RIP Sister Sandra Bland

There are certainly more information coming out about Sandra Bland daily. There has been a releasing of some video of the jail (along the hallway). Many questions must be answered. Sandra Bland was treated aggressively by the officers before she was placed into jail. The Bland family has shown more information too about the cigarette when Sandra did nothing illegal by smoking a cigarette in her own car. So, the arresting officer had it out to harass Sandra from the get go. Sandra’s family deserves nothing less than the total truth. The officer’s actions caused him to be placed on administrative leave by the authorities. There must be transparency and police terrorism is real in this country. Elton Walley classifying the investigation as a murder investigation certainly should further inspire us to find the total truth about the tragic passing of Sandra Bland. The video shows the arrogance and disrespect among some cops. Sandra had every right to smoke a cigarette in her own car, yet the cop illegally told her to put the cigarette away. The cop can easily give her a ticket and leave. Yet, the officer wanted to intimidate and control her every action. The cop told her to leave the car when she did nothing wrong, she was unarmed, and she was no threat to the cop at all. She even followed the commands of the officer as shown in the video. There was no basis for her to get out of the car in this incident. She was slammed to the ground and when she told him that she has epilepsy, the cop say "Good." That shows the callous attitude of that police officer. He was placed on desk duty too. The tape could be edited as said by experts and Sandra's Bland death was tragic. She wouldn't have been arrested in the first place if the cop had shown professionalism. As Sandra's family has said, there should be answers.
RIP Sister Sandra Bland

There is massive political news going on in America now. John Kasich publicly announced his candidacy for the Presidency of America (as a Republican). He was the Governor of Ohio who has spoken about many issues. He loves his family and he believes in a balanced budget. He has also talked about poor, black people, and other people of color in the sense that he wants these human beings to be part of the American Dream. Donald Trump is a male of low character. He has used ad hominem attacks against other candidates for President. He has also publicly shown the phone number of Lindsey Graham, which is one of the lowest actions of any male. He’s a disgrace. He said that John McCain has been in favor of open borders, which is a lie. He said that McCain was only a war hero since he was captured, which shows that he has no respect for people that disagrees with him. The major point is that Donald Trump offers no reasonable policies on how he will get his agenda accomplished. He talked about the economics, but he has refused to say he will propose tax increases for the super wealthy, the increase of the minimum wage nationally, the elimination of tax loopholes, the ending of imperialism, and the federal investment to our infrastructure (which will create millions of jobs over the course of years). His xenophobic rhetoric (including his racist diatribe against Mexicans by calling most undocumented Mexicans rapists and thugs, which is evil) is very immature since immigrants (regardless of their status) pay taxes and contribute greatly to our workforce.There should be an independent, comprehensive solution to solve immigration issues.  Trump is a hypocrite. Years ago, Trump took government subsidies, supported Democrats, and aided lobbyists, and now he has pretended to be a Republican. Donald Trump also had multiple deferments too. So, he is totally arrogant and people want the truth without sideshows. There should be progressive solutions to our problems.

This documentary "Daddy Don't Go" certainly will make people think. Omar Epps did the right thing in making sure that this documentary is made public. Fathers have great value and their contributions in society must be respected just like the actions of mothers. A lot of society doesn't know or witness the struggles that many fathers go through in life. Children deserved to be loved, appreciated, and shown about their human value by deeds not just by words. Hopefully, the Daddy Don't go documentary can inspire people to promote more positive changes in society. As an African proverb says, it will take a village to raise a child (and great fathers are definitely part of that village). I do commend the actions of the fathers in the documentary who are raising their children. It just breaks your heart to see a young teenager of color like Amandla being harassed and disrespected like this. Her brilliance is amazing and she certainly needs support and further inspiration. Her views on race and class are very accurate and we all wish the best for her. Also, another point is to be made too. This young, blessed human being definitely deserves dignity and respect. Far too often, tons of black women and females of color have experienced harassment, slander, and disrespect (in the Internet, in forums, in the streets, etc.) This must end since we can express our diverse ideals without trolls (especially white racist trolls who know nothing about black people, but want to spew far right propaganda. Some of these trolls have slandered single black women too) ruining the discussion. So, I wish the best for Amandla Stenberg. She has every right to take a break. We all need to recharge our energies at times and Bless her. I hope that she returns too. She's an inspirational young person. I appreciate her wisdom and her strength.

