LataraSpeaksTruth+FollowWILLIAM DORSEY SWANN: A HIDDEN FIGURE IN AMERICAN HISTORYWilliam Dorsey Swann’s name rarely appears in history books, but his story reaches back to the late 1800s. Born into slavery in 1860, Swann stepped into freedom determined to create space for people who lived on the margins. In Washington D.C. he organized private gatherings now recognized as some of the earliest drag balls in the United States. These events were often targeted by police, leading to raids and arrests. Even in the face of that pressure, Swann defended his right to assemble and live openly, becoming the first known person in America to call himself a Queen of Drag. Whether someone agrees with the lifestyle or not, his courage and willingness to stand up to a hostile society make him a significant figure in Black history and in the early struggle for LGBTQ rights. His life shows how many different paths contributed to the broader fight for freedom in this country. A story from the past that reminds us how many different battles shaped American history. #WilliamDorseySwann #BlackHistory #AmericanHistory #LGBTQHistory #HistoricalFigures #CommunityVoices #UntoldStories #LataraSpeaksTruth1448Share
LataraSpeaksTruth+FollowVIOLA LIUZZO… THE WOMAN WHO REFUSED TO LOOK AWAYViola Fauver Liuzzo was a thirty nine year old White mother of five from Detroit who made a choice most people only talk about. She saw the images from the events in Selma in March of 1965 and felt something inside her shift. While many people sat on the sidelines, she packed her car, left her family, and drove to Alabama because she believed protecting human dignity was everybody’s responsibility. She volunteered with the organization working to secure equal voting rights and helped transport marchers between Selma and Montgomery. On the night of March twenty fifth, as she drove with a young Black volunteer named Leroy Moton, a car filled with men from a violent extremist group pulled beside them on the highway. They opened fire. Viola Liuzzo was killed instantly. Leroy survived by pretending to be dead. One of the men in that car was later identified as an informant for federal agents, which sparked decades of questions about what really happened that night. Her death became a turning point. It shook the country. It pushed the conversation into every living room. It helped bring national support behind the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Yet she was attacked by people who wanted to erase her sacrifice. They tried to ruin her reputation. They tried to silence her name. Her family paid the price for decades. But history kept her in the light because truth has a way of rising again. Viola Liuzzo stood where many refused to stand. She offered her life because she believed that injustice anywhere was a threat to every home, every family, and every child. Her legacy asks a simple question. What do you do when you see wrong happening in front of you. Do you turn away or do you step forward like she did. #AmericanHistory #HistoricalFigures #LegacyStories #WomenInHistory #CourageAndCharacter #UnsungHeroes #StoriesWorthKnowing #EverydayHeroes #HistoryMatters #RealPeopleRealImpact122Share
