Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020
Monday information in Late March of 2020.
If you want to understand fully about hip hop music or culture, then you have to study the history and legacy of the Last Poets. The Last Poets were a major predecessor of modern hip hop music. They used spoken word not only to entertain audiences. They wanted to make precise, important political statements in favor of black liberation explicitly. Their members today are Abiodun Oyewole, Umar Bin Hassan, and Baba Donn Babatunde. Their past members who are deceased are Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, Sullaman El hHadi, Nilaja, Abu Mustapha, and Kenyatte Adur-Rahman. Jamal Abdus Sabur left the group. The Last Poets was formed in 1968 in Harlem, New York City. The name is taken from a poem by the South African revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who believed he was in the last era of poetry before guns would take over. The original users of that name were the trio of Felipe Luciano, Gylan Kain, and David Nelson. The Lost Poets existed during the time of the late 1960's U.S. Civil Rights movement and the black nationalist movement that transpired in America by the late 1960's. The versions of the group led by Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin and Umar Bin Hassan had the largest impact on popular culture. The Last Poets were one of the earliest influences on hip-hop music. Critic Jason Ankeny wrote: "With their politically charged raps, taut rhythms, and dedication to raising African-American consciousness, the Last Poets almost single-handedly laid the groundwork for the emergence of hip-hop." The British music magazine NME stated, "Serious spokesmen like Gil Scott-Heron, The Last Poets, and later Gary Byrd, paved the way for the many socially committed Black [emcees] a decade later." The Original Last Poets was created on May 19, 1968 at Marcus Garvey Park in East Harlem. That date was Malcolm X's Birthday. They performed at the historic NY TV program called Soul! on October 24, 1968. Luciano, Kain, Abiodune Oyewole and Nelson recorded separately as The Original Last Poets, gaining some renown as the soundtrack artists (without Oyewole) of the 1971 film Right On! In 1972, they appeared on Black Forum Records album Black Spirits - Festival Of New Black Poets In America with "And See Her Image In The River" and "Song of Ditla, part II", recorded live at the Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York. A book of the same name was published by Random House (1972 - ISBN 9780394476209).
The original group actually consisted of Gylan Kain, David Nelson and Abiodun Oyewole. Following their get-together on May 19, 1968 (Malcolm X's birthday), at Marcus Garvey Park, the group coalesced via a 1969 Harlem writers' workshop known as East Wind. When Nelson left, he was replaced by Felipe Luciano, who would later leave to establish the Young Lords. When Kain and Nelson then began to pursue other interests (theater and ministry respectively), Abiodun Oyewole "recruited" Alafia Pudim (later known as Jalaluddin Mansur) and Umar bin Hassan in an attempt to replace the founding members of the group. Following the success of the newly refigured Last Poets first album, founding members Kain and Nelson got together with Luciano and recorded their only album Right On in 1970, the soundtrack to a documentary movie of the same name that finally saw release in 1971. Jalal Mansur Nuriddin a.k.a. Alafia Pudim, Umar Bin Hassan, and Abiodun Oyewole, along with poet Sulaiman El-Hadi and percussionist Nilaja Obabi, are generally considered the best-known members of the various lineups. Jalal, Umar, and Nilaja appeared on the group's 1970 self-titled debut LP and follow-up This Is Madness. Nilija then left, and a third poet, Sulaiman El-Hadi, was added. This Jalal-Sulaiman version of the group made six albums together but recorded only sporadically without much promotion after 1977. Their debut album was The Last Poets. This is Madness was their follow up album. The album had more political messages. The group was listed under COINTELPRO or the counter intelligence program during the Nixon administration. Hassan left the group following This Is Madness to be replaced by Sulaiman El-Hadi (now deceased) in time for Chastisment (1972). The album introduced a sound the group called "jazzoetry", leaving behind the spare percussion of the previous albums in favor of a blending of jazz and funk instrumentation with poetry. The music further developed into free-jazz–poetry with Hassan's brief return on Blue Thumb album At Last (1973), as yet the only Last Poets release still unavailable on CD. The Last Poets toured the world by the late 1970's and 1980's. Hip Hop expanded by this time, and they were cited as the grandfathers of hip hop. Jalaluddin solo project of Hustler's Convention in 1973 inspired early hip hop artists. The group, led by Hassan, also made a guest appearance in John Singleton's 1993 film Poetic Justice. Sulaiman El-Hadi died in October 1995. Oyewole and Hassan began recording separately under the same name, releasing Holy Terror in 1995 (re-released on Innerhythmic in 2004) and Time Has Come in 1997. Meanwhile, Nuriddin released the solo CD's On The One (1996), The Fruits of Rap (1997) and Science Friction (2004) under the abbreviated name "Jalal."
In 2005, the Last Poets found fame again refreshed through a collaboration where the trio (Umar Bin Hassan) was featured with hip-hop artist Common on the Kanye West-produced song "The Corner," as well as (Abiodun Oyewole) with the Wu-Tang Clan-affiliated political hip-hop group Black Market Militia on the song "The Final Call," stretching overseas to the UK on songs "Organic Liquorice (Natural Woman)", "Voodoocore", and "A Name" with Shaka Amazulu the 7th. The group is also featured on the Nas album Untitled, on the songs "You Can't Stop Us Now" and "Project Roach." In May of 2018, The Last Poets released Understand What Black Is, their first album since 1997. The album featured tributes to late artists Prince and Biggie Smalls. The Last Poets songs about how people are scared of Revolution and about the God complex of white racists were real and strong.
DJ Kool Herc or Clive Campbell is the founder of hip hop music. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Also, he is a Afro-Caribbean man. He created hip hop at the Bronx, New York City. His hosted his "Back to School Jam" on August 11, 1973 that officially started modern hip hop music. The location of the jam was at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. He wanted to show music to help his younger sister Cindy Campbell to earn more cash for back to school clothes. Kool Herc played hard funk records similar to the music of James Brown. Early hip hop people wanted hip hop to be used as an alternative to gang culture of the Bronx. This existed when disco was popular. Campbell began to isolate the instrumental portion of the record which emphasized the drum beat—the "break" and switch from one break to another. Using the same two-turntable set-up of disco DJs, he used two copies of the same record to elongate the break. This breakbeat DJing, using funky drum solos, formed the basis of hip hop music. Campbell's announcements and exhortations to dancers helped lead to the syncopated, rhythmically spoken accompaniment now known as rapping. He called the dancers "break-boys" and "break-girls", or simply b-boys and b-girls. Campbell's DJ style was quickly taken up by figures such as Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash. Unlike them, he never made the move into commercially recorded hip hop in its earliest years. Kool Herc's parents were Keith and Nettie Campbell of Kingston, Jamaica. He was the first of six children. Kool Herc listened to the sound systems of neighborhood parties called dance halls. The DJs used speeches called toasting. He came into the bronx when he was 12 on November 1967. He played basketball and attended the Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School in the Bronx. He was nicknamed Hercules because of his height and size. He fought people and the Five Percenters came to Herc's aid. They helped to allow him to understand American culture and New York City street culture in general. He used graffiti with the Ex-Vandals. Herc's first sound system consisted of two turntables connected to two amplifiers and a Shure "Vocal Master" PA system with two speaker columns, on which he played records such as James Brown's "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose", Jimmy Castor's "It's Just Begun" and Booker T. & the M.G.'s' "Melting Pot." Kool Herc used the break method in his hip hop music. Kool Herc also contributed to developing the rhyming style of hip hop by punctuating the recorded music with slang phrases, announcing: "Rock on, my mellow!" "B-boys, b-girls, are you ready? keep on rock steady" "This is the joint! Herc beat on the point" "To the beat, y'all!" "You don't stop!" For his contributions, Herc is called a "founding father of hip hop," a "nascent cultural hero," and an integral part of the beginnings of hip hop by Time. So, DJ Kool Herc used scratching on a beat, he allowed people to breakdance, and he rapped on the beat. This was the foundation of hip hop music. Break dancing allowed people to move around in unique ways. It was a mixture of ballet, flipping around, and other forms of dance. Herc was a hero of the Bronx. Later, Coke La Rock rapped. Kool Herc traveled in New York City with his boom box to show his music. In 1975, the young Grandmaster Flash, to whom Kool Herc was, in his words, "a hero", began DJing in Herc's style. By 1976, Flash and his MCs The Furious Five played to a packed Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. Venue owners were often nervous of unruly young crowds, however, and soon sent hip hop back to the clubs, community centers and high school gymnasiums of the Bronx. Afrika Bambaataa first heard Kool Herc in 1973. Bambaataa, at that time a general in the notorious Black Spades gang of the Bronx, obtained his own soundsystem in 1975 and began to DJ in Herc's style, converting his followers to the non-violent Zulu Nation in the process. Kool Herc began using The Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache" as a break in 1975. It became a firm b-boy favorite—"the Bronx national anthem"—and is still in use in hip hop today. As for Bambaataa, he has been accused of pedophilia and sexual abuse. Bambaataa had denied all allegations. We always condemn pedophilia and sexual abuse 100 percent. I want to make that clear. In early May 2016, the Universal Zulu Nation disassociated themselves from Bambaataa as part of an organizational restructuring. In June 2016, the Universal Zulu Nation issued an open letter apologizing to the alleged victims of sexual abuse which the accusers said was perpetrated by Bambaataa. Now, Kool Herc is still a great ambassador of hip hop music. In the summer of 2007, New York state officials declared 1520 Sedgwick Avenue the "birthplace of hip-hop", and nominated it to national and state historic registers. In May 2019, Kool Herc released his first vinyl record ever with DJ/Producer Mr. Green. “Last of the Classic Beats” was critically acclaimed.
