Linton Freeman is a revered Stone Family Elder and an esteemed cousin that lives with his wife Ruth in Cleveland,
Ohio. Linton & Ruth have enjoyed the bonds of love, friendship and marriage for 63 years. How many couples have
this good fortune? Linton & Ruth are both Stone Family Historians.The inseperable couple has kept their own family and
several generations of Stone Family members accurately informed about our family's Genealogy, updated on our Stone
Family history makers, family pioneers and trailblazers achievements with newspaper clippings, magazine articles,
photographs mailings, holiday cards and telephone calls throughout the years to keep in touch with family members.
Linton & Ruth genunine love for their family has been the threads that have kept our family members intertwine over
the years after the spiritual transcendence of Fannie Stone and her daughters the Stone Family Sisters and many
of their children. Linton & Ruth were both Honored as Elder Stone Family Members by our family's Stone Family Legacy Committee
Commemorative 2004 Awards Program.
Linton, his cousins Carl and Louis Stokes and other family members born in the 1920's experience the meaning of social and
racial inequality and inequity.They perservered despite obstacles and overwhelming odds against them. They
ingeniously found ways to support themselves, their families and live with dignity. When they had
the opportunity to rise above the circumstances in their lives and make a difference within their life times they did.
As a result most of them have, also, had the opportunity to experience both the intangible and tangible fruits of
their visions, labor and the present on going social, political and economic empowerment transformations.
It is unfortunate they and other people of African descent experienced unjust repressive laws, discrimination, segregation, the
depression, hard work / manual labor, meager earnings, seeing distorted negative and stereotyped printed Black Images,
hearing and reading in their local newspaper detailed descriptions of intentional malicous accounts about
the burning of Black homes, the physical torture of Black people mostly Black males, Tar and Feathered and Public Tree
Lynchings by racist mobs and the KKK usually in the South. There was no protection or safety net for African Americans.
Today, as a society of people, we would be outraged to read or hear about such events and label these violent
behaviors as Hate Crimes. In the victims community, African Americans would be outraged
as they have been in the past. Only today Church Community Leaders and Activists would have the social freedom
to organized an immediate protest and press conference.They would publicly protest and demand for the appropiate
legal recourse and action of having a thorough police
investigation, identify, find and hold the perpetrators legally accountable by the city's DA office. Today,
as People Of Colour, we still must not take our freedom or our civil and human rights or any of our liberties
for granted. As people of African Descendents we must always be mentally prepared to make an unwaivering
stand with courage, have inner resolve and challenged the sublte racism, oversights, inequities and
social injustices we encounter in our lives. Therefore, the struggle and the journey continues for personal and racial
social justice in the Millennium.
They, also, experience the win of Joe Louis on the eve of WWII. Joe Louis boxing victory was vicariously
every Black Man's Victory in America. The win inspired dreams and hope for the day other Black achievements would
be sucessfully attained, publicly recognized by the country and the media.They experience the mandatory draft & WWII,
the educational opportunities of the G. I. Bill & VA medical benefits and entitlements for low interest loans
for homeonership, the Korean Conflict, Insituitional Racism, Jim Crow, "the last to be hired and the first to be
fired", racial profiling and the dawn of a new day the Civil Rights Era.
Linton has always made sure that our family members were aware and
understood the historical context and realized the important changes that took place politically, economically and
socially due to the personal efforts and the results of his 1st cousins Carl and Louis Stokes.The Stokes
brothers were well aware of the political, legal and social issues of experiencing and coping with racist attitutudes, attitudes
of indiferrences, derrogatory racial slurs, blatant racial remarks and insults, an inferior public education and outdated
educational books for African American Communities, high unemployment, unfair labor laws and businesses hiring practices,
impoverished living, sub-standard housing, deteroriated rental properties, slum lords, unfair housing laws and
banking regulations, police harassment, brutality and police exoneration, ineffective legal representation for African
American victims, inadequate health and medical care and a disparity of social treatment faced by African
Americans.
The government sanctioned oppression and segregation in the United States made it legal to discriminate against African
American people. African Americans were deliberately excluded, denied & / or had limited access to educational
opportunities, financial resouces and lucrative opportunties offered by the Government, Wall Street & / or Financial and
Banking Instituitions for the growth and prosperity of African Descendants and African American Families, Businesses,
Property or Home purchases.There was no Civil Rights Commission or Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity
Law in effect, Compliance or Grievence Officier to report educational, employment or housing discrimination, unlawful
hiring practices, denied job training, work promotions or work dismissals, hospital and medical denial, social
mistreatment, racial stereotyping & / or racial profiling, harassment, rape and sexual
harassment or financial exploitation and abuse usually went without significant legal or social consequences
to the perpetrators.
The terms used by the Main Stream Media to descibe what was and is currently happening in African
American Communties were and are today usually bias. Example # 1: European Americans take great pride
in their notorious criminals such as Jessie James, Bonnie and Clyde, Al Cappone, Charles Mason, the son of
Sam, Jeffery Dammer and others are well documented by the major newspapers. Legal contracts and royalties provisions are
made, books are written, movies and television series are created about their lives, romances and their crimes.
