"The Emmett Till fight was renewed, but Ronnique was the engine that kept it alive with her push and organization, and without her, there was no way possible to do everything needed to help get the murder case reopened. She was much more than a partner, she was the motivating force behind the history,” says Till’s cousin and main family spokesperson Simeon Wright, featured in the new short film “Learn My History…From the Past to the Present.”
Supporters Appearing in the Film ‘Learn My History… From the Past to the Present’and Those Who Illuminate its Significance & Hawkins’ past work:
Families of Frederick Douglass, 3 Civil Rights Workers, Emmett Till, Ida B. Wells, Sean Bell, Jam Master Jay + Hip-Hop Icons
Dr. Adelaide Sanford, The Central Park 5 & other Wrongly Incarcerated, Unreleased Historical Footage, the late Ossie Davis & Carolyn Goodman
Rev. Wheeler Parker… Cousin of Emmett Till & Case Witness- “It seems young people aren’t interested in our history and ‘Learn My History’ is dedicated to it for the youth.”
Frederick Douglass IV… Great-Great Grandson of Frederick Douglass- “I’m very proud of you Ronnique. You have my blessing. We must be diligent in teaching the real education to our youth and not distract them from reaching their goals for a better tomorrow.”
Cliff Frazier... Emmy Award winningExecutive Dir. of N.Y Metropolitan Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violence- “For many years, Ronnique has sacrificed her career to inspire the younger generation, I concur with various individuals who hail her selfless work. Ms. Hawkins is fully prepared to take Learn My History to the next level to impact countless others. Her vision and commitment is absolute and total.”
Mr. Ed Bradley …Winner of 19 Emmy Awards & late Pioneer Journalist- “Learn My History is a great idea Ronnique, good luck with this important endeavor.”
Dan Duster… Great Grandson of Ida B. Wells- “Thanks for trying to make this country a better & safer place. God Bless!”
Chuck D… Activist, Author and Music Legend- “Ms. Hawkins’ passion and fire has conjured up notions that the struggle of Civil Rights activists has not gone in vain. She has worked tirelessly in her unraveling of the Emmett Till case during her tenure as a partnership researcher. Ms. Hawkins’ diligence can and should be a progressive start toward a new movement of care and concern that is sadly missing from today’s leadership and seemingly hollow voices.”
Peggy Morgan… Helped Bring Medgar Evers Assassin to Justice & Author of “My Mothers Witness” (Emmett Till & Evers cases) - “I felt Ronnique’s warm spirit and genuine interest. My family and I congratulate her on all of her hard work with the Emmett Till project. “Ronnique has positively been written out of history and received no recognition, which should be corrected.”
Mary Johnson… Friend of the Late Ed Bradley & Emmett Till case witness- “Ronnique helped facilitate my story and was part of the team that traveled to Mississippi with Mr. Bradley and the 60 Minutes show crew during their Till investigation. I appeared on the broad cast hosted by my friend, Ed Bradley. I told Ronnique to never stop, to keep on going. The stories of our people need to be told straight, not sugar coated. I support her endeavors, congratulate her on all of her hard work, and admire her strength.”
Donald W. Burger… Emmett Till Case Research Partner - “For nearly two years, I was in awe of Ronnique’s professionalism and developmental aspects in pursuit of justice for Emmett Till. She reminds me so much of Dr. Maya Angelou and told her she’s a gifted speaker, young people are magnetized to her; she gains their interest and lets them know they have the chance to make a difference.”
Jerry Saltzman… M.A. Associate Professor of Psychology, Antioch University, Seattle and Psychotherapist in Private Practice- “I met Ronnique in 2003 when the organization of which I was co-chair, The African American and Jewish Coalition for Justice planned a showing of The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. She displayed herself beautifully as the intellectually spiritual progressively committed powerhouse of a human being that she is.”
Alan Newton… Exonerated After 22-Years of wrongful incarceration in 2006 - “The work Ronnique is doing is vital. No one else is making the connections she is with the ‘past and present.’ I applaud, respect and admire her efforts and determination.”
Yusef Salaam… Wrongfully Served 6.5 Years as a Member of “The Central Park 5” in NYC - “Ms. Hawkins is awakening people, not as a historian from the Civil Rights Movement era, but from a younger woman’s standpoint. In my opinion, who better to affect them than Ms. Hawkins and her supporters? I await more speaking opportunities with her and support her Youth Empowerment “Learn My History” 100%.”
Mrs. Valerie Bell… Mother of Martyr Sean Bell - “Ronnique has always exhibited her true compassion for her fellowman and for humanity as a whole, in the most kind and gentle manner. She has been a true inspiration to my family and me, as we have carried our son Sean Elijah Bell’s death through many channels seeking justice and equality for all mankind.”
Social Media
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Credits
Photos: Pexels.com and LMHF
Materials: Property of Learn My History Foundation and written permission is required to duplicate any material.