Hip hop from 1974 to 1979 rapidly expanded actors New York City and across America. In 1974, the first rapping DJ named Lovebug Starski coined the term of hip hop while trading lines with Cowboy of the Furious Five. In 1974, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Caz, Afrika Bambaataa played parties all over Bronx neighborhoods. In 1975, DJ Grand Wizard Theodore invented scratching. He used his hand on record after his mother ordered him to run the volume down. This technique is known as scratching and gave hip hop its original sounds. Kool Herc was hired as a DJ at Hevalo Club. He allowed Coke La Rock in the same year to say rhymes at parties like "Dj Riz is in the house and he'll turn itout without a doubt." In 1976, Grandmaster Flash invented many things in hip hop. He was from Barbados and he was raised in the Bronx, NYC. He was an expert in electronic repair. He used that and his skills in mathematics to innovate many techniques in hip hop like the backspin technique. This methods isolates break section and punch phrases. This caused the isolation of short section of music and using them over the beat using a mixer. In that same year, DJ Bambaataa performed at the Bronx River Center. He battled against Disco King Marlo that caused the DJ battling culture in hip hop culture. In 1977, the Rock Steady Crew was created. These people included Jo Jo, Jimmy Dee, Easy Mike, and P-Body. They danced and used music to show their skills. They were the best break boys or break dancers of this early era of hip hop. They are among the most respected break dancers in hip hop history. Wild Style or the first film in hip hop showcased them. They toured the world. Many Latino Americans were involved in the early history of hip hop too. DJ Kool Herc survived a knife attack by a miracle. Disco Wiz (or the first Latino DJ), Disco King Mario, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa toured the city of NYC performing. By 1978, hip hop expanded. Kurtis Blow hired Russell Simmons's brother Run as his DJ in 1978. Kurtis Blow was the first rapper to be signed to a major record deal. The Music industry in this time calls the music rap music and shifts its focus on emcees. Grandmaster Caz and Bambaataa engaged in a battle at the Police Athletic League. In 1979, Sugar Hill Records was created. It was founded by Sylvia Robinson (who was a great pioneer of producing. She is the Mother of Hip Hop). Her husband Joe was involved in the project too. They had backing from Roulette Records. Sylvia head a Cold Crush Brothers bootleg tape and worked in hip hop. She supported the Sugar Hill Gang and this group made Rapper's Delight in 1979. In 1979, Grandmaster Flash formed the Furious Five. They include Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler), Melle Mel (Melvin Glover), Kidde Creole (Nathaniel Glover), Cowboy (Keith Wiggins), Raheim (Guy Williams), and Mr. Ness (Eddie Morris). This year saw the Cold Crush Four formed (with Charlie Chase, Tony Tone, Grand Master Caz, Easy AD, JDL, and Almighty KG). The first rap record by a non-rap group King Time III was recorded by the Fatback band. Mr. Magic's Rap Attack was the first hip hop radio show on WHBI. In 1979, hip hop records grew like Super rappin' from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Sponin Rap from Spoonie Gee, Kurtis Blow's Christmas Rappin on Mercury Records, and Jimmy Spcier's Adventures of Super Rhymes (on Dazz Records that lasted for 13 minutes of storytelling). Sylvia also mentored and signed Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Funky 4 + 1, and the Treacherous Three.
The Yalta Conference from February 4-11, 1945 was the start of the end of World War II. Many scholars believed that this conference was the early start of the Cold War, because it was when the Soviet Union, America, and the UK debated about the future of the world after World War II. The Nazis were being defeated after the Battle of Stalingrad. By early 1945, the Soviets were winning in Eastern Europe, America was liberating the Pacific, and America was in North Africa fighting the Axis Powers. The Yalta Conference included President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin plus all of their aides. The Allied Powers wanted to divide Germany into four occupation zones (controlled by the USA, the UK, the USSR, and France). The Yalta agreement wanted free elections held in Poland and in all countries occupied by Nazis Germany. The United Nations was supported after the earlier League of Nations failed. The U.N. was the dream of FDR. March 6, 1945 was when the Soviets made a puppet government in Romania. Josip Broz Tito was the leader of Yugoslavia. Stalin supported a Poland Communist puppet state by April of 1945. This angered Britain and the USA. April 12, 1945 was when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed away. From that moment on, the world wouldn't be the same. FDR wasn't as hawkish towards the Soviets as Truman. Vice President Harry Truman became President, and Truman was a dedicated Cold Warrior. At first, Truman didn't know of the diplomatic efforts, didn't know about the atomic bomb, and was biased against the Soviet Union. Truman told Stalin that he or America has nuclear weapons at the Potsdam Conference (this is at July 24, 1945). The USSR finally agreed to invade Manchuria. After Truman committed overt war crimes with his droppings of atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the war of WWII soon ends. The independence movement of the Third World grows. Indonesia declared independence from the Dutch on August 17, 1945. Yet, the Allies and the Dutch invade Indonesia on August 17, 1945. The Viet Minh controlled Hanoi after the Japanese military surrendered. Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent and even cited the Declaration of Independence on September 1945. World War II officially ends on September 2, 1945 when the Japanese surrendered unconditionally to U.S. General Douglas MacArthur. By September 5, 1945, Igor Gouzenko tells the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that a Soviet spy ring is in Canada and America. Igor was a former Russian advisor working in the Soviet embassy at Canada. The Cold War escalated. Stalin didn't want to give up Soviet occupied areas in the nation of Iran. This caused the Iran crisis. By January of 1946, the Chinese Civil War continued between Communist and Nationalist forces.
The battle lines are clear. Joseph Stalin, on February 9, 1946, said that capitalism and imperialism make future war inevitable. George F. Kennan was a famous political leader. He wrote his Long Telegram, which defined the foreign policy of America involving the Cold War. Kennan wanted to contain Communism at various places of the world in order to stop its spread. His philosophy of containment wanted to use money, political strategies, and containment militarily in order to stop the growth of Communism. Truman is presented with the Clifford-Elsey Report, a document which listed Soviet violations of agreements with the United States. Nikolai Vasilevich Novikov wrote a response to Kennan's Long Telegram, known as the 'Novikov Telegram', in which he states that the United States is "striving for world supremacy." On December 19, 1946, the French landed in Indochina begin the First Indochina War. They are resisted by the Viet Minh communists who wanted national independence. The French imperialists won initial battles, but they would lose to the Vietnamese forces by the 1950's. During the time of early 1947, France, Britain, and the United States failed to have an agreement with the Soviets on creating a future economically self-sufficient Germany. So, The Marshall Plan was crated by June of 1947. This was a pledge of economic assistance for all European countries, even those nations controlled by the Soviet Union. Billions of dollars were sent under this plan to rebuild Europe. The National Security Act of 1947 created the Department of Defense being modernized, the CIA, and the NSC or the National Security Council. These agencies were the U.S. intelligence community's arms during the Cold War. Stalin wanted his Eastern Bloc in order to prevent all of Eastern Europe to be integrated politically to the West. Stalin used his Molotov Plan, and he didn't want an unified Germany for fear that Nazis would rise up again if that happened. On April 16, 1947, Bernard Baruch, in a speech given during the unveiling of his portrait in the South Carolina House of Representatives, coined the term "Cold War" to describe relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Truman Doctrine was part of the containment doctrine. Truman extended $400 million of military aid to Greece and Turkey, signalling its intent to contain communism in the Mediterranean. August 16, 1947 was when India and Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom. The Soviet Union formed the Communist Information Bureau (COMINFORM) with which it dictated the actions of leaders and communist parties across its spheres of influence. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was formed, with David Ben-Gurion as its first Prime Minister.
By March of 1946, the Greek Civil War started. It is a war between the Communists and the Kingdom of Greece. Truman send millions of dollars to the Kingdom of Greece n order to cause a victory for the right wing Greece government. The Kingdom of Greece won the civil war in the end. March 6, 1946 was when Winston Churchill spoken of a dangerous Communist threat of spreading an Iron Curtain across Europe. It was his Iron Curtain speech. It was famous and controversial. Churchill never trusted the Soviets during WWII, and now he had his wish for an ideological confrontation among Western Europe and America vs. the Soviet Union. The Communists gain power in Czechoslovakia and the Philippines gained independence from the USA (while the Philippine nation fought Communist rebels). U.S. Secretary of State James F. Byrnes repudiates the Morgenthau Plan on September 6, 1946. He wanted America to keep troops in Europe indefinitely. Also, he wanted U.S. approval of the territorial annexation of 29% of pre-war Germany, but does not condone further claims.
After Israel was a nation, further divisions would occur between America and the Soviet Union. Hungary would further be controlled by Communists with the leader Matyas Rakosi. There was June 18 communist insurgency in Malaya against British plus Commonwealth forces in 1948. The Deutsche Mark was promoted as a common currency in the British and French zones of Germany. By June 24, 1948, Stalin ordered the Berlin Blockade. Stalin closed all land routes from West Germany to Berlin. He wanted to starve out the French, British, and American forces in the city of Berlin. The West ordered the Berlin Airlift to supply the citizens of Berlin by air. On June 28, 1948, the Soviet Union expelled Yugoslavia from the Communist Information Bureau or COMINFORM for the latter's position on the Greek civil war. The Berlin Airlift was a success, and it ended by May 11, 1949. Communists gain power in Korea by September 9, 1948. American counsel and his staff in Muden, China were made virtual hostages in China. It doesn't end in one year. Relations among China and America became terrible for years and decades afterwards. By 1949, NATO was created on April 4th. It stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Its original members are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the UK. Its goal is clear to resist Communist expansion. On May 23, 1949, the Bizone merged with the French zone of control to create the Federal Republic of Germany with Bonn as its capital. Indonesia witnessed its Islamic insurgency in August 7. The Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb on August 29, 1949. Konrad Andenauer was the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany on September 15, 1949. East Berlin is the capital of the German Democratic Republic controlled by the Soviets. On December 19, 1949, sovereignty was handed over to United States of Indonesia from the Netherlands through the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference with Sukarno as the first president of the newly formed federation.
William Monroe Trotter had an interesting life. He was the third child. He was the first one to survive infancy. His parents were James Monroe Trotter and Virginia Isaacs. His father was born in slavery in Mississippi. James' mother named Letitia was enslaved. Letitia's father was her white enslaver Richard S. Trotter. Letitia, her son and two daughters were freed. They left to Cincinnati, Ohio. They lived in a thriving free black community. James worked as teacher. Later, he was enlisted in the United States Colored Troops during the American Civil War. He was the first black man to be promoted to lieutenant in the 55th Regiment of the Massachusetts African American Volunteer Infantry. Virginia Isaacs was born free in 1842 at either Ohio or Virginia. Her mother Ann-Elizabeth Fossett was born into slavery at Monticello. She was the daughter of Joseph Fossett and Edith Hern Fossett. She was the great granddaughter of Elizabeth Hemings. Virginia's father was Tucker Isaacs or a free person of color. He purchases the freedom of Virginia's mother or Ann-Elizabeth Fossett. The family moved into Chillicothe in the free state of Ohio. Virginia grew up into a thriving black community. It was in Ohio where she met and married James Trotter. The Trotters moved from Ohio to Boston. The Trotters had two more children both daughters after William Monroe Trotter was born. James Trotter protested the inequality of pay between black and white Union soldiers. In Boston, he was the first man of color to be employed by the Post Office Department or the U.S. Postal Service. He left the job after facing discriminatory Republican-led federal government party. James Trotter was a political person. He was the Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia when Grover Cleveland was President. William Monroe Trotter was educated by the political activist African Archibald Grimke. He was a valedictorian and president of his high school class. His high school was Hyde Park High School (a mostly white school). He went into Harvard University. he earned a bacheolor's degree magna cum laude in 1895. He had his Masters in 1896. He promoted the temperance movement as he never drank alcohol. He was in the Total Abstinence League that was anti-alcohol. He considered to be a minister as he was active in the Baptist church.
