Friday News in Early July 2017

Today, G20 meetings continue. The police in Hamburg, Germany are having a rampage against protesters. They have used water cannons (plus tear gas) and arrested many human beings. The G20 is made up of 19 nations and EU nations. They discuss about economic and political issues ranging from climate change to cyber security. The police have been overtly harsh in the treatment of the protesters. The protesters abhor capitalism and the economically exploitative policies of the G20 nations. They also disagree with the G20 executing reactionary austerity, anti-refugee measures, extreme nationalism, and militarism that has been embraced by many G20 nations. The G20 also includes the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Trump and Putin discussed about many issues. Putin said that they have talked about the 2016 election, Syria, and other subjects. Secretary of State Rex Tillerman talked about the a little more than two hour meeting amogn Putin and Trump. Thursday’s protest, one of the first of dozens planned during the G20, was entitled “Welcome to Hell.” It was organized to coincide with a sideline meeting at the nearby Hotel Atlantic between US President Donald Trump—a reviled figure in Europe—and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Many protesters have said that the police have provoked them.  As some 10,000 demonstrators were assembling in Hamburg’s harbor district around 6.00 p.m., Deutsche Welle reported that its correspondent, Max Hofmann, “says the feeling at the ‘Welcome to Hell’ protest is that of a large family gathering.” Hofmann commented: “If you’re looking for a common denominator here it’s anti-capitalism, anti-globalization and, of course, anti-Donald Trump.” The gathering was peaceful and, if anything, had a festive character during the beginning. The authoritarian police response to the protesters and the occupation of Hamburg is not new. There has been similar heavy armed police monitoring of demonstrators in other cities which hosted the G20 like in  London (one person was killed at the hands of the police in the G20 summit there in London back in 2009), Pittsburgh, Toronto, Seoul, Cannes and Brisbane. Germany is rising as a new hegemon in Europe. The events of North Korea and the Middle East are being discussed at the G20 too too.


In health, the muscle groups have a wide spectrum of purposes for the human body in general. People exercise and study those muscle groups constantly. There are many muscle groups. The main ones can be between 7 to 11. Weight training programs are key in developing the muscle groups too. Improving the muscles can prevent injures, establish better posture, get rid of aches and pains, get people stronger quicker, and build muscles faster. Also, it is important to note that muscle groups exist in the lower body and working on the lower body is very important just like working on the upper body. The 4 large muscles that made up the front of the thigh are made up of the quadriceps. They are worked in squats, lunges, barbell hack squats, and other squat variations. The hamstrings were on the back of your thighs. Squats can improve them. Also, deadlifts and pull thrus can strengthen the hamstrings too. The calves are part of the muscles that are found in the legs. The gastrocs, the soleus, and the tabialis anterior are found in the calf. The pectoral muscles are found in the chest. Bench presses, dips, and pushups readily help the pectoral muscles in the chest (for men and women). The shoulders are one of the most important muscle groups. They are found in the deltoids too. There overhead press can help the shoulder muscles from the front deltoids, side deltoids, and the rear deltoids. The triceps make up about 2/3 of the upper arm. Biceps only make up about 1/3 of the upper arm. The triceps are found on the bottom of the upper arm. Dips, reverse grip bench press, and compound exercises can strengthen the triceps. Biceps are found in the top of the upper arms. Rows, chin ups, and pull ups can improve the biceps. Forearms can be improved upon via gripping barbells and dumbbells. The trapezius or traps are found in the upper back muscles. It makes a triangle shape with the point in the middle of your upper back. Deadlifts enhance the trapezius. The Abs is found in the stomach. Usually, the abs is improved by eating healthy and cardio workouts consistently.