I hope that Generation Soweto is fully funded and comes out. The documentary shows the world that African people are diverse and South African Millennials want progressive change just like other demographics. Also, I like how the documentary project refutes the racist stereotypes that some people have of Africa. I do find South Africans have a great sense of resiliency and the documentary shows how we, as a people, are still fighting economic inequality and others evils in the world. The Millennials in the film are dedicated in accomplishing their goals too. We should never forget about the struggle. White supremacists murdered children in Soweto during the 1970's and they killed black people in Sharpeville during the 1960's. The more that we learn about our Brothers and our Sisters in Africa, the more we realize how much we all have in common as black people irrespective of our nationalities. Bless the project. Akilah Hughes is definitely brilliant. The video tells the truth is a great fashion that evil racist trolls can never steal our glory. We are in the right side of history in advocating for racial, economic, and social justice. Akilah has amazing wit, excellent humor, and pristine insights about how unintelligent anti-black scapegoating is and how beautiful the truth is. I do enjoy refuting bigots though. ;) Akilah is right in her views. We are against the system of white supremacy and we believe in love for our communities. We should always have time to relax, read, and enjoy life. Black Lives will always matter.


The Nuremberg Trials were some of the most important parts of World War II history. On September 15, 1944, Colonel Murray Bernays of the War Department’s Special Project Branch proposed part of the framework that will be used in Nuremberg. Bernays proposed treating the Nazi regime as a criminal plot. William Chanler (or a friend of the Secretary of War Stinson) suggested another part of the framework, which is about waging of a war of aggression a crime. By February 1945 at Yalta, FDR, Churchill, and Stalin all agree that a prosecution of Axis leaders should follow the expected conclusion of World War II. On April 1945, President Truman asked Samuel Rosenman to approach the Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson and inquire about his willingness to serve as chief U.S. prosecutor in a war crimes trial. Robert Jackson was appointed as chief U.S. counsel for the prosecution of Nazi war criminals by President Harry Truman on May 2, 1945. Hermann Goering surrenderd to the Allies on May 6, 1945. He was transferred to Bad Mondorf in Luxembourg. In Flensburg, Germany, the British took many of the Nazis to be tried in the Major War Figures Trials (like Donitz, Jodl, Keitel, Rosenberg, and Speer. Himmler committed suicide) in May 23, 1945. By June 26th of the same year, Robert Jackson departed from Washington, D.C. to meet with his Allied counterparts in London to discuss the legal proceedings against Nazi officials. There are disagreements on what to do. The Americans and the British wanted the adversarial system while the French and the Soviets desired the inquisitive system.  The Allies agreed to prohibit the use of the defense of superior orders, although they agree to allow its consideration in the mitigation of sentence. When Robert Jackson visited Nuremberg, it’s a city that has been 91% destroyed by Allied bombs. In July of 1945, he goes into the Palace of Justice and recommended it as a site for the upcoming trials. The Soviets wanted the trial to take place in Berlin within their zone of occupation. The London Agreement was signed in August of 1945 that enabled the prosecution of war criminals. Major War criminals then are housed in Luxembourg and then are flown to Nuremberg where they are incarcerated in prison adjacent to the Palace of Justice by August 12, 1945. Robert Jackson meet with President Truman in September. Truman proposed to name former Attorney General Francis Biddle as the American judge at Nuremberg, but Jackson didn't think highly of Biddle and suggests other people. Yet, Biddle got the appointment. By October, Sir Geoffrey Lawrence (or the British representative) was elected President of the International Military Tribunal or the IMT. Major war criminals are indicted in the same month too. Robert Ley committed suicide before his trial. Ley was the former chief of the German Labor Front. The trial of the major war criminals by the International Military Tribunal started on 10 a.m. in Nuremberg, Germany on November 20, 1945. During the next day, all of the defendant plead “Not Guilty.” Goering wants to make a statement, but he was prevented from doing so. Justice Robert Jackson delivered his opening statement for the prosecution. On November 29, 1945, the prosecution introduced a film shot by Allied photographers in the liberated areas. The footage is graphic and it describes the Nazi horrors. It caused weeping in the courtroom. Some defendants appeared shocked by what they see and some seem bored. On December 13, 1945, the prosecution introduces the grisly evidence from Buchenwald concentration camp that shown tattooed human skin and the bodies of the victims of the Holocaust. By 1946, people testify including Nazis. In October 1, 1946, the verdict comes out against the major war criminals are handed down by the International Military Tribunal. 11 of the 21 defendants are sentenced to death. All appeals are rejected. Goering committed suicide by swallowing a smuggled cyanide pill. 10 of the war criminals are hanged in Nuremberg on October 16, 1946. More trials will come up too which will sentence Nazi war criminals for their evil crimes in the years to come as well.


By Timothy