By Timothy
Friday, March 27, 2020
The virus.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/03/27/i-will-not-kill-my-mother-for-your-stock-portfolio/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/03/27/roaming-charges-the-scum-also-rises/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/03/27/a-message-for-america-from-brazils-first-indigenous-congresswoman/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/03/27/bjp-and-israel-hindu-nationalism-is-ravaging-indias-democracy/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/03/27/the-covid-19-bailout-another-failed-opportunity-at-structural-change/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/03/27/roaming-charges-the-scum-also-rises/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/03/27/a-message-for-america-from-brazils-first-indigenous-congresswoman/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/03/27/bjp-and-israel-hindu-nationalism-is-ravaging-indias-democracy/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/03/27/the-covid-19-bailout-another-failed-opportunity-at-structural-change/
COVID-19 (from Black Agenda Report)
https://blackagendareport.com/freedom-rider-revolutionary-change-and-covid-19
https://blackagendareport.com/time-plague-and-meltdown-mass-murder-corporate-duopoly
https://blackagendareport.com/us-failed-state-and-covid-19-proves-it
https://blackagendareport.com/can-covid-19-take-down-nato
https://blackagendareport.com/coronavirus-militarism-and-end-illusion
https://blackagendareport.com/black-politics-class-struggle-and-illusion-centrism
https://blackagendareport.com/time-plague-and-meltdown-mass-murder-corporate-duopoly
https://blackagendareport.com/us-failed-state-and-covid-19-proves-it
https://blackagendareport.com/can-covid-19-take-down-nato
https://blackagendareport.com/coronavirus-militarism-and-end-illusion
https://blackagendareport.com/black-politics-class-struggle-and-illusion-centrism
Truth and Justice.
We certainly live in a class struggle. True diversity and inclusion is to make sure that black working class people and all oppressed people have justice and liberation. It is not meant to allow some people of color to have privileges in the 1 percent while everyone else still struggles in this system. It is a historical fact that black Americans are among the most progressive people in the world on issues on economic justice, war and peace, and on racial justice issues. That is why during the 20th century, the black liberation struggle was about social and economic redistribution in order to free people from Jim Crow apartheid, imperialism, and other evils in the world. Also, we, who are African Americans, aren't monolithic. Many of us want freedom and justice. Likewise, there is a minority of black people who are more concerned with including non white people into the upper echelons with corporate power (and advancing neoliberalism, militarism, and the status quo) than serving the collective interests of black people.
For example, many decades ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. opposed the Vietnam. It wasn't just LBJ, the New York Times, and TIME magazine criticizing him for his heroic anti-war stance. It was also members of black bourgeoisie that criticized him like Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and others. In fact, Young and King were debating with each other (in Long Island, NY) over their disagreements on the Vietnam War. You won't hear this in many history books, but this is real. We a'int children here. We're grown, and we are entitled to show grown folks facts up in here. Dr. King continued to fight for justice, and ironically after Dr. King's passing, then Young and Wilkins opposed the Vietnam War. Recently, in 2019, Dr. William R. Harvey of Hampton University make a mistake and spoke at Liberty University's Convocation when Jerry Falwell was a known racist and extremist. He once opposed the sanctions bill that targeted the apartheid state of South Africa.
Many of the compromising black people may speak about racial justice, but they refuse to promote full employment, unionization, and a radical redistribution of economic and political power to help humanity. The compromisers are the dedicated moderates who care for the lust for private wealth at the expense of black liberation. That is why the grassroots has always been the heart of the overall freedom movement from the abolitionist movement, the slave revolt movement, the Civil Rights Movement, and other movements in our time. The coronavrius serious tragedy proves once again that centrism doesn't work. Massive cases in Michigan, New York, Louisiana, Illinois, and in other places of America make us aware that people need ventilators, masks, and more production of other resources now. Hospitals are being overwhelmed. Like always, universal health care, an end to poverty, and a revolutionary change in the structure of society are needed for us to reach into the Promised Land for real.
The numbers involving the coronavirus are staggering. Over 200 U.S. servicemen have the virus. Over 1,100 Americans have died from it. Over 86,000 people have it in America. Increases of the infected are in Louisiana including in New Orleans. The White House advises travelers from NY to isolate for 14 days. Span has more than 3,000 deaths and Italy has almost 7,000 people passing away. Spain has reported 738 deaths in one day. Almost 600,000 people have it worldwide and over 24,000 people have died from it worldwide. We never seen something like this since the Spanish flu in 1918. The World Health Organization warn of a significant global shortage of medical supplies. That is why medical supplies are running out in NYC, in Detroit, and in other places. When the history books are written about these medical tragedy, we shall see that the Trump administration was warned about it as early as December 2019 (and his response has been terrible, especially in the early stages of this virus). That is why real leaders have to study and display intellectual curiosity. You have to trust the experts and respond to the needs of the community ASAP. That represents the essence of due diligence.
We certainly have choices here in life. Our choice is either we can worship Caesar and Mammon or accept truth. We desire to accept truth. We shouldn't be arrogant in our walk either. The reason is that we aren't perfect. Also, many years ago, we didn't know the truth from books, the Internet, and spiritual forms of information. There was a time when we didn't know about governmental corruption, Operation Northwoods, Operation Phoenix, and other nefarious plans. Yet, we live in an unique time in our history where we know a lot of things. This isn't by happenstance in my view. I believe in destiny and our fight for justice for the human race. We have to be prepared for these times. In the past generation, we have witnessed an acceleration of global warming, pestilences, religious persecutions worldwide, famines, earthquakes, and other tragedies in this era of sorrows. 2020 has always been a key year in our world history. 2020 is the year where there is increased competition among America and China for sole superpower status. After the Cold War, we have seen a massive growth of terrorism done in a more decentralized fashion. Many of the same ones claiming to be "woke" are not really that woke to truth. They regurgitate what the establishment tells them to believe in while ignoring international corruption and other nefarious acts done by the oligarchs. It is our responsibility to not only defend our human rights. It is to make sure that government promotes the general welfare, protects the rights of the oppressed, and makes sure that justice is secured. We have the responsibility to help each other and fight for the truth too.
By Timothy
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
What is Truly Important (Helping Lives)
The coronavirus is part of a humanitarian crisis. It is important to note that human life is more important than Wall Street profit. Right now, many epicenters exist involving COVID-19 from New York City to California including Louisiana. Cases double every three days. There are over 25,000 cases in New York state with over 15,000 in NYC alone. NYC is the size of Chesapeake,VA, and NYC has almost 9 million people. New York City is the most densely population city in the USA with the most population of any city in America. The city lacks tons of ventilators and hospital space. That is why federal authorities are working to build more hospital space in the Javits Center in New York City. The bill of the CARES Act (or the Coronavrius Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) costs $2 trillion. It is the biggest proposed bailout in American history. If the bill becomes law, it is will give aid to many industries like cruise companies, resorts, and airlines. It will also give most Americans $1200 including $500 for children. The controversy of the bill is how to allocate the money among industries and the people (and if the money given to people is enough).
Right now in Elmhusrt Hospital in Queens, a long line of people behind police barricades wait to try to get treatment. Undocumented immigrants will receive no aid money when some of them sustain the American economy. The tragic passing away of the 36 year old principal at a Brooklyn school, who is named Dezann Romain, should allow anyone to witness the seriousness of the issue. NYC needs 140,000 hospital beds when only 53,000 are there now. They only have 5,000 ventilators when 30,000 will be needed. Doctors, nurses, and health care workers nationwide lack personal protective equipment, masks, face shields, and other supplies. This isn't the time for moderation. Centrism is not pro-liberation but pro-status quo. If a person doesn't believe that all people deserve universal health, a livable income, housing, and other basic necessities, then that person is on the wrong side of history. The coronavirus pandemic proves once again that capitalist exploitation is antithetical to democratic rights and humanity itself.
During these times, we have to use wise discernment. We should see what other nations have done in order to witness how they have made their coronavirus cases go down or level off. We have to be careful excluding mass hysteria. Many countries in Africa have hand-washing stations, beds in quarantine centers, walk in coronvarius testing for free temperature screening, and health screening at airports. America deserves supplies, resources, and other tools to fight back against the coronavirus for real. More than 10,000 people have died via that virus. Over 600 Americans have passed away with over 50,000 people being infected with the virus in the States. We have to treat this situation like a war, because it is a war. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York state have shown great leadership in this matter except for his advocacy of cutting Medicaid plus refusing to have a moratorium of renting. Trump wants the country to quickly go to work, but the virus doesn't follow on our time. Experts have said that the worst of the virus will exist for months. That is why a real stimulus bill must be made into law in order to save small businesses, help the poor, enrich the economy, and deal with solutions. We all want everything back open by Easter, but it most probably wont be like that. Therefore, we have to continue in preparation for a long term change in our society.
Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Dorothy Height. She passed away in 2010 and was born in 1912. She was an icon of the Civil Rights Movement. She dealt with voting rights, unemployment, literacy issues, and women's rights. She was the President of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years. He was born in Richmond, Virginia. Later, she was raised in Rankin, Pennsylvania. For over 50 years, she opposed discrimination and fought for the just dream of human justice. She worked with the NAACP and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She encouraged LBJ to appoint African American women in positions of government. She encouraged Eisenhower to desegregate schools. She saw President Barack Obama inaugurated as President. Her maternal line came from the Temne people of modern day Sierra Leone. The Dorothy I. Height Post Office was one of the most iconic landmarks in the D.C. area. She received many awards like the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989, the Candace Award in 1986, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994, the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004, and the 2009 Foremothers Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Center for Health Research. Her life is a total representation of the longevity and power of Black Excellence. Always in love with freedom, her soul reached magnificent heights of glory plus power.
Rest in Power Sister Dorothy Height.
As a singer and songwriter, she is one of the most exciting singers of all time. Before Rihanna, before Beyonce, before Toni Braxton, before Amerie, and before a lot of artists, there was her. She is the Queen of Funk and made numerous R&B classics. She is Sister Chaka Khan, and it was her Birthday days ago. She is now 67 years old, and she was born in Chicago. She won 10 Grammy Awards and sold about 70 million records worldwide. Her sister became a musician in her own right. Chaka Khan studied jazz and other forms of music as a child. By the late 1960's, Chaka Khan was part of many civil rights rallies with her father's second wife, Connie. Chaka Khan joined the Black Panther Party when she was very young. That is why she was a friend of late, great Fred Hampton in 1967. Her whole name was Chaka Adunne Audffe Hodarhi Karaifi given to her at age 13 by Yoruba Baba. She performed in many groups by 1969. By 1972, she joined the super group called Rufus. Rufus' song of Tell Me Something Good was their breakout hit. She made many more albums with Rufus, before she established her solo career more firmly. Her hit "I'm Every Woman" was written for her by Ashford & Simpson. I Feel For You is another classic from her. She worked with hip hop artists too. The ballad Through the Fire further established her career as legendary. She made more music in the 1990's and in the 21st century. Chaka Khan doesn't look 67, and she is a gorgeous black woman. In 2020, she was in the Masked Singer show, and she is still living her life. I wish Sister Chaka Khan more blessings.
