Yesterday was the 52nd anniversary of the evil assassination of Brother Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a revolutionary. He not only spoke truth to power. He also was a man who transformed his thinking and admitted to it via humility and strength. He loved Harlem and spoke in Harlem. Also, he promoted his message of internationalism, pan-African unity, and human liberation in Africa, and throughout the world. He debated people as he loved debate. Malcolm X was once a member of the Nation of Islam. He left in 1964 and wanted more political action to help the black community. He formed the OAAU in order for African Americans to get economic and political power. He allied with African leaders overseas in order for the UN to denounce the United States for its crimes against black Americans. Malcolm X promoted self defense as any human being has the right to live and the right to defend their communities via any means necessary. He opposed the Vietnam War and any form of imperialism. He defended the legacy of Patrice Lumumba and he loved black women. His wife was a strong black woman and he defended the human rights of people globally. Malcolm X loved his wife and his children. He not only spoke out. He was involved in promoting better education in New York City. He came into Selma to promote voting rights for black people. He believed in Blackness and he loved his Blackness fully. He opposed racism and criticized capitalism in 1965. Also, Malcolm X taught us about pan-African unity. That means that Afro-British people, Africans, African Americans, Afro-French, etc. are one. We certainly need more unity among the African Diaspora internationally. Malcolm X was an inspiration not only for some people. He inspired a wide spectrum of human beings who cherish militancy and social justice.
Rest in Power Brother Malcolm X.
One of the unsung black heroes was a black woman named Belinda Royall. She was born in ca. 1712 in Ghana, Africa. She was kidnapped near her home near the Volta River when she was 12 years old. This region was home to the Ewe speaking and Akan peoples. She wrote about her abduction in her 1783 petition. She came into Massachusetts and she was forced into the household of Isaac Royall. Isaac was a Tory, so he flew to Nova Scotia when the Revolutionary War started. Belinda was let go, so she was free. She was 63 in that time. She petitioned the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on 1783 for reparations. She talked about her pleasant experience in Ghana with her family including her injurious, torturous experience in America as a slave for decades. Her arguments caused the General Court to award her an annual pension of 15 pounds and 12 shillings. This was a victory for reparations and this has inspired the reparations movement in our generation. Her story shows the courage of a black woman and it showed the truth that the viciousness of slavery existed in the North (as Boston was the leading northern commercial port in the Triangular Trade. The Triangular Trade was about how African slaves were kidnapped from Africa and taken to the West Indies or Caribbean. Later, sugar was exported from the West Indies to be sent into the Northeast. From there, rum and other goods were exported to Europe and then Europe came to exploit Africa again. The trading pattern looked like an inverted triangle on a map) and the South. Slavery would be abolished in Massachusetts by 1783. Belinda’s petition exposed the inhumanity and immorality of slavery. Her petition was published in the May 29, 1783 Massachusetts Sun. She won a great victory. Belinda continued to live her life. She is not here anymore, but her memory is remembered by us forever. Rest in Power Sister Belinda Royall.
This news show how far right extremists deserve no respect. They deserve our opposition and our dissent. Milo Yiannopoulos is a coward and a racist who slandered Leslie Jones. He also is known to make many evil, ridiculous remarks. We know that racism and anti-Semitism are repugnant. There are the recent anti-Semitic attacks in the St. Louis area where locations were vandalized by cowards. There have been bomb threats against Jewish locations nationwide and that's wrong. The Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery was attacked by cowards. So, when Islamophobia exists, we condemn it. When anti-Semitism comes about, we condemn that too. Hate crimes and bigotry will never prevail in the end. We will fight for the liberation of humanity and we definitely believe in the liberation of black people as I am a black person. Milo supported Breitbart (until he recently resigned over his sick remarks) and he believes in the lie that progressives collectively abhor free speech. We don't abhor free speech. We abhor bigotry, scapegoating, and pedophilia. Pedophilia is evil. He is a total disgrace. He wants to ban any Muslim from coming into America and Europe. He being a supporter of Trump is not shocking. Many haters of social justice and real justice ally with Trump. Milo is the same evil person who called rape culture a "fantasy" and he is part of the alt right movement. Like those of the alt right, he hates feminism, but doesn't know its meaning at all. Men and women deserve equal human rights period. He is the enemy of black people, of Muslims, of women, and of anyone who cherishes equality and social justice.
Days ago was the Birthday of Brother Sidney Poitier. He is now 90 years old. He was born in Miami, Florida and was raised in the Bahamas as his relatives are from the Bahamas. He is one of the greatest actors of all time. He was ahead of his time in showing roles that shown the intellect, power, and dignity of black people. He performed in theater and his breakout role was No Way Out in 1950. No Way Out was about a black doctor living his life in the midst of racial tensions in America. A lot of his films dealt with race, controversial issues, and the humanity of black people. He was the first black man to win an Oscar for Lilies in the Field. He was great in Raisin in the Sun, which was based on the play of the same name from the heroic playwright Lorraine Hansberry. The movie dealt with a black family moving into an integrated neighborhood in the midst of the civil rights movement and the explosion of cultural development in Black America. In the Heat of the Night was another historic film where he slapped the face of a white man on film in self defense. He continued to act in movies, receive awards, and care for his family. Now, the torch has been passed to new actors and actresses to present their talents to the world. Sister Mary Frances Berry is a hero. She is 79 years old. She the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania and the former chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. She is a great scholar, a great historian, and a great person. She was born in Nashville, Tennessee. During the 1980's, she opposed the reactionary agenda of Ronald Reagan and fought to abolish apartheid in South Africa. When I was in Kindergarten (in 1988), I lived in the Reagan Presidency. Those, who were born back then, knew how extreme Reagan was. She is a lover of equality, of civil rights, and of justice.
There is good news in the world too. Sheila Johnson, who is the billionaire CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts (plus she is the part owner of the Washington Capitals of the NHL, the Washington Wizards of the NBA, and the Washington Mystics of the WNBA) to join the Charleston African American Museum board of directors. She will provide the resources to construct the museum by the end of 2019. “Mayor Joe Riley has twisted my arm … so we’re on a journey to get this museum built,” Johnson announced Thursday at an event for the upcoming Hotel Bennett near Marion Square, which her company will manage. Sheila Johnson co-founded BET too. She was born on January 25, 1949 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. The other good news is that over 1 million visitors have come into the National Museum of African American History and Culture as found in Washington, D.C. During this Black History Month, we celebrate this new milestone. The museum in Washington, D.C. has gorgeous architecture. It has more than 36,000 artifacts and it shows the courage, the beauty, and the resiliency of the African American experience. I am an African American and I’m glad that there is a museum that shows our journey in such an elaborate fashion.
By Timothy
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