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Friday, July 30, 2021

More Friday Updates on Life.


  

Some important news is that 11 million U.S. families face evictions as the CDC moratorium expires. The expiration starts on July 31, 2021. We have a massive housing crisis in America where many people are homeless now. There is about $10 trillion in housing debt. We still face job losses, attacks on workers' wages, and a new surge of the pandemic. Over 440,000 evictions have existed now since the start of the pandemic. Many state governments have held up pandemic stimulus resources. About 8.8 million Americans are behind on rent. Rents in general have skyrocketed in American society. According to the Consumer Price Index, it has increased in June at 5.4, which means higher inflation. There has been the billionaire wealth increased by 60 percent in the first year of the pandemic from $8 trillion to $13.1 trillion. Only revolutionary change can solve these problems. Many FOX News hosts like Carlson and others have demonized the U.S. Capitol officers, who spoke their testimonies to Congress, as using theater. It's wrong of FOX to do this. GOP Rep. Jim Banks have slandered the U.S. officers as having "scripted" their testimonies, which is fragrantly disgraceful. GOP Rep. Clyde refused to reject the notion that the 1/6 was a tourist event. The House wants subpoenas for Congresspeople to testify if some GOP members had logistical involvement in the 1/6 insurrection. Many Republicans hypocritically talk about law and order, but 190 of them voted against the investigatory committee into the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

  


Sinema saying that she won't support an infrastructure bill costing $3.5 trillion outlines that moderate Democrats have been a hindrance to progress in America. Mitch McConnell's words praising Sinema tells us all that we need to know. The basic irony about Republicans is that the powers that be want Democrats to compromise. Yet, the Republicans won't compromise on a thing. Republicans won't compromise in promoting federal federal voting rights legislation. We see our planet burning, and working class Americans suffering economic inequality for decades. As stimulus checks, food stamps, and expanded unemployment insurance declined, we have the new threat of growing poverty after a 45% decline in poverty during 2021. That is why Congress must renew the eviction moratorium behind the Saturday's deadline.

 

The person Kevin Samuels have crossed the line for years (from arguing with women in disrespectful ways to making obscenely offensive comments about relationships). Now, he has once again crossed the line. Kevin Samuels is a more slick version of Tommy Sotomayor, as Kevin is a notorious sexist too. He has no credentials as a relationship expert, but his commentaries seek further division among men and women. Later, Kevin Samuels has promoted the lie that the value of a grown woman is determined on his arbitrary 1-10 scale. Kevin promotes distractions. He refuses to promote the discussion of real issues like education, the pandemic, radiation, reparations, and Pan-African subjects. Kevin makes it his business to argue with women, and he once called a woman looking like Emmitt Smith. He has no respect for women at all. Also, Kevin Samuels recently said that a man can use so-called "domestic discipline" against a woman. This is not coded language. This is Kevin's advocacy of domestic violence against women which is abhorrent. No one should put their hands on a woman period. As human beings, we can't tolerate that nonsense from him or Kevin Samuels.

 

One woman is accusing the Hotep Young Pharaoh of domestic violence. YP has denied all allegations. You can believe him or not. Young Pharaoh is not only a God hater by making derogatory comments about believers in God. He also believes in the myth that extraterrestrial beings existed. One black woman said that he punched her and her child in their faces. I have no respect for Young Pharaoh for a long time. He is a person from Buffalo, who is known for cursing people out who disagrees with him. He obviously has anger issues. Also, he allied with the white racist Maga crowd in supporting Donald Trump. So, he is a traitor to black people. Folks have to keep their hands to themselves. There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to put hands on any innocent person period. For years, I knew about Young Pharaoh being a disrespectful person.


 

Simone Biles has recently withdrew from individual all-around gymnastics competition. Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast in human history being the GOAT. She is entitled to take her mental health needs seriously. We live in a new generation where the stigma of mental health care is eroding. We don't need that stigma in society, because we should always show an open mindedness and compassion towards any human being who are dealing with mental health issues. Like usual, far right extremists have Piers Morgan has trivialized Simone Biles' issues as Piers said that she is refusing to accept defeat. Not only is Piers wrong. He is offensive, because he is not in the shoes of Simone Biles. He doesn't comprehend the sacrifice and the courage of Simone Biles in any comprehensive way. Simone Biles is transparent and honest. Simone Biles has gone out of her way to compete against the best and win. She is a very courageous black woman. We are human beings, not machines. Handling mental health issues is very important in growing the human soul. So, we express solidarity with Simone Biles 100 percent.

 

By Timothy

 



 

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Living in this Journey of Justice.

  

 

 

Yesterday, many officers gave their emotional testimonies to the first House January 6 Committee hearing. The testimonies were very powerful, and their words outline their pain. The footage of the terrorists harming people and destroying property at the U.S. Capitol is disturbing. The officers said that the terrorists was grabbing their weapons to try to harm them. Many officers (who are black) were called racial slurs by the insurrectionists. The four officers names are DC Metropolitan Police Officers Daniel Hodges and Michael Fanone including Capitol Police Officers Harry Dunn and Sgt. Aquilino Gonell. The terrorists supported Qanon, wore Confederate flags, and had neo-Nazi T-Shirts (in disrespecting the Holocaust victims). Many of them had pro-Trump banners, as the person who provoked these people is Donald Trump directly. Donald Trump believes in the lie that these criminals are "loving