By Timothy
Monday, March 23, 2020
Wisdom in Late March of 2020.
This era of time of the Cold War has changed the entire world. It caused the technological explosion that we witness in the year of 2020. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it is right to reflect on the Cold War. The Cold War didn't start with the Greece crisis back in the late 1940's. It started by the end of World War II. By that time, the Axis Powers were about to be completely defeated. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed away in early 1945, but Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin were key Allied leaders who differed on the outcome of World War II. Churchill wanted British imperialism to rule continents while Stalin wanted Poland and Eastern Europe to be dominated by Soviet influence. FDR was more moderate in his foreign policy views. While, FDR didn't want Communism to rule Poland, he did want British imperialism to not spread into other places of the world. FDR wanted the Atlantic Charter to be the blueprint of the world society after World War II. The Atlantic Charter wanted free trade, open markets, and a rebuilt capitalist Europe. America, the Soviet Union, and the UK all agreed with demilitarizing Germany and to make sure that Nazi Germany was gone forevermore. The Cold War magnified further the differences between the liberal, two party democracy of America and the Stalinist state of the Soviet Union. The irony is that both sides of the Cold War would claim moral superiority, but both sides made mistakes. The U.S. claimed to be the champion of democracy, but America during the Cold War had lynchings, Jim Crow, racial discrimination, imperialism, the suppression of the rights of many minorities, sexism, police brutality, and other evils. The Soviet Union claimed to be against the actions of the bourgeoisie and capitalist exploitation, but the Soviet Union during the Cold War had suppression of religious plus democratic rights, gulags, terrorism against even progressives, excessive miltiarism, and other evils. That is why many Third World Nations didn't want either America or the Soviets dominating them, so they created the Non Aligned Movement to promote ideological independence. Lumumba, Sukarno, and other nationalists defended their countries' infrastructure. The Cold War was more than a battle of ideas among 2 empires. It dealt with the Civil Rights Movement, the women's rights movement, and other social movements that expanded into unprecedented heights. It also dealt with people as diverse as Muhammad Ali to Ella Baker. The Vietnam War, anti-colonial movements, and NATO dominated the era. We saw the end of the Cold War by 1991 when Russia was born after the end of the Soviet Union. The end of the Cold War never refuted socialism. It refuted authoritarianism, Stalinism, and the evil of Western imperialism too. Numerous people don't know that Lenin, before he died, opposed Stalin as leader of the Soviet movement. The events of the Cold War showed the world that freedom is important to promote, but also social justice and economic justice too. The Cold War wasn't peaceful. It consisted of wars, brutality among both sides, imperialism, debates, assassinations (done by many factions), proxy battles, propaganda, and other events. From McCarthyism's evils to Reagan plus Gorbachev's negotiations, the Cold War wasn't a dull era. Culture became more international, and we have to learn lessons form the Cold War. One lesson is that the Cold War teaches us that dialogue, standing up for liberty, and understanding nuisance will make a difference in making sure that our world is better.
R&B music is part of the lifeblood of world music in general. It is the cousin to hip hop, funk, disco, and other genres that we know about. The sultry voice of Anita Baker, the power from the Four Tops, and the soulful tunes from Aaliyah make us realize that this musical genre is here to stay. From parties to being at home alone, R&B music is very an universal art form. Rhythm and blues has inspired our imagination, made us dance on occasion, and stirs up our imagination. If anyone wants to study American music or music in general, he or she must have a great understanding of rhythm and blues. It is music that has existed for almost 80 years since the 1940's. Early rhythm and blues used pianos, bands, guitars, bass, drums, saxophones, and vocalists. Any great musician then and now must have a passion for the art and develop their skills in an exceptional level. By the 1960's, we saw Motown, Staxx, and other record labels dominating not only American music, but music internationally. It was another golden age of R&B music filled with the Supremes, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Tami Terrell, Aretha Franklin, and other legends. Then and now, rhythm and blues focused on many messages like love, romance, pain, overcoming adversity, freedom, joy, etc. Mary J. Blige ballads about suffering emotional pain and experience great love is a testament to the power of music. You can't talk about rhythm and blues without knowing about the 2 Great Migrations of African Americans. During both migrations, black Americans came into the industrial centers of New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, San Francisco, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and other locations. They came to escape the tyranny of the Jim Crow South in order to have better economic and social conditions. The irony is that the same racism and oppression in the South existed in the North, the Midwest, and the West Coast. The difference was that in many of those places in the North, etc., legal segregation was banned. New markets in those cities focused on a diversity of music from jazz to blues. Such music was found deeply in the South like New Orleans, Memphis, etc. One of my favorite shows is TV One's Unsung. Unsung did a great service in outlining the stories of some of the greatest rhythm and blues in history. I have learned a lot about music, stories,and black unsung lives in general by watching that show alone. Today, we have R&B music influenced by hip hop, sound cloud music, and other aspects of youth culture. Bo Diddley, Otis Redding, Ruth Brown, Della Reese, ska artists, Sam Cooke, The O'Jays, Janet Jackson, TLC, Aaliyah, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Ella Mai, SZA, and other musicians represent the long history of this audacious, powerful music.
One of the most unsung heroes of the black community was William Monroe Trotter. A lot of people don't know who he is, but he was one of the most important African American leaders in history. His life spanned years after the end of the AMerican Civil War and ended just before America's overt involvement in World War II. I only knew of him years ago. He lived from April 7, 1872 to April 7, 1934. He was an activists for long decades. He worked as a newspaper editor and a real estate businessman based in Boston, Massachusetts. As an advocate for African American civil rights, he never backed down. He protested against Jim Crow apartheid. He revealed many class and ideological differences in the black community back then. For example, some (not all) of the super wealthy and upper middle class black people look down on the poor or working class black people. He contributed a lot to the NAACP or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He was the founder of the Boston Guardian. This was an independent African American newspaper. It is not a secret that he disagreed with Booker T. Washington. Even I disagree with Booker T. Washington on some issues. We know what those issues are. Yet, to this credit, Booker T. Washington (before he passed) became more militant in supporting voting rights and civil rights for black people. Washington privately gave funds for legal challenges to segregation and disfranchisement (in the case of Giles v. Harris). William Monroe Trotter was an unsung leader for political agitation in order to fight for equality and justice. Trotter followed the view that liberal arts education and protests for change can lead into progressive results for African Americans. Trotter fought against the racist film The Birth of a Nation. He fought for anti-lynching legislation. His wife stood with him every step of the way in his cause for freedom and liberty. His legacy is intensive. He wrote constantly, he defended the Scottboro Boys, and he is the living witness of the power of the African way of thinking. We salute his contributions to the black freedom struggle.
We witness our dreams come alive daily. Being born and living is a blessing plus a dream being alive. Black heroes aren't just found decades ago. They exist now. The common myth is that there are no heroes today. With the recent events, we know that to be a lie today. There are doctors who have saved lives. There are coaches who motivated the youth to enjoy a better path in living their lives. We know that there are tons of great activists, especially black women, doing the work in defending oppressed communities, defending black lives, and saving lives too. When Kirsten West Savali wrote literature defending progressive views, we should respect that. When you witness Nina Turner defending the truth against the status quo, we ought to be inspired by her actions. When you acknowledge a freedom lover of many backgrounds, we realize that we are all in this together. It is clear what we desire. We desire to see the homeless, the poor, and other human beings to have dignity and justice. We want all black people of any background to have black liberation without exception. We desire an end to imperialism and the system of international white racism. We desire to grow, to live, and to shine our Blackness in a diversity of ways. Honoring the legacy of Sister Dorothy Height is very important. She passed away in 2010 and was born in 1912. She was an icon of the Civil Rights Movement. She dealt with voting rights, unemployment, literacy issues, and women's rights. She was the President of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years. He was born in Richmond, Virginia. Later, she was raised in Rankin, Pennsylvania. For over 50 years, she opposed discrimination and fought for the just dream of human justice. She worked with the NAACP and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She encouraged LBJ to appoint African American women in positions of government. She encouraged Eisenhower to desegregate schools. She saw President Barack Obama inaugurated as President. Her maternal line came from the Temne people of modern day Sierra Leone. The Dorothy I. Height Post Office was one of the most iconic landmarks in the D.C. area. She received many awards like the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989, the Candace Award in 1986, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994, the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004, and the 2009 Foremothers Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Center for Health Research. Her life is a total representation of the longevity and power of Black Excellence. Always in love with freedom, her soul reached magnificent heights of glory plus power. Rest in Power Sister Dorothy Height. Blackness is not monolithic. Blackness can be expressed in dance, the arts, STEM fields, literature, athletics, and other forms of human expression. It is not right for some to try to give megabailouts to large, multinational corporations while minuscule resources to the poor and working class. When oligarchs prioritize their wealth over the concerns of the people collectively, then you will witness economic problems. The late hero Airicka Gordon-Taylor (or the cousin of Emmett Till) motivates us in our generation to continue forward in this journey for justice.
A very important aspect of cars or vehicles detail about its insurance policy. Insurance helps out car owners in case an accident happens to a car. In that sense, paying for a car fix or having inspections won't be so high in terms of cost. Usually, insurance companies will have an investigation of an accident or any car trouble before sending aid to the car owner. Many insurance companies will give owners detailed applications in order to make sure that customers know their rights and benefits as it pertains to the insurance policy. A binder is a temporary insurance contract that provides proof of coverage until someone gets a permanent policy. Some companies have collision coverage. That is when a company pays for damages to a car owner without regard to who caused an accident. The company pays for the repair or up to the actual cash value of the vehicle minus the deductible. There are always limits that a liability policy will pay. This is called the liability limits. An adjuster is a person who investigates and settles insurance claims. This happens all of the time. Car insurance policy is complicated, but experts are available to assist customers and others who desire car insurance. For almost 200 years, modern automobiles have been with us. They rely on many sources from gasoline, diesels, natural gas, electric, hydrogen, solar,and vegetable. They deal with transpiration, transport of goods and services, entertainment, and other purposes.
