The Reality Reports

How Cheerleading Started As A Men's Activity: Most people today think of cheerleading as something mainly done by women, but this was not always the case. When cheerleading first began in the late 1800s, only men were allowed to participate. The activity started at Ivy League colleges during football games.  In 1898, a University of Minnesota student named Johnny Campbell became the first official cheerleader when he led organized cheers from the sidelines. Soon after, other schools created their own all-male cheerleading teams, often called "yell leaders" or "yell squads."

A Document That Shaped Military Policy: In 1925, the Army War College released a report titled "The Use of Negro Manpower in War" that would affect military policy for nearly two decades. This 67-page document was created by the all-white faculty and students at the Army War College after several years of study.  The report claimed to analyze how African American soldiers performed during World War I and what role they should play in future conflicts. Instead of providing fair analysis, the document contained racist ideas that were presented as scientific facts.

Turning Points That Changed Our World: April 9th stands as a day when history took sharp turns. In 1865, after four bloody years of the American Civil War, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.  This meeting between two generals in a small courthouse marked the beginning of the end for the deadliest conflict in American history.  The terms were respectful - Confederate soldiers could return home without fear of punishment, keeping their horses for spring farming.  This moment of grace during a bitter war helped start the healing of a divided nation.