Helene Nomsa Brath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helene Nomsa Brath
|
|
|---|---|
Helene Nomsa Brathwaite Street Naming
|
|
| Born |
Helene White
March 15, 1942 |
| Died | October 30, 2023 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Community organizer, education reformer, activist, public speaker, artist |
| Spouse(s) | Elombe Brath |
| Children | 6 |
Helene Nomsa Brath was a dedicated mother, wife, and artist. She was also a strong community organizer and worked to improve education. For over 50 years, she worked closely with her husband, Elombe Brath. In the 1960s, Nomsa was one of the first Grandassa Models. Both she and Elombe were important leaders in the Black Arts Movement and the Black is beautiful movement.
Helene Nomsa Brath is also known as Helene Nomsa Brathwaite.
Nomsa Brathwaite, along with Cinque and Kwame Brathwaite, helped start the Elombe Brath Foundation. This charity was created to honor her husband, Elombe Brath. Some of Nomsa's paintings were sold to help fund this important organization.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Nomsa's birth name was Helene White. When she was a child, she had a special mentor named Goldie Seifert. Goldie was a very smart person. She was married to Charles Seifert, who studied African and African American history.
Nomsa often said that Goldie taught her to love reading and thinking for herself. Charles Seifert collected many books. The Seifers even created a library in their home. They wanted to help educate the Black community.
Making a Difference: Nomsa's Career
Helene Nomsa Brathwaite was known by several names, including Helene White and Nomsa Brath. She was married to Elombe Brath. He was a leader in the Pan-African movement and a pioneer of the Black Arts Movement. For many years, Nomsa Brath was an activist for education in New York City.
Championing Education Reform
From 1994 to 2003, Nomsa worked hard for education reform. She was part of a panel discussion hosted by Hugh Bernard Price. He was the president of the National Urban League. On this panel, Nomsa spoke for parents who wanted better schools.
This discussion was shown on C-Span in 1997. It focused on education for city residents in the U.S. Nomsa also represented a group called Partners for Reform in Math and Science (PRISM) for several years.
As an education reformer, Nomsa decided to homeschool her fifth child. This child later scored very high on the SAT test. After homeschooling, he returned to public school. He attended the Bronx High School of Science, a top school in New York City. She also homeschooled her sixth child. After this, she became a volunteer teacher for children in her community.
Grandassa Models: The "Black is Beautiful" Movement
In 1956, the Jazz-Art Society was formed. It later became the African Jazz-Art Society & Studios, known as AJASS. This group included organizers like Elombe Brath and Kwame Brathwaite. AJASS started in Harlem. They put on art shows and African cultural events.
AJASS was a key part of what later became "The Black Arts Movement." They also organized jazz concerts. AJASS created the Grandassa Models with the theme "Black Is Beautiful." This idea was influenced by Carlos A. Cooks and the African Nationalist Pioneer Movement (ANPM). The ANPM grew from Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA) Movement. The UNIA used to host a "Miss Natural Standard of Beauty Contest" on Garvey Day.
Helene White was one of the first Grandassa Models. She was in the "Naturally '62" beauty and fashion show. She appeared as the Cover Girl on many Jazz Album covers by Lou Donaldson. Her popularity grew, and she was featured on magazine covers in Africa. These magazines showed Black women in the United States wearing their hair naturally.
Grandassa models showed natural African American beauty. They became beauty icons on magazine and album covers in the United States. Nomsa became a symbol for Black female empowerment. She was even drawn as a cartoon character in the New York Citizen Call Newspaper. This newspaper was important for the Black community in the 1950s and 60s. In the early 1980s, Nomsa Brath's image became a Grandassa Logo. Her husband, Elombe Brath, created this logo for event flyers. These flyers were given out in Harlem for cultural and political events. They highlighted the voices of the urban community.
The "Naturally" beauty shows continued regularly through the 1980s. Later, they became special commemorative events.
Fighting for Safe Schools: Asbestos Removal
Nomsa was a strong supporter of removing asbestos from New York City public schools. In 1985, the Journal of Law and Education wrote about her work. It highlighted her efforts to remove asbestos from schools in New York City. Her work, along with others, helped close unsafe schools in the 1970s.
She was the President of the Parents Teacher Association. She also chaired the Parents' Committee of PS 185/208. Her children and their friends attended these schools. These schools were shut down because of asbestos dangers. It was known that 20% of New York City schools had asbestos. The risk of mesothelioma to young children had not been properly addressed.
Many school buildings were built with asbestos before federal rules were in place. Asbestos is a natural mineral used in construction. Later, it was found to cause serious illnesses like mesothelioma. Nomsa researched and learned about these dangers. Her research led her to work with the superintendent. She stressed the importance of closing the schools.
Nomsa also urged the superintendent to bus children to other safe schools. These schools were located throughout New York. The financial cost to the NYC school system was huge. This showed what could happen when parents spoke up. Since then, federal guidelines for asbestos have been improved.
Today, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets and enforces federal laws about asbestos in schools. The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires schools to inspect buildings for asbestos. They must also create plans to prevent or reduce exposure risks. However, neither the EPA nor AHERA requires schools to remove asbestos. Schools only need a plan to manage it safely. Asbestos usually only needs to be removed if it is badly damaged. It also must be removed if it might be disturbed by renovations or demolition.
The United Federation of Teachers wrote open letters to parents and teachers. They stated that Nomsa Brath alone pushed the Board of Education to accept scientific findings. These findings showed the dangers of asbestos for many years.
The Central Park Five Case
Nomsa Brath was a key organizer in a famous New York City case. It was known as the Central Park Jogger case. Five African American teenagers were accused. They became known as the Central Park 5.
Nomsa started a group called "Mother Love." This group was made up of mothers and women activists. They worked to support the innocence of the five teenagers. These teens were accused of attacking a female jogger on April 19, 1989. Nomsa and others believed the young men were innocent. "Mother Love" supported the Central Park 5.
At the time, the media showed a lot of sympathy for the jogger. The case caused strong divisions in New York City. Heated words and newspaper ads were published. Donald Trump even took out ads calling for the death penalty for the five young men.
Many people felt the media was too quick to judge. "Mother Love" started a media and press campaign for justice. Nomsa's husband, Elombe, used his connections in TV and radio. This helped to share the story of the injustices.
In 2002, the five young men, known as the Central Park 5, were cleared. This happened because Matias Reyes confessed. DNA evidence proved he was guilty. He said he acted alone in the attack on the Central Park Jogger.
Nomsa's work in this case is mentioned in books by three different authors. These include Black Women in America by Kim Marie Vaz, High-Profile Crimes by Lynn S. Chancer, and The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding by Sarah Burns. Sarah Burns' book talks about Nomsa's important role. Sarah Burns is the daughter of Kenneth Lauren Burns, a documentary filmmaker. Sarah and Ken produced a 2012 documentary about the Central Park 5.
In 2008, Nomsa had a stroke. This limited her ability to continue her activism and painting.
