Remembering 9/11 and Other Information

I will never forget about 9/11. Many people remember events like they were yesterday. I remember 9/11 just like it was yesterday too. I always think about 9/11 all of the time. It has been 15 years since it happen and we reflect, we show prayers, and we are inspired to do the necessary work in making sure that justice for all is a reality. When 9/11 happened, I was a freshman in college. I was 17 years old. During that morning so many years ago, I finished a math class and used a computer in the university library. People in the Internet mentioned about an attack on the Twin Towers and it was a surprise. I came home and turned on the television and it showed what happened. I saw reporters describing the destruction. On TV, I saw one Twin Tower collapse. It was an emotional day. Later, I found out that the Pentagon was hit in Arlington, Virginia and the Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. I recognized the seriousness of the day. People were walking around in the streets for weeks in a dazed look on their faces. It was a trying time, but we are troopers as Americans and we never let evil terrorism make us give up. We won't give up. It is also important to reference the heroes from rescue workers, firefighters, and other ordinary citizens who saved lives, gave the victims water, and used their bravery to help humanity. Many of the heroes are no longer with us. Some died because of the attacks and some died because of respiratory problems. Their memories are etched in our psyches forever. I'm not going to mention the names of the murderers involved in 9/11, because it is appropriate to remember the victims and the heroes. The victims' families have been courageous amidst pain to fight for not only justice, but for the improvement of our communities. They advance true brotherhood and true sisterhood in the globe. Back then, President George W. Bush had massive popularity and he enacted the controversial war on terror. In the time of 15 years, we have seen policies in my view that violate civil liberties, unjust wars, torture, and other evils from the barbaric acts of ISIS to the continued epidemic of police brutality. Also, we have seen the growth of true, inspiring activists who love mercy and are strong to stand up for truth. Therefore, the tragic events of 9/11 motivate me to preserve my core convictions and to stand up for the values that our ancestors fought and died for (which are equality, free speech, religious freedom, civil liberties, black liberation, economic justice, and social justice). We want justice to be indivisible regardless of one's creed, color, sex, nationality, or political views. In the end, we shall overcome.
RIP to the victims of 9/11
Never Forget


It is always important to honor African heroes. One African hero was Queen Nzinga. She lived from 1583 to 1663. She was the monarch of the Mbundu people of Africa. She was a resilient black woman and she opposed the Portuguese imperialism who actually invented the modern day Maafa in the first palce. The Portuguese criminals were expanding the slave trade in Central Africa back then. By the 16th century, Portugal had a near monopoly of slave trading in the West African coast. Also, the French and the English were involved in the Maafa as well. The Portuguese formed a trading relationship with Afonso I in the Kongo kingdom. Later, they wanted to control Angola or south of the Kongo. A fort and settlement was formed by the Portuguese in 1617 at Luanda. This encroached on Mdunu land. By 1622, the Portuguese invited Ngola (King) Mbande to attend a peace conference there to end hostilities with the Mbundu. Mbande sent his sister Nzinga to represent him in a meeting with the Portuguese Governor Joao Corria de Sousa. Nzinga was aware of the situation. She knew of the events in the Kongo which led Portuguese domination of the Kongo area. She knew that to refuse to trade with the Portuguese will loss a major source of guns for her own state. In the first of a series of meetings Nzinga sought to establish her equality with the representative of the Portugal crown.  Noting that the only chair in the room belonged to Governor Corria, she immediately motioned to one of her assistants who fell on her hands and knees and served as a chair for Nzinga for the rest of the meeting. Nzinga refused to allow the Portuguese to rule her nation even after she converted to Christianity. In 1627, after forming alliances with rival states, she led her army against the Portuguese. This caused a 30 year war against them for their imperialism. She exploited European rivalry by forging an alliance with the Dutch who had conquered Luanda in 1641. With their help, Nzinga defeated a Portuguese army in 1647.  After the Dutch were later defeated by the Portuguese in 1648, the Dutch left Central Africa. Nzinga continued to fight against the Portuguese. In her 60's, she personally led troops in battles. She used guerrilla attacks on the Portuguese which would continue after her passing. She later would inspire the successful 20th century armed resistance against the Portuguese that resulted in the independent Angola in 1975. No Portuguese person ever killed or captured Queen Nzinga. She died peacefully in her eighties on December 17, 1663. Rest in Power Sister Queen Nzinga.

One of the greatest African heroes in our modern generation is Sister Aisha Fofana Ibrahim. She is a feminist scholar and activist from Sierra Leone. For a long time, African scholars and leaders have done great work in combating injustices worldwide. She was the Director of the Institute for Gender Research and Documentation (INGRADOC) at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. She was the President of the 50/50 group of Sierra Leone. That is a civil society organization in Sierra Leone. It wants to focus on ensuring women’s equal political representation and promoting gender equality in Sierra Leone. Dr. Fofana Ibrahaim loves scholarship and discusses about sociological studies. She has taught gender to graduate students and promoted women empowerment in society. She wants a revised constitution in Sierra Leone to not marginalize women and promoted the needs of all citizens. She has promoted peacebuilding and the development of Africa as a whole. Sierra Leona is a nation of West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea on the north and Liberia in the southeast. It has a population of over 7 million people. Freetown is the capital and largest city. It has a strong economy. Bo is the second largest city. The other major cities of Sierra Leone are Kenema, Makeni, and Koidu Town. Many black Americans came into Freetown, Sierra Leone after the American Revolutionary War. Today, the Krio people make up 3 percent of the population. The Krio people are descendants of the African American, West Indian, and liberated African slaves who settled in Freetown between 1787 and 1885. Sierra Leone became independent in the year of 1961. It declared itself a Republic on April 19, 1971. English is the official language in the country. The Temne and Mende ethnic groups represent the highest number of people in the country.






