Reasons to Be Cheerful 8

1187 Saladin retakes Jerusalem

In 1936 Sol Hurok arranged for Marian Anderson to perform at Constitution Hall, which was owned by the "Daughters of the American Revolution" (DAR). Anderson was rejected because of the "white performers only" policy of the DAR. Hurok quickly turned to a black school in Washington D.C. and the concert was a success. Anderson was invited by the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to perform for President Roosevelt at the White House, and the two women developed friendship. However in 1939, DAR again turned Anderson away from the Constitution Hall. Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from DAR in protest of their discrimination of non-white artists. Sol Hurok brilliantly resolved the situation; he organized an open-air concert at the Lincoln Memorial, which was, ironically, near the Constitution Hall. 75,000 people of all races attended that historic concert of Anderson; it was broadcast nationwide and made her a celebrity. (imdb.com)

When the Queen had her first baby, she was the first royal to suggest that no senior figure from the government need attend to make sure she didn’t switch babies. The government complied, and the practice has been quietly dropped.

1965 Catholic Church decides that slavery is immoral

1967 First woman runs a marathon, in Boston. A steward leaped onto the track, ran after her and tried to tear off her number. He was beaten off by the woman’s boyfriend, a hammer-thrower.

1976 Episcopal Church in the US approves significant revisions in the Book of Common Prayer, including “recognizing” the ordination of women.

1976 Race Relations Act 1976 recognises Gypsy and Traveller communities as ethnic minorities (via Pip Borev)

1989 National Rivers Authority founded to clean up rivers and restore canals, led by Lord Crickhowell. (It did that, and in 1996 became the Environment Agency.)

In 1993 rape in marriage finally became a crime in all 50 US states. In 1973 it was illegal in none of them. (via @mims)

1997 UK bans private possession of handguns

1998 Crime and Disorder Act Outlaws racially/religiously motivated violence, harassment, intimidation. (Right-wingers like to pretend that racist remarks are banned by something called “political correctness”.)

2013 Brazil becomes the first country to completely ban indoor tanning for anyone of any age. Australia is buying back tanning beds in preparation for a ban.

2013 Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act


LESS THAN CHEERFUL

1845 The Southern Baptists walk away from their northern brethren over slavery. (They were for it.) (Jeff Chu, Does Jesus Really Love Me?)

1882 Chinese Exclusion Act in the US prohibits the immigration of Chinese people. (Repealed 1943.)

1921 House of Lords debates whether to ban lesbianism

1928 Sexual Sterilization Act of Alberta (repealed 1972)

Reasons to Be Cheerful 7, and links to the rest.