by Reverend Charles Koen (below) and launched a massive economic boycott of White-owned businesses. The boycott & ongoing civil conflict devastated Cairo's economy, accelerating "white flight." Cairo would never be the same.(cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

starting July 17, 1967. The National Guard was deployed to enforce order as decades of built-up racial tension erupted in southern Illinois. White residents & local officials responded by forming the "Committee of Ten Million" (the "White Hats") — a vigilante group of (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Local Black residents and community leaders strongly disputed the claim, citing suspicious circumstances and injuries on his body, alleging he was murdered while inside police custody. News of Hunt’s death sparked 3 days of intense protests, civil unrest, and firebombings (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

⚠️WOKE CONTENT⚠️™️ 🧵 In July 1967, 19-year-old PFC Robert L. Hunt Jr. (below) returned home on leave to Cairo, IL. Hours after being arrested, he was found hanged in a jail cell. The ruling: suicide. Pull up a seat🪑, my friends. (cont) #ProudBlue #ResistanceRoots #USDemocracy #Voices4Victory

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Wells traveled to Cairo, investigated the lynching, and campaigned aggressively against Davis's reinstatement. Her crusade held law enforcement accountable and proved that sheriffs who surrendered prisoners to mobs would lose their jobs—effectively ending public mob lynchings in Illinois. (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The aftermath ignited a legal battle. Under Illinois's 1905 anti-lynching law, Gov. Deneen dismissed Sheriff Davis for failing to protect his prisoner. Davis fought to regain his job—until legendary journalist & activist Ida B. Wells (below) stepped in. (cont).

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The vloodlust didn't stop there. That same night, the mob stormed the local jail and lynched Henry Salzner, a White man accused of murdering his wife. Order was only restored when Gov Charles Deneen (below) declared martial law and deployed the Illinois National Guard.(cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

estimated 500 bullets. The violence turned horrific. The mob dragged James's body to the alley where Pelley was found, set it on fire, decapitated him, put his head on a pike, and severed body parts as souvenirs. The mob was completely out of control.(cont) www.executedtoday.com/2009/11/11/1...

The spot where William James was beheaded and set on fire. The photo labels where his ashes are.

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

deputies, and dragged James back to Cairo. By nightfall on Nov 11, a crowd of ~10,000 gathered downtown. The mob tried to hang James from a massive steel arch, but the rope snapped. Before they could re-hang him, hundreds in the crowd opened fire, riddling his body with an (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

based on suspicion without physical evidence or due process. Fearing a mob, Sheriff Frank Davis loaded James onto a train to secret him away to a safer jurisdiction. An armed mob of 300 hijacked a train engine, pursued the sheriff, intercepted them in Karnak, disarmed the (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Here is the story—and how it changed Illinois law forever. It began on Nov 8, when 23-year-old clerk Anna Pelley was found murdered in Cairo. Driven by racial hysteria, local authorities used bloodhounds to track a suspect. They arrested William James, a Black laborer, (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

⚠️WOKE CONTENT⚠️™️ 🧵 Nov. 11, 1909, Cairo, Illinois was the site of one of the most violent lynchings in American history. A mob not only lynched William James—a White man was lynched as well. Yep. A double lynching. Pull up a seat🪑.(cont) #ProudBlue #ResistanceRoots #USDemocracy #Voices4Victory

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

In the 1950s, a similar repatriation drive took place called "Operation Wetback", also driven by fear. Fact is, migrants contribute billions to the US economy annually and commit less crime than U.S. citizens. It's a true story. Come on, America. Do better.🙏🏽 #KeepItWoke #DedicatedToTam ✡️🕊

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Finger-pointing & fearmongering is nothing new. Just look at what the current administration and the GOP are campaigning on today. 🙄 Anyway, the repatriation drive was for the most part, evil. Even hospital patients of Mexican descent were not spared. One of the patients was a woman (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

and, for many of them--away from their own country. This large repatriation drive was initiated in response to the Great Depression. White Americans blamed their economic shortcomings on Black & Brown people. Does that sound familiar? That's because it's happening today. (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

"The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”– Rep. Maria Eliza Salazar It was Salazar who voted to fund the deportations that's happening now. If anyone betrayed them—it was her. Vote @erodforcongress.bsky.social eliottrodriguez.com

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

As shown in the video above—she voted for the funding that led to mass arrests and deportations. She owns this! You can do better, Florida-27! Spread the word and vote for @ERodforCongress. He will make a difference. Please follow and donate. eliottrodriguez.com

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

❗️🚨ATTENTION FL-27🚨❗️ 🧵 Here it is right out Rep. Maria Eliza Salazar's own mouth! She backed DHS/ICE funding and voted for it. Don't let that video she dropped last week fool you! Vote for @ERodforCongress (cont) #ProudBlue #ResistanceUnited #USDemocracy #Voices4Victory

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

That's where you're wrong. The term and word does not belong to them. It never did and never will. I purposely label my content as "woke", my friend. I want them to see it. Those who are triggered by it are the ones who need to learn it the most. Made these for them too: #KeepItWoke

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society in 1833, continuing a generation-spanning legacy of leadership. James Forten passed away on March 4 1842. He proved that business success and moral purpose go hand in hand. #KeepItWoke #DedicatedToTam✡️🕊 www.womenhistoryblog.com/2017/01/the-...

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The Liberator was on the brink of collapse in 1831, Forten personally provided the capital to keep it running—funding the voice of the American abolitionist movement. His wife, Charlotte Vandine Forten, and daughters (Harriet, Sarah, and Margaretta) co-founded (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Forten put his immense wealth to work for freedom. He bought the liberty of enslaved people, funded legal defense for runaway slaves, and turned his sail loft into a critical hub on the Underground Railroad. When William Lloyd Garrison's (below) anti-slavery newspaper (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Upon his return, Forten apprenticed under Philadelphia sailmaker Robert Douglas. By 1798, Forten bought the business. He invented a sail-handling device that revolutionized his loft, employed an integrated workforce, and built a fortune over $100,000—millions today. (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Aboard the prison ship HMS Jersey—dubbed "Hell"—1,000+ men were packed below deck in pitch darkness without air or fresh water. Diseases like yellow fever, smallpox, and dysentery ran rampant, killing 10–12 prisoners daily. Overall, over 11,500 died on these ships—more than in (cont)

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

🧵 Today, we're going to delve into the remarkable story of James Forten—a Revolutionary War veteran and former P.O.W. He became one of the most influential Black abolitionists in early American history. Pull up a seat🪑, my friends. (cont) #ProudBlue #ResistanceRoots #USDemocracy #Voices4Victory

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Yep! 100% She flipped on deportation to save her own ass. Well, she voted for it—and her constituents paid the price. She is the reason her fellow Cubans are being deported to Africa. AFRICA! She owns this—don't let her fool you, Floridians!

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Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Rep. Salazar is the reason gas and grocery prices are high—among other things including health care. Deportations? She voted for it. Funding for ICE? Yep—that was her too. Enough is enough! @erodforcongress.bsky.social is the better choice. Florida—you deserve better! #VoteBlue

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