Sister Yoa Asantweaa lived from ca. 1840 to October 17, 1921. She fought against British colonialism. She was the appointed queen mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire. That is where modern day Ghana is today. Her brother was Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpese,  the Ejisuhene—or ruler of Ejisu. In 1900, she led the Ashanti rebellion known as the War of the Golden Stool, also known as the Yaa Asantewaa war, against British colonialism. His brother died. Later, Yaa Asantewaa became leader of the Asante Confederacy. There was a meeting about what to do next. Yaa Asantewaa, who was present at this meeting, stood and addressed the members of the council with these now-famous words: "Now, I see that some of you fear to go forward to fight for our king. If it was in the brave days of Osei Tutu, Okomfo Anokye, and Opoku Ware I, chiefs would not sit down to see their king to be taken away without firing a shot. No European could have dared speak to chiefs of Asante in the way the governor spoke to you this morning. Is it true that the bravery of Asante is no more? I cannot believe it. It cannot be! I must say this: if you, the men of Asante, will not go forward, then we will. We, the women, will. I shall call upon my fellow women. We will fight! We will fight till the last of us falls in the battlefields." Therefore, she took leadership of the Asante Uprising of 1900. Many of the Asante nobility supported her. The rebellion started in March of 1900. They attacked the fort at Kumasi where the British had sough refuge. The British used a force of 1,400 to quell the rebellion.  During the course of this, Queen Yaa Asantewaa and 15 of her closest advisers were captured, and they too were sent into exile to the Seychelles. The rebellion represented the final war in the Anglo-Asante series of wars that lasted throughout the 19th century. The British made Asante a protectorate of the British crown until Ghana became independent decades later. Yaa Asantewaa died in exile in the Seychelles on  October 17, 1921. Three years after her death, on 27 December 1924, Prempeh I and the other remaining members of the exiled Asante court were allowed to return to Asante. Prempeh I made sure that the remains of Yaa Asantewaa and the other exiled Asantes were returned for a proper royal burial. Yaa Asantewaa's dream for an Asante free of British rule was realized on 6 March 1957, when the Asante protectorate gained independence as part of Ghana, the first African nation in Subsaharan Africa to achieve this feat. Yaa Asantewaa was a hero of black people and she opposed the evil colonialism of the British. Ghanaian people salute her courage all of the time. To highlight the importance of encouraging more female leaders in Ghanaian society, the Yaa Asantewaa Girls' Secondary School was established at Kumasi in 1960 with funds from the Ghana Educational Trust. A television documentary by Ivor Agyeman-Duah entitled Yaa Asantewaa - The Exile of King Prempeh and the Heroism of An African Queen was premiered in Ghana in 2001. A stage show written by Margaret Busby, Yaa Asantewaa: Warrior Queen, featuring master drummer Kofi Ghanaba and with a pan-African cast, toured the UK and Ghana in 2001–02. A radio drama by the same author was also serialized 13–17 October 2003. on BBC Radio Four's Woman's Hour.


 
There are a lot of unsung heroes in the world. She is an unsung hero. She is Sister Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green. She was raised in St. Louis, Missouri. She recently received a grant in order for her to research laser technology in order for her to fight cancer. Cancer is a vicious disease that doesn't discriminate. It can be caused by genetics or by other means. Regardless of our political views, we are in opposition to cancer and we want it to be extinguished completely. A lot of people in Facebook are doing a magnificent job in bringing awareness on this issue and spending time plus energy to help those who suffer cancer. You know who you are. Everyone here also have great compassion too and I always respect real people like family. Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green has worked hard and her accomplishments will forever be respected by me. She is a role model and she wants more black women to be involved in STEM fields. I agree with her 100 percent. Today, she is the assistant professor in the physics department of Tuskegee University. The beauty of physics is that it deals with mathematical formulas, the analysis of the motion of particles, and the evaluation of laws of gravity including other physical laws in the Universe. Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green is an excellent scientist and a wonderful human being. She is in her 30's and we want her to continue to do even more for the cause of eradicating cancer once and for all. Bless Sister Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green. She is a woman who proves that dreams can come true. Misty Copeland overcame a lot to experience her goal of being a ballet performer. Ballet is beautiful. Ballet strengthens the physical core, develops human creativity, and it is also extremely great in dealing with the beauty of art. She was born in the Midwestern city of Kansas City, Missouri in 1982. Now, she is 34 years old. She was raised in Los Angeles, California. From her youth, she soared greatly in participating in ballet. By the age of fourteen, Copeland was the winner of a national ballet contest and won her first solo role. She is a beautiful woman with a heart of gold. She is a great role model for young girls who seek ballet, STEM fields, and other endeavors. Also, she inspires people in general (who feel left out or have struggles) that it is not the end of the world and great persistence is always an ideal motto for folks to embrace. She is apart of history too. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African-American woman to be promoted to principal ballerina in ABT's 75-year history. She has won many accolades and recently married a man. Today, she lives in Manhattan. Bless Misty Copeland.


By Timothy