One of the most lied about and disrespected concepts in my current generation is black feminism. Black feminists and black womanists have been lied about (by Hoteps and other extremists) when they just desire human freedom. Many people are right to say that black feminism is not about bashing men or slandering black people. Black feminism is the promotion of the liberation of black women and equality for all. Giving odes to Bell Hooks and other black feminist scholars is very important and note worthy. Jay Z's 4:44 is not the most revolutionary hip hop album that I have heard. Tons of hip hop albums (especially in the underground) have a whole lot more revolutionary content than 4:44. What I will say that 4:44 has further ignited legitimate conversations that we should have in our black community (from gender to economics). Some have made the great point that any injustice and any bigotry is not pro-black or revolutionary. It's reactionary and it's wrong period. So, we should stand up for black people and for black liberation, but not at the expense of depriving someone else of their human rights because of their background. I would never want oppression to happen to anyone else. Many people in many Black Nationalist movements were sexists. Many people in the Black Panther Party were sexists too. The serious sexism found in the SDS, the Black Panthers, and other factions of the Civil Rights Movement should never be minimized. It was evil, despicable, and totally wrong period. Also, it is important to acknowledge the heroic people of the Black Panther Party who rejected sexism as well like Assata Shakur, Terika Matthews, Charlotte Hill O'Neal, Barbara Easley, and other human beings. Women leaders of the Civil Rights Movement include Fannie Lou Hamer, Septima Clark, Rosa Parks, Gloria Richardson, Dorothy Cotton, Unita Blackwell, Ella Baker, and others who fought for gender equality and racial justice. A lot of this history has been omitted, because some want to promote the myth that the Civil Rights movement was a solely male-dominated movement. The Civil Rights Movement historically was a very grassroots, spontaneous movement that was made up of men, women, and children who desired a change to end the oppressive white supremacist system. Eliminating patriarchy, sexism, imperialism (including any war mongering), and any oppression is the wise course to take. It is important to have self reflection in life and to make action. Faith is dead without works, so we have work to do.


Change comes by pushing the envelopes as Halle Berry has said. Halle Berry is right that more black writers, directors, producers, etc. should exist. There are amazing black people with outstanding gifts in organization, acting, dance, directing, and theater. They should have the opportunities to express their gifts without unfair barriers. In order for us to be free, we have to fight. Every victory that our people ever achieved in human history came about via fighting against the status quo. It is what it is. I never looked at the film Monster Ball in over 10 years because of the obvious reason. Like others have said, power is about owning and controlling resources. We should promote our communities to own and create own production companies in a higher level. Part of that solution making process is about addressing poverty & economic inequality too. There is no way where we can have liberation unless the poorest of our people can have a legitimate chance of improving their standards of living. If someone doesn't love the poorest of black people, then that person doesn't love black people at all. An Oscar is never a barometer of our worth or our value. We are born amazing. Our worth is valuable and our validation never comes by Hollywood. It comes by how we honor our inner beings and how we advance the cause of freedom progressively. I honor black pan-African unity too.

1968 was one of the most explosive years of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1968, there was a documentary film called, "No Vietnamese Ever Called Me a N___________." Dorothy Lee Bolden organized the National Domestic Workers Union in the same year too. Robert Clark in 1968 was the first African American to join the Mississippi legislature in the 20th century. By January 18, 1968, Eartha Kitt was invited to the White House. She was in an luncheon. She criticized America's involvement in the Vietnam War in front of the hostess Lady Bird Johnson (who was the First Lady back then). Kitt was investigated later by the FBI. In February of 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. met with the black activists H. Rap Brown and Kwame Ture. In this meeting, Dr. King wants them to keep future campaigns nonviolent. Dr. King was promoting the Poor People's Campaign back then. By February 19, 1968, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (which was shared by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner) issues its report on the rebellion. The report accurately found that the blame should be placed on poverty, discrimination, unequal enforcement of the law, substandard education, inferior housing, bad public services, and white racism. On March 19, 1968, students at Howard University seize an administration building and demand more African-American studies sources. The students demanded that Howard use a curriculum and its campus culture to reflect the lives of young African Americans. This is part of the new Black Studies movement, which will take years to allow black studies and studies of other ethnic groups to be common place in colleges plus universities nationwide. By March 28, 1968, Dr. King marches with sanitation workers on strike in Memphis, Tennessee. The protest turns violent as one 16 year old was killed and the police arrests 280 people. March 31, 1968 was the time when LBJ announced in public television that he will not seek reelection. By April of 1968, the country of America was in total confusion, chaos, and uncertainty. Black Americans among diverse quarters continue to fight for our human rights.




By Timothy