The themes are violence, murder, robbery, rape, drug trafficing, money laundering and other illegal activities.
They become well known "czars", "kingpins", "drug lords" and famous socialpaths. How many notorious well known African
& / or African American criminals can you name? African American crimes, especially urban city crimes are not
given the same Main Stream Media coverage, attention or notoriety. There are no Main Stream Media legal contracts
offers for African American criminal stories or offers to romanticize their behaviors or to tell the human interest side
of their life. No Main Stream books deals are offered to their family, made in plush offices, written and published
or no Main Stream Hollywood Movies are made to tell their life stories. Instead African American criminal profiles and
their stories are usually used to perpetruate a negative image(s) about Black People and to instill public fear,
panic andthe need for alarms, increase home security systems in the inner urban cities and surburbs and
increased prisons in rural areas. Are you aware how many new prisons that have been built in the past decade and where
they are located? Who is profiting from prison laborers? It is not the prisoners who are usally People Of Color.
Example # 2: When high crime, drugs, STD's & HIV / AIDS happen and reported in our African
American neighborhoods or People Of Color neighborhoods they have been and are "labeled" edemic &
/ or Black on Black crime. However, if you pay close attention you will notice when these same ills are reported by the
Main Stream Media in European American neighborhoods they are "labeled" as an epicdemic and viewed as seriously affecting
the communty's citizens well being and quality of life. Town Hall meetings are held and the community is encourage
through the media T.V. News, T.V. & Radio PSA's and Local Newspapers to attend and particapate.
Example # 3: When the Main Stream Media Communications World Wide Labels & Refers to African Americans, People
of Color or other Ethnic Groups as Minorities it has subtle implied implications. What is your initial
impression and feeling when you read or hear the word? What does the word minority mean vs. the definition
of majority? If there is a Group of people categorized as Minority People and another Group of people
categorized as Majority People what does this imply to you? How do you qualify one group as the minority and
the other group as the majority? Who determines this labeling that affects masses of ethnic people around the world?
Why are some countries labeled as third world? How does this term affect not only your impression of the country but
the people that live there? Do you see the influence and the power and impact of a word(s)?
Example # 4: When most people die respect and respectful comments are expected and given about the person no matter their
character flaws, life failings or criminal history. When a famous European American dies the Main Stream Media complys with
the above statement even if, they have had a known public life indiscretions. However, when a famous Person Of Colour dies
and has a sorbid past & / or criminal record, legal & / or illegal drugs are found in the body from the requested
City Coroner's ToxicOlogy Report the Main Stream Media will let you know and continously remind you about in their media
obituary coverage. The same respect is not given to the Person Of Colour. They will never let the famous Person Of Colour
family forget that their love one was a talented person but they die owing taxes, was an alcolohic, a drug user / addict
Carl and his brother Louis Stokes elections to government offices gave their families and African Americans
nationwide a sense of Political Pride. It was a special defining moment in American History for African Americans. Prominence
had been achieved and it was possible for other African Americans to attain it, too. Carl and Louis Stokes
converted and directed their strong emotions into positive action. Their passion, commitment to their work initiatives,
political advocacy to champion and address social injustices and quality of life issues with the active
leadership of other Black Political and Community Leaders help not only the government neglected, disenfranchised and
economically disadvantage African Americans during the last half of the 20th Century Civil Rights Era but benefited all
Americans.Today, many other Ethnic Groups that have and are currently migrating to the US are, also, benefiting
from their civil and human rights work efforts.
Unfortunately, today and especially during Black History Month the Stokes are not given the national recognition
by the Main Stream Media (excluded from corporate photo advertising posters, bus and subway train ads, radio &
t.v. public service announcements, Black History newspaper photo ads and talk shows celebrating Black History Month)
that they deserve in porportion to their significant indivivual contributions to improving social conditions in the United
States of America. Great social African American pride and noticeable government policy and insituitional
changes were achieved while the Stokes were in political office. It was a time when our other cousin James Brown
was singing his hit song...."Say it Loud....I'm Black & I'm Proud". His song help to instill ethnic idenitity, cultural
pride and enhanced Blacks self esteem. If you seriously think racism does not exist or is a social issue of the
past buy the 2005 DVD CRASH. Watch it. Then be truly honest with yourself and share
it with your family and friends.
Our cousin, Linton, is articlate, an engaging conversationist, a captivating speaker and a compelling
storyteller. His personal accounts of his life is fascinating. He has shared many spell bounding and interesting stories,
experiences and insights with family members about life and the things many of us now take for granted.
He has shared memories & stories about the difficulties and harsh work conditions he and other workers
faced to complete the elaborate building of the Alaska Pipeline Project. Linton was excited to see the History Channel's
Documentation of it.
Is any book publisher, film producer or anyone in the media interested in the current
Stone Family book project or making a film or t.v. expose about a positive Black Man / Black Stone Men
life struggles, contributions and roles to their family and the culture of American Society?
Let us know. In the meantime.....
More to Come.....