Hair and culture go hand in hand. You can't comprehend anything about hair without understanding about world culture. Culture deals with the actions of human beings revolving about customs, duties, rituals, spirituality, regional diversity, the diffusion of culture, and other components. One example is that in many places of the world, hair is shown differently based upon age, sex, or other aspects of civilization. Culture evolves over time. That is why we have a completely type of fashion now in the 2020's than we have during the 1960's. In America, we show our hair for different reasons from fashion to basic aesthetics. Also, black people expressing our hair from braids, Afros, and shorter hair is a long part of our black culture. As the years go onward, we witness more information about the diversity of hair culture. The Fulani people of West Africa allowed unmarried women to wear their hair ornamented with small amber beads and coins. Fulani people, who are married women, wear large amber ornaments. This culture is found in hair competitions and salons in the world. Salons have a major role in hair trends. It is found in barbershops where people joke around, read, and celebrate the value of their respective communities. People more and more are discovering the origin of the head-wrap. It has been used by ancient Egyptians and people of sub Saharan Africa for thousands of years. Black Americans have used them to this very day. The historian Helen Bradley Gabriel in her article, "The African American Woman's Head-wrap: Unwinding the Symbols" documents the complex, nuisance meanings of the head-wrap. Back in the day, racists made laws like the Negro Act of 1735 (in South Carolina) that limited how black people could wear their hair or their clothing that they could put on. When Louisiana was a Spanish colony, Governor Estebal Rodriguez Miro limited how black woman could wear her jewelry. The irony is that the racists wanted black women to wear headwraps to maintain the status quo, but today, the head-warp is shown as a source of inspiration to tons of Sisters worldwide. In the South during slavery, black women who were salves were force to wear kerchiefs or head wraps as part of their uniform. Today, the head-wrap has been used by black Americans as a source of strength and a powerful why to outline black identity. We have a long way to go, but we will win in the end. Movies and television shows detail how important hair is in our daily societal happenings. That is why we witness the glory of the culture of hair all of the time. The truth remains. We can't stop, because we won't stop. Our lives certainly matter on this journey of life that we live through everyday.
My 3rd cousin is Shirley Marie Langston. She lived from 1937 to 2003. Her stepmother was Ernestine Richard Wilkins (1919-2013). Her father was Andrew J. Langston. Her mother was Carlee Dorcus Evans (1918-1993).Carlee Evans is my 2nd cousin. Shirley Marie Langston's sister was Catherine Eloise Langston (1933-2001). Her stepsisters and step brothers are: Annette Wilkins Byrd (1936-2009), Robert Wilkins (b. 1939), Hilda Marie Wilkins Boone (b. 1939), Rudolph Wilkins (1941-1995), Betty Lou Wilkins (b. 1943),and Jean Elizabeth Wilkins Pullen. These people are sons and daughters of William Woodie Wilkins and Ernestine Richard Wilkins. Shirley's other sisters are Michelle Waanibe Langston (b. 1958) and Dr. Robin Yvette Langston (b. 1960). These 2 sisters are daughters of Andrew J. Langston and Ernestine Richard Wilkins. Ernestine married Williams first and then Andrew Langston second. Betty Lou Wilkins married Albert Will Tweatt (19343-2013) on June 25, 1966 at Suffolk, Virginia. The children of Betty Lou Wilkins and Albert Will Thweat are Albert W. Thweatt II (b. 1968), Nathan Eron Thweatt (b. 1978), and Rodney Terrell Thweatt. Rodney Thweatt married Danielle Joy Vaughan on September 1, 2001 at Prince George, Virginia.
By Timothy
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Friday, March 20, 2020
Who Killed Malcolm X?
https://kennedysandking.com/malcolm-x-reviews/who-killed-malcolm-x-review
https://kennedysandking.com/malcolm-x-articles/ark-media-and-malcolm-x-bad-acting-and-half-truths
https://kennedysandking.com/malcolm-x-articles/the-confessions-of-talmadge-hayer
https://kennedysandking.com/malcolm-x-articles/the-murder-and-martyrdom-of-malcolm-x
https://imixwhatilike.org/2020/02/08/whokilledmalcolmx/
https://kennedysandking.com/malcolm-x-articles/ark-media-and-malcolm-x-bad-acting-and-half-truths
https://kennedysandking.com/malcolm-x-articles/the-confessions-of-talmadge-hayer
https://kennedysandking.com/malcolm-x-articles/the-murder-and-martyrdom-of-malcolm-x
https://imixwhatilike.org/2020/02/08/whokilledmalcolmx/
Spring 2020 Part 4
Boxing
It’s a sport that is not for the faint of heart. Many people have been seriously injured, damaged, or even died as a product of participating in the sport too. This athletic sport is boxing. Always popular, human beings mimic various styles of it for eons. It has existed for thousands of years. We have seen champions of various weight divisions from Muhammad Ali to Floyd Mayweather. Some have called Sugar Ray Robinson as the pound for pound greatest boxer in history because of his skills and will to win. We have seen women champions exist and flourish from Laila Ali to Ann Wolfe. Currently, the best woman boxer is from Flint, Michigan. Her name is Claressa Shields. Shields have proven herself in the ring and out of the ring with her activism, confidence, and great athletic skills. One honorary mention about Fredia Gibbs should be mdae too. Fredia Gibbs was a boxer and kickboxer. She is one of the greatest women fighters of this generation without question. During her kickboxing career, she held ISKA, WKA, and WKF World Titles. Before her kickboxing career, she won three world titles in Tae Kwon Do and was an All-American in basketball and track. Gibbs made Black History when she became the first African-American female Kickboxing ISKA World Champion. She earned the name "The Most Dangerous Woman in the World" after an upset in 1994 in her fight against World Champion Valérie Wiet-Henin of France in the "Battle of the Masters" Pay Per View Event in San Jose, California. Fredia Gibbs is an author, celebrity trainer, philanthropist, motivational speaker, and radio host. Boxing always requires determination. Some individuals are born with boxing skills, and others have to develop excellent skills via intense training. One of the biggest ironies of life is that sometimes that a person with more training has better boxing abilities than a person relying totally on pure athleticism.
That is why boxing is called the sweet science. You have to study and develop constantly as an athlete in order to achieve excellence. Running, sparing with people, hand eye coordination, and other specialized forms of training are requirements in being a complete boxer. Not to mention that developing one's defensive abilities is key in making a more thorough boxer as well. Every great boxer had great inner strength to achieve their accomplishments. In other words, you have to present what’s inside of you in order for you to experience success. In many boxing battles, the one fighter dug deep inside himself or herself to made the victory possible. The last round of Muhammad Ali and Earnie Shavers outlined how Ali had something inside of him to make sure that he was the winner of the fight. Joe Lewis made sure that his left hook was powerful enough to knockout his opponents. Regardless of how people feel about Floyd Mayweather (Floyd has admitted that he isn't a perfect person), no one can deny that he is the greatest boxing fighter of our generation. We witness the relationship between MMA and boxing as many boxers go into the MMA world plus vice versa. In our time in 2020, we still witness legendary boxers doing their thing. For all of this time, books, videos, movies, and other forms of multimedia describe what boxing is about. Boxing is certainly more than a sport. It is about a lifestyle that epitomizes grit and personal sacrifice. You have to brave to be a boxer, and we salute the great boxers who have stood up for the values of righteousness plus heart.
Equipment
Equipment for boxing is very diverse involving weight classes and regions of the world. Boxing deals with forceful, repetitive punching. Boxers focus on hand eye coordination and other multifacted skills. Therefore, you have to use all legitimate precautions. In that sense, damage to bones in the hand is minimized. Most trainers don’t allow boxers to train and spar without wrist wraps and boxing gloves. Hand warps are used to make sure that the bones are secure in the hands. Obviously, gloves are used to protect the hand from blunt injury. It allows gives the boxers the opportunity to throw punches with more force than if they didn’t use them. Ever since the 19th century, gloves have been required in competition. Modern boxing gloves are much heavier than worn during the early 20th century. Before each fight, each boxer agrees to the weight of the gloves prior to each fight. They know that lighter gloves allow heavy punches to inflict more damage. The brand of gloves can deal with the impact of punches. This is usually decided before the match happens. Both sides are allowed to inspect the wraps and gloves of the opponent to ensure both are within agreed upon specifications and no tampering has taken place. Fighters use mouth guards to protect their teeth and gums from injury and to cushion the jaw. This decreases the chance of a knockout. Both fighters must wear soft soled shoes to reduce the damage from accidental or intentional steeping on feet. Older boxing boots are similar to a professional wrestler’s boots.
Modern boxing shoes and boots are similar to their amateur wrestling counterparts. Boxers use punching bags to test their skills. There is the small, tear drop shaped speed bag to hone reflexes and repetitive punching skills. A large cylindrical heavy bag is filled with sand, a synthetic substitute, or water to practice power punching and body blows. The double end bag is connected by elastic on the top and bottom and moves randomly upon getting struck (it helps the fighter work on accuracy and reflexes). There are other distinctive boxing equipment that helps to train boxers’ strength, speed, agility, and stamina. There are free weights, rowing machines, jump rope, and medicine balls. Boxers use punch/focus mitts that a trainer calls out certain combinations and the fighter strikes the mitts accordingly. This is a great exercise to help the boxer to develop his or her stamina. The boxer isn’t allowed to go at his or her pace. The trainer dictates the combination training. The boxer focuses on output and volume being higher. Trainers can make boxers improve their footwork and distances more accurately. Boxing matches happen in a boxing ring. The raised platform is surrounded by ropes attached to posts rising in each corner. The term “ring” has come to be used as a metaphor for many aspects of prize fighting in general.
Rules
There are many rules to boxing. Modern boxing rules relate to the Marquess of Queensberry. These rules were published since 1867. Each boxing match can have a number of three minute rounds with a total up to 9 to 12 rounds. During each round’s break, it usually lasts for one minute. The boxers are given advice and attention from their coach and staff during each break. The referee controls the fight. He or she has the right to judge and control the actions of the fighter. He or she can rule to end a fight for safety reasons or because of a knock down count. He or she can rule on rounds. There are up to three judges that are present at ringside to score the bout, give points to boxers, and give a winner. The points are based on punches connecting; each fighter has an assigned corner of the ring, where his or her coach, as well as one or more "seconds" may administer to the fighter at the beginning of the fight and between rounds. Each boxer enters into the ring from their assigned corners at the beginning of each round and must cease fighting and return to their corner at the signaled end of each round.
