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This Appeal editorial from 1893 refutes the description in the Chicago Herald of conditions experienced by African Americans while traveling on Southern railroads.

“Ava is an ambitious teenager who owes much of her inner strength to a dance studio in South L.A. Founder Lula Washington and her daughter Tamica are professional dancers — and they are role models as well as teachers. At their dance school, African American children learn to respect themselves, their bodies, and their cultural traditions. The young dancers also defy stereotypes by mastering ballet. The dance program cultivates self-discipline and mutual support that enables girls like Ava to flourish even when their families are facing hard times.”

J.D. Green was born into slavery but spent his life resisting the institution by escaping to freedom five times.