A bout in which the predetermined number of rounds passes is decided by the judges, and is said to "go the distance." The fighter with the higher score at the end of the fight is ruled the winner. With three judges, unanimous and split decisions are possible, as are draws. A boxer may win the bout before a decision is reached through a knock-out; such bouts are said to have ended "inside the distance." If a fighter is knocked down during the fight, determined by whether the boxer touches the canvas floor of the ring with any part of their body other than the feet as a result of the opponent's punch and not a slip, as determined by the referee, the referee begins counting until the fighter returns to his or her feet and can continue. Some jurisdictions require the referee to count to eight regardless if the fighter gets up before. If a boxer fails to get up by the 10 count, then the boxer loses by KO or knockout. A technical knockout or a TKO is ruled by the referee fight doctor or a fighter’s corner. A TKO is when a fighter is unable to safely continue to fight, based upon injuries or being judged unable to effectively defend themselves. Many jurisdictions and sanctioning agencies also have a "three-knockdown rule", in which three knockdowns in a given round result in a TKO. A TKO is considered a knockout in a fighter's record. A "standing eight" count rule may also be in effect. This gives the referee the right to step in and administer a count of eight to a fighter that he or she feels may be in danger, even if no knockdown has taken place. After counting the referee will observe the fighter, and decide if he or she is fit to continue. For scoring purposes, a standing eight count is treated as a knockdown. In general, boxers are prohibited from hitting below the belt, holding, tripping, pushing, biting, or spitting. The boxer's shorts are raised so the opponent is not allowed to hit to the groin area with intent to cause pain or injury. Failure to abide by the former may result in a foul. They also are prohibited from kicking, head-butting, or hitting with any part of the arm other than the knuckles of a closed fist (including hitting with the elbow, shoulder or forearm, as well as with open gloves, the wrist, the inside, back or side of the hand). They are prohibited as well from hitting the back, back of the head or neck (called a "rabbit-punch") or the kidneys. They are prohibited from holding the ropes for support when punching, holding an opponent while punching, or ducking below the belt of their opponent (dropping below the waist of your opponent, no matter the distance between). A referee can end the clinch. Back in the day, some newspapers had no decision rules.
The history of Boxing
Boxing history goes back thousands of years. A Sumerian relief in Iraq showed boxing. By the 2nd millennium B.C., there were reliefs in Assyria and Babylonia of outlining boxing actions. Boxing existed in the Hittite area too. There was a relief sculpture from Egyptian Thebes (in ca. 1350 B.C.) that showed both boxers and spectators. In those places, the boxing contests had fighters being bare fisted or using a band on the wrist. Minoan Crete in ca. 1500-1400 B.C. used gloves in boxing. Various types of boxing existed in ancient India. The earliest references to musti-yuddha come from classical Vedic epics such as the Ramayana and Rig Veda. The Mahabharata describes two combatants boxing with clenched fists and fighting with kicks, finger strikes, knee strikes and headbutts. Duels (niyuddham) were often fought to the death. During the period of the Western Satraps, the ruler Rudradaman - in addition to being well-versed in "the great sciences" which included Indian classical music, Sanskrit grammar, and logic - was said to be an excellent horseman, charioteer, elephant rider, swordsman and boxer. The Gurbilas Shemi, an 18th-century Sikh text, gives numerous references to musti-yuddha. Boxing was in ancient Greece. It was very popular. In the ancient Olympics, it was first introduced in the 23rd Olympiad, 688 BC. The boxers would wind leather thongs around their hands in order to protect them. There were no rounds and boxers fought until one of them acknowledged defeat or could not continue. Weight categories were not used, which meant heavyweights had a tendency to dominate. The style of boxing practiced typically featured an advanced left leg stance, with the left arm semi-extended as a guard, in addition to being used for striking, and with the right arm drawn back ready to strike. It was the head of the opponent which was primarily targeted, and there is little evidence to suggest that targeting the body was common.
During the age of ancient Rome, boxing was a popular spectator sport in ancient Rome. Fighters had to protect themselves. They used leather thongs around their fists. Later, harder leather was used and the thong soon became a weapon. The Romans used metal studs on the thongs to make the cestus. Roman Amphitheaters were where such fighting events took place. The Roman form of boxing was often a fight until the death to please the spectators who gathered at such events. In later times, purchased slaves and trained combat performers were used as valuable people in the sport. Their lives were exploited. Many slaves were forced to fight against each other in a circle marked on the floor. By 393 A.D., during the Roman gladiator period, boxing was abolished because of excessive brutality. It wasn’t until the late 16th century when boxing re-surfaced in London. Records of classical boxing activity disappeared after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Many people used weapons and using fists waned. There were many accounts of fist fighting sports in different cities and provinces of Italy between the 12th and 17th centuries. There was the sport in ancient Rus called Kulachny Boy or Fist Fighting. As the wearing of swords became less common, there was renewed interest in fencing with the fists. The sport would later resurface in England during the early 16th century in the form of bare-knuckle boxing sometimes referred to as prizefighting. The first documented account of a bare-knuckle fight in England appeared in 1681 in the London Protestant Mercury, and the first English bare-knuckle champion was James Figg in 1719. This is also the time when the word "boxing" first came to be used. This earliest form of modern boxing was very different. Contests in Mr. Figg's time, in addition to fist fighting, also contained fencing and cudgeling. On January 6, 1681, the first recorded boxing match took place in Britain when Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle (and later Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica) engineered a bout between his butler and his butcher with the latter winning the prize.
Early fighting back then had no written rules. There were no weight divisions or round limits, and no referee. In general, it was extremely chaotic. An early article on boxing was published in Nottingham, 1713, by Sir Thomas Parkyns, a successful Wrestler from Bunny, Nottinghamshire, who had practiced the techniques he described. The article, a single page in his manual of wrestling and fencing, Progymnasmata: The inn-play, or Cornish-hugg wrestler, described a system of head-butting, punching, eye-gouging, chokes, and hard throws, not recognized in boxing today. The first modern boxing rules were called the Broughton’s rules. It was introduced by champion Jack Broughton in 1743 to protect fighters in the ring where deaths sometimes happened. Under these rules, if a man went down and could not continue after a count of 30 seconds, the fight was over. Hitting a downed fighter and grasping below the waist were prohibited. Broughton encouraged the use of 'mufflers', a form of padded bandage or mitten, to be used in 'jousting' or sparring sessions in training, and in exhibition matches. These rules did allow the fighters an advantage not enjoyed by today's boxers; they permitted the fighter to drop to one knee to end the round and begin the 30-second count at any time. Thus a fighter realizing he was in trouble had an opportunity to recover. However, this was considered "unmanly” and was frequently disallowed by additional rules negotiated by the Seconds of the Boxers. Modern boxing has a three minute limit to rounds (unlike the downed fighter ends the round rule). Intentionally going down in modern boxing will cause the recovering fighter to lose points in the scoring system. Furthermore, as the contestants did not have heavy leather gloves and wrist wraps to protect their hands, they used different punching technique to preserve their hands because the head was a common target to hit full out. Almost all period manuals have powerful straight punches with the whole body behind them to the face (including forehead) as the basic blows. The London Prize Ring Rules introduced measures that remain in effect for professional boxing to this day, such as outlawing butting, gouging, scratching, kicking, hitting a man while down, holding the ropes, and using resin, stones or hard objects in the hands, and biting.
In 1867, the Marquees of Queensberry rules were drafted by John Chambers for amateur championships held at Lillie Bridge in London for Lightweights, Middleweights, and Heavyweights. The rules were published under the patronage of the Marquees of Queensberry, whose name was associated with them. These rules were about having 12 rules. They specified that fights would be a fair standing fight. The ring would be a 24 foot square or similar ring. Each round had three minutes with a one minute rest in each round. Gloves were used. Later, matches were more strategic with more defensive maneuvers like slipping, bobbing, countering, and angling. Boxers evolved to use their hands held closer to the face and a more forward stance. Back in the 19th century, many prize fighting was banned in areas of the UK and America. Prizefighting resulted in riots. England banned bare knuckle brawls in 1882 via the case of R v. Coney. Jim Corbett was the first world heavyweight champion under the Queensberry rules. He defeated John L. Sullivan in 1892 at the Pelican Athletic Club in New Orleans. Many boxers fought for legitimacy. Today, boxing is a multibillion dollar business. It is found globally. Many fighters come from poor backgrounds. Some are from Mexico, America, Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe. Young talent is found in inner cities of New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Flint, Los Angeles, and other places.
"That's my gift. I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck's back. If it's not positive, I didn't hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy."
-George Foreman
Joe Gans was the first African American World Boxing Champion reigning continuously as a World Lightweight Champion from 1902 to 1908. He lived form 1874 to 1910. Many African American heavyweight boxing legends were Jack Johnson (1878-1946) and others who were brave in the early 20th century. Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns and Jim Jeffries. Jack Johnson survived many attempts from racists trying to kill him. Yet, he survived and lived to inspire future boxers. He beat Jim Jeffries in 1910. In 1926, ex-Marine Gene Tunney defeated Jack Dempsey for the World Heavyweight Boxing championship at Philadelphia in 1926. During the 1930's, Joe Lewis became a boxing heavyweight legend. He was beloved by black people and people of every color. He once lost to Max Schemling and then Joe Lewis defeated Max later in 1938 at New York City. Later, Joe Lewis would have more victories and ironically became friends with Max Schemling. Jake Lamotta was a famous middleweight fighter. Also, the pound for pound greatest boxer in history, Sugar Ray Robinson, would excel in the middleweight division too. Rocky Marciano would fight people too. By this time, Archie Moore and other legendary fighters would grow their legacies. During the 1960's, Muhammad Ali revolutionized boxing with his charisma, massive speed for a heavyweight, political activism, love of Blackness, and his confidence. He inspired many black people to love their black identities, and he became the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time with defeating Hall of Fame boxers in many occasions like Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier, Joe Foreman, Ernie Shavers, Ken Norton, George Chuvalo, and other people. Sugar Ray Leonard was a fast boxer of the 1970's and 1980's who used his skills, speed, and endurance to defeat opponents. Mike Tyson dominated the heavyweight division in the 1980's with his accurate punches, defense, and power. He knocked out many opponents in a few rounds and sometimes in one round. More fighters like Roy Jones Jr., Evander Holyfield, Sweat Pea Whitaker, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, and other made great accomplishments in the 1990's. By the 21st century, fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Sugar Shane Mosley, Vitali Kitschko, Manny Pacquiao, and others have established new legacies in their boxing careers. In 2020, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, and Tyson Fury are heavyweight fighters in the midst of the resurrection of the heavyweight division in general.
Women's Boxing
Women boxing have existed for a long time. Back in the day, many people banned women from participating in fighting in boxing events. Reports of women going into the ring (during the modern era) go back to the 1700's. Back in the 18th century, Elizabeth Wilkinson fought in London. She called herself the European Championess. She fought fought men and women. Back then, the rules of boxing allowed kicking, gouging, and other methods of attack not part of today's arsenal. By the 1920's, Professor Andrew Newton created a Women's Boxing Club in London. However, women's boxing was very controversial back then. In early 1926, Shoreditch borough council banned an arranged exhibition match between boxers Annie Newton and Madge Baker, a student of Digger Stanley. An attempt to hold the match in nearby Hackney instead was defeated by a campaign led by the Mayor of Hackney, who wrote "I regard this proposed exhibition of women boxers as a gratification of the sensual ideals of a crowd of vulgar men." The Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks was among those opposing the match, claiming "the Legislature never imagined that such a disgraceful exhibition would have been staged in this country." The story was reported across the country and even internationally. Therefore, sexism in boxing is very real. Women's boxing first appeared at the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1904. The Swedish Amateur Boxing Association pioneered events for women in 1988. The British Amateur Boxing Association sanctioned its first boxing competition for women in 1997. The first event was to be between two thirteen-year-olds, but one of the boxers withdrew because of hostile media attention. Four weeks later, an event was held between two sixteen-year-olds. One named Susan MacGregor (Laurenckirk, Aberdeenshire) and the other Joanne Cawthorne (Peterhead, Aberdeenshire).
The International Boxing Association (amateur) accepted new rules for Women's Boxing at the end of the 20th century and approved the first European Cup for Women in 1999 and the first World Championship for women in 2001. Women's boxing was not featured at the 2008 Olympics; however, on August 14, 2009, it was announced that the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board (EB) had approved the inclusion of women's boxing for the Games in London in the 2012 Olympics, contrary to the expectations of some observers. Around these (2009) hearings, in conjunction with AIBA (International Boxing Association), the International Olympic Committee agreed to include three additional women's weight classes to the 2012 London Olympic Games. The UK didn't issue licenses to women in boxing until as late as 1998. The first UK sanctioned bout between women was in November 1998 at Streatham in London, between Jane Couch and Simona Lukic. In America, Barbara Buttrick was the first televised boxing match between two women on television and on radio. During the 1970's, a popular woman boxer named Cathy 'Cat' Davis came out of the United States Northwest, and a few of her fights were televised. Cathy Davis was the female boxer to appear on the cover of Ring Magazine. But a scandal broke out where it was said that some of her fights had been fixed. Marian “Tyger” Trimiar and Jackie Tonawanda were pioneers as they were the first women in the United States to get a license for boxing in the United States.
Jackie Tonawanda was a legendary boxer in her own right.
Before Claressa Shields, before Laila Ali, before Ann Wolfe, before Jacqueline Frazier, before Cecilia Braekhus, and before Lucia Rijker, there was Jackie Tonawanda. She was so great that people called her the "Female Ali." Her name is Jackie Tonawanda (1933-2009). In fact, she was once Muhammad Ali's bodyguard. She was born Jean Jamison. She was a woman heavyweight boxer during the 1970's and the 1980's. She was born at Suffolk County, New York. She fought for her rights too. Once, she sued the boxing commissioner Edwin Dooley on the charge of sex discrimination as the state back then discriminated against women from fighting professionally. The court ruled in Tonawanda's favor. She was the first woman to be granted a boxing license to fight in New York state. She fought 36 times. She only lost one fight. She was the first woman boxer to be a member of Ring 8, the Veterans Boxing Association. She was in their Hall of Fame too including the Madison Square Garden's Hall of Game (where in MSG, she defeated a man in the ring named Larry Rodania in the 2nd round). She was a trailblazer to many women athletes. She studied martial arts too. The interesting thing about this story is that I first heard about this story recently.
Rest in Power Sister Jackie Tonawanda.
During the 1980's, women's boxing briefly resurfaced in California under the wings of sisters Dora and Cora Webber. The twin sisters were world champions and packed crunching punching power and a good chin. Women took hunger strikes to be noticed. But the boom of women's boxing came during the 1990's, coinciding with the boom in professional women sports leagues such as the WNBA and WUSA, and with boxers such as Stephanie Jaramillo, Delia 'Chikita' Gonzalez, Ann Wolfe, Laura Serrano, Christy Martin, Deirdre Gogarty, Laila Ali, Jackie Frazier-Lyde, Lucia Rijker, Ada Vélez, Ivonne Caples, Bonnie Canino and Sumya Anani, all world champions, jumping into the scene. Major boxing broadcasting networks such as HBO and P.B.C have yet to feature a woman's headlining bout. In a recent press conference, 2x Olympic Gold medalist Claressa Shields stated, “All the respect to all the women that box, we have more than one fight… [we are] fighting for equal pay and equal time on T.V… we don’t get enough sponsorships or endorsements as the men." Women boxing continues to exist in America and worldwide. Hanna Gabriel is a tough fighter who held the WBO welterweight title in 2009 and the WBO junior middleweight title twice between 2010 and 2018. Cecilia Brækhus is a great woman fighter too.
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Various Issues
There are many issues found in boxing. Boxing is filled with risks. Knocking a person unconscious of even causing a concussion, it may cause permanent brain damage. From 1980 to 2007, more than 200 amateur boxers and professional boxers plus Toughman fighters died due to ring or training injuries. Many medical associations including Dr. George Lunberg wanted a ban on boxing. Boxing is a sport where a victory is determined by hurting a person and causing a win by points or knockout. The 1997 American Association of Professional Ringside physicians was formed to create medical protocols via research and education to prevent injuries in boxing. Professional boxing was forbidden in Iceland, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea. Sweden banned it in 2007. Also, boxing training can contribute to fat burning, increased muscle tone, strong bones, strong ligaments, increased cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, improved core stability, more strength, stress relief, improved co-ordination, greater confidence, etc. Boxing is not a game. Therefore, I have great admiration for those who are brave enough to participate in the sport of boxing.
Conclusion (Boxing)
Boxing is a sport without apologies. It includes regulated violence. You have to keep it real on many things. Not only have people have been seriously injured as a product of a boxing match. Many people have died as an aftermath in the ring. That is why any boxer is brave. You have to be brave to be willing to fight for rounds knowing what the risks are. You have to be brave to train by running, using weights, sparring, and utilizing other means to be the best boxer possible. We learn lessons from many boxers too. Consciousness and love of justice have been shown by Muhammad Ali. Excellent defense have been shown by Pep and Sweat Pea Whitaker. Clarissa Shields has shown the world that any fighter (regardless of sex) with great accomplishments should be respected. Therefore, boxing as a sport as expanded into an international level since its invention many thousands of years ago. The flash of modern boxing today deals with the evolution of the sport. We witness records being broken by Floyd Mayweather and his 50-0 record. Likewise, we realize that the essence of boxing isn’t just about the training, the skills, or the athleticism. It is about will and heart. A lot of people have talent, but it takes heart in order for anyone to become a great boxer. How a fighter can overcome adversity signifies how great a fighter is. When Muhammad Ali was in the fight in Zaire with George Foreman, many media people doubted that Muhammad Ali would defeat Foreman. Yet, Ali proved the naysayers wrong by knocking Foreman out. When Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Duran after Leonard was defeated the first time, Leonard proved that he was brave plus one of the greatest fighters in history. Laila Ali coming in the ring to defeat opponents and write great literature in inspiring the youth to achieve their goals represents inspiration. Putting life into perspective makes sense. That is why we believe in honoring the sacrifice of those who participate in sports.
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In dedication to Brother Roger Mayweather. (1961-2020). Rest in Power.
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The Coronavirus Pandemic
Here we are. The coronavirus pandemic is the worst pandemic since the 1918 influenza flu outbreak. There is no other way to describe it. This virus has killed at least 61 people and almost 300,000 people are infected worldwide. More than 11,000 people have passed away globally. The WHO has called this virus a pandemic. It has changed the world involving travel, social gathering, science, technology, politics, economics, and other spheres of our lives. This is the beginning and not even the end. Coronavirus is a very severe acute respiratory syndrome. It is called COVID-19. It started on December 1, 2019 at Wuhan, China before spreading globally. In America alone, schools are closed, grocery stores lack toilet paper including other foods, sports events are canceling, and the President declared a national emergency. China and Italy are nations hit very bad from it. On one day, over 200 Italians have died. The problem in America is that testing is still very minuscule. Now, Pence has promised 1.5 million tests in late March of 2020. The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to near 0%. Trump has issued a bad response to the crisis with contradictory statements, scapegoating Democrats, and not being up to the job of President with his response. Fauci has been great in explaining to the American people that this crisis is no joke. It's real, and societies must be prepared for long term sacrifices. Sacrifice is better than death. Trump has closed the Mexican border to non-essential travel. Trump has extended federal tax filing until July 2020.
COVID-19 has been reported in 140 countries and territories. The coronavirus doesn't discriminate based upon race, sex, income level, or nationality. Rich people like Tom Hanks and his wife plus poor people have it. Most people at risk are elderly, those with a pre-existing health condition, those with a compromised immune system, and those who are in close contact with those with the coronavirus. Experts from the CDC and other places have said that if you are sick, stay home. Also, they mentioned that don't get in close contact with people, wash you hands constantly, clean surfaces around you, and be careful. The virus can have serious symptoms in the span of 5 days from coughing and sneezing to worst things like trouble breathing. Complications may include pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. There is no vaccine, and many trials have folks using specific antiviral treatment, but research is ongoing. Efforts are aimed at managing symptoms and supportive therapy. There is a national quarantine of Italy and Spain. There are curfews in China and South Korea. Schools and universities have been closed worldwide. There has been unfortunately racism and xenophobia against people of Asian descent. That is why we condemn racism and xenophobia 100 percent as all people are created equal (and all people should be treated with dignity and with respect irrespective of one's nationality or color).
The virus can cause fever, dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, sputum production, sore throat, chills, etc. Trump has banned people from Europe to come into America. It is important to trust medical experts, expert doctors, the CDC, and other authorities with the facts. The coronavirus can stay on surfaces for 9 days. The WHO wants $675 million to fight the global coronvarius pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci or the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that, "The system is not really geared to what we need right now." This crisis outlines the crisis and failure of mainstream capitalism. There is no question that emergency funding to build hospital facilities are needed. Billions of dollars should promote paid sick leave, and building an infrastructure to help solve this problem. Cooperation (not travel bans) must exist nationally and internationally. Sharing resources and information is key. This is why universal health care is necessary in America. When you have U.S. health care having life expectancy, infant mortality, drug addiction, and suicide being issues, we have a problem. Trump deserves blame for this trade war and the embargoes against Iran causing Iran to experience worse deaths as a product of COVID-19. Many masks, glove, and nasal swaps are running out in NYC now. The federal government has a role in this affair. We reject the idea that corporate welfare should have a priority above the common welfare of the people. Hypocrites like Matt Gaetz voted against paid sick leave, but he talking it since he was exposed to COVID-19. The mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez, has the coronavirus after he attended an event with the right wing extremist Brazilian despot Jair Bolsonaro. Jeremy Warner from the Telegraph made the disgusting comment that the COVID-19 virus may be beneficial long term by elderly dependents being gone. You can't make this stuff up. Many people surviving the coronavirus may be left with less than 20 to 30% less lung function. Also, students should have access in getting meals. Spain has about 2,000 coronavrius cases and more than 100 deaths in the last 24 hours. Larry Kuldlow is wrong to say that the U.S. contained the virus. NYC may be the new Italy if things continue. Therefore, people should ask questions, be strong, and live life wisely.
"...America’s 2008 bank crash offered a great opportunity to write down the often fraudulent junk mortgages that burdened many lower-income families, especially minorities. But this was not done, and millions of American families were evicted. The way to restore normalcy today is a debt write-down. The debts in deepest arrears and most likely to default are student debts, medical debts, general consumer debts and purely speculative debts. They block spending on goods and services, shrinking the “real” economy. A write-down would be pragmatic, not merely moral sympathy with the less affluent. In fact, it could create what the Germans called an “Economic Miracle” — their own modern debt jubilee in 1948, the currency reform administered by the Allied Powers. When the Deutsche Mark was introduced, replacing the Reichsmark, 90 percent of government and private debt was wiped out. Germany emerged as an almost debt-free country, with low costs of production that jump-started its modern economy..."
-Michael Hudson's article, "A Debt Jubilee Is the Only Way to Avoid a Depression" on March 22, 2020
The coronavirus is certainly real. People are right to mention that to solve this crisis, we have to act like our grandparents and great-grandparents during WWII and sacrifice a lot. This certainly isn't about us alone. It's about people worldwide suffering. There should differently be stimulus resources given to small businesses, people out of work, and those who suffer from the coronavirus. Also, as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has mentioned, the federal government must assist state and local governments in investing in hospitals, ventilation systems, hospital beds, and other infrastructure. That action will blatantly save human lives. We are not in the down curve of this curve yet. We see cases in America alone being above 16,000 people (being infected) and over 200 people dead from the virus in America. Sending Americans checks has been promoted by Andrew Yang ironically enough. I have no issue with that proposal. Also, testing should expand nationwide and worldwide. Trump once called the expansion of the coronavirus a hoax until pressure came upon him to gradually send more serious statements of the illness. I agree with the economist Robert Reich that there should be guaranteed paid sick leave for all employees, extended Medicaid, immediate payments to adults and children, and the end of Trump's public charge rule. We don't need payroll tax cuts.
Many places are in lockdown like in San Francisco. New York City may issue stricter plans. There are over 4,000 cases of the virus in NYC alone. Italy is much worse with more than 40,000 confirmed cases and on one day hundreds of people who passed away from the pandemic (over 3,000 people in Italy have died as a product of the virus). In places nationwide, people can't stay in restaurants, gyms, schools, and other public locations. Millions of people are in home now in America alone. We haven't seen this reality since the influenza outbreak of 1918 being over 100 years ago. A lot of these things once again refute laissez faire capitalism. The free market isn't going to save us. If someone hates the social safety net and supports spending billions of dollars to address the coronavirus, then that person is a hypocrite. Stocks have rebound after experiencing record losses for a few days. As of Thursday on March 18, 2020, the stock market has gone down. Right now, a vaccine trial for the coronavirus is here in record time. Volunteers have received the coronavirus trial vaccine. The vaccine uses messenger RNA. It doesn't use components from the virus. This will take time. We will have victory, but we have to use science, use our faith in prayers, and use common sense to be wise about these times.
In America, there are about over 13,000 cases of the coronavirus with almost 200 people who passed away. The state of California on March 20, 2020 has made a lockdown on the entire state. In California now, as many as 18% of workers have lost their jobs and the unemployment claims in CA have doubled in a few days. The government wants restrictions of travel from Europe to America. The U.S. government has advised Americans to not leave the country. They want Americans to come home from overseas or stay in isolation in another country. Wall Street is trying to hike prices over the coronavirus according to an article from the Intercept. Also, the FDA is testing medicine to try to treat COVID-19. Many people in hospitals with the virus are young people between 25 and 44 years old. The Congress may pay a new law to give all Americans checks. The issue is that testing must massively expand right now. America is the richest country in human history, and this response now is unacceptable. Like always, we respect the real heroes like doctors, nurses, experts, and other people on the front lines saving lives and doing all that they can to defeat this virus enemy.
Senator Patty Murray of Washington state requested an investigation into the federal government's failure to deliver new tests to detect the coronavirus. Two-thirds of NYC residents are renters. New York State needs more than a mortgage moratorium. It must have a rent moratorium to stop mass displacement as well. More than 45 million Americans deal with the 1.6 trillion dollar student debt. That debt should be canceled for at least the duration of this emergency. The Moms 4 Housing organization has advocated housing for the homeless population of California. In California, as many as 18 percent of workers have lost their jobs, and the Governor said that unemployment claims in CA have doubled in recent days. The U.S. Air Force quietly flew 500,000 COVID-19 testing kits from Italy to Memphis on Monday days ago. The White House is still trying to strip 700,000 Americans from food stamps.
Trump is slick too. Trump's Justice Department asked Congress for the ability to ask chief justices to detain people indefinitely without trial during emergencies. This is part of Trump's agenda to push for new powers. This proposal is against the rule of law and it's blatantly anti-democratic.
A federal court blocked them calling it cruel during this pandemic. The White House is still appealing the court which could harm poor Americans. This is Trump's cruelty. Again, this is the 21st century version of the Spanish flu (from 1918). There must be the shipping of supplies and war power acts must be activated in allowing the federal government to manufacturing devices to save lives. More hospitals are starting to struggle to handle the capacity of people going in. Doctors and nurses in many cases lack masks and other medical gear to protect themselves. Human beings who are elderly, with compromised immune system, and those with pre-exiting conditions are especially vulnerable to the virus and other care issues. A vaccine will be developed by next year. This is beyond the governors and local areas. The federal government must be involved in a higher level. This is a national emergency.
I agree with Clint Smith that black people are disproportionately dying from the virus because of decades and centuries of structural oppression, lack of access to health care, overcrowded public housing, and other structural factors. Many communities have food deserts, no health clinics, and poverty. That is why you need structural change beyond just individual solutions. This comes not from a lack of personal responsibility (as many conservatives and many Hoteps believe falsely. Black people have always been hard working people spanning thousands of years). It comes from a broken system. People have to address racial inequalities along with economic inequality in order to get solutions accomplished. Isn't it ironic that the same ones who don't want to talk about race are silent on the truth about how the indigenous land was stolen, black people from Africa were enslaved, and poor people were exploited for profit. Yet, there was no true accountability about these injustices. Therefore, we will talk not just about class, but about race too. I do agree with Ayanna Pressley that to address COVID-19 disparities, we have to end food deserts, expand health care resources, clean up more of the environment, end structural racism, and help our communities in other ways too.
Conclusion for Spring 2020
Old debates and new challenges are on the horizon. One of the biggest lies promoted by not only by the far right, but by neo-liberal moderates is that we don't need a revolutionary change in society. These people are ignorant of history and modern realities. There are tons of people who are homeless in America plus the world right now. Over 500,000 experience homelessness in America alone. Internationally, many people oversees live on less than 5 dollars a day. We have police brutality and racial discrimination. Sexism and xenophobia are very real as proven by increased hate crimes in America since 2017. Therefore, we should never be naive to bash real revolution. The Civil Rights Movement was a revolution. Many people in that movement risked their lives in order to get the right to vote, have educational resources, or to end the oppressive system of Jim Crow apartheid. Many people had shed blood and even died for our freedom like Medgar Evers, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, James Reeb, the 4 little girls in the Birmingham church, and other unsung heroes. We don't forget their names and their legacies. That including the heroes of the Civil War who defeated the evil Confederacy document the reality that structural, revolutionary change is a total prerequisite for freedom and justice. The late Marine U.S. General Smedley Butler admitted that admitted that the workings of the military industrial complex harmed the lives of people overseas, and he called war a racket. Butler have shown the lesson that national affairs and international affairs matter. You can't advocate for freedom if you're silent on Brothers or Sisters overseas experiencing economic oppression, colonialism, imperialism, etc.
During this time, we see Trump as an existential threat to democracy. It is not enough to condemn Trump as we already know that he's a racist, sexist, xenophobe, and extremist. It is also our responsibility to educate people, fight for the right to vote, build in our communities, and be active in the solution making process. Article I, Section 8, Clause 5 is clear that the government via Congress has the constitutional responsibility to manage the economy. That is what we are born to be. Having specific policies to address structural racism and other evils is always key. That is why it is right to promote fighting redlining to invest in black home ownership, to address maternal issues that black mothers face, securing tenant rights, creating jobs, send more Pell Grants, creating multi billion dollar funds for HBCUs, ending cash bail, end the 1994 Crime Bill, and defeat police brutality. We have the will to do these things. We have the economic resources to do these actions. We won't give up. We believe in the equality of all peoples of the world. Victory is ours.
It is clear to celebrate the following human being, who is one of the greatest heroes of world history. She is the wife of a martyr, and she is a great mother. She is a lifelong civil rights activist, and her name is Sister Myrlie Evers-Williams. Right now, she is 87 years old. Vicksburg, Mississippi was the place of her birth. She graduated from high school in 1950. She sang in a girls' vocal group. She married the WWII veteran Medgar Evers. They married on Christmas Eve of 1951. They had 3 children together. She was the secretary to the Mississippi NAACP. Medgar Evers was the field secretary of the group. The couple organized voter registration drives and civil rights demonstrations. The couple fought to end Jim Crow apartheid. They were threatened by racists, and their home was firebombed after they boycotted Jackson, MS stores.
Yet, they stood firm in their conviction that justice ought to be given to black human beings. They wanted the University of Mississippi to be desegregated and equal rights for all people. Medgar Evers was murdered by one evil person. Later, Myrlie Evers-Williams earned her Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Pomona College. She spoke in favor of the NAACP. She worked to help the community, and the youth. By 1995, she was the leader of the NAACP. She helped to improve the NAACP with its financial situation and eliminated its debt. She helped to make the NAACP more progressive. In 1998, she received the NAACP's Springarn Medal for her human rights activism. She married Walter Williams, who was a civil rights activist, as her 2nd husband. Williams passed away in 1995. She gave the invocation at the 2nd inauguration of Barack Obama. She was the first woman and the first layperson to deliver the invocation at a Presidential inauguration. For long decades, Myrlie Evers-Williams has always presented a compassionate spirit in her life. Her wisdom and her strength came from within her. We honor her accomplishments and her sacrifice for our people. She is our hero and a hero for humankind. I wish Sister Myrlie Evers-Williams more blessings.
Likewise, our brave ancestors suffered much worse than us, and we are inspired by their strength to carry forward with the Dream. Internationally, we love our black people overseas in Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America, South America, and throughout the Earth. That is why Afro-Brazilians, Afro-French, Afro-British, and African people are my Brothers and my Sisters. Maya Angelou including Toni Morrison taught us about literature and eloquence. Malcolm X taught us about courage plus self-defense. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us about love and nonviolence, Ella Baker taught us about community, grassroots development, and Stevie Wonder including Nina Simone taught us about further musical genius. Also, Harriet Tubman taught all of us that revolutionary change is necessary to end injustice. We are loving, great people. Most importantly, we realize that our value is priceless. We are the first people on Earth, and our dignity is sacrosanct.. As part of the 7 cities (of Hampton Roads, Virginia), we are different in many ways, but we are unified in the common goal of freedom and justice for all.
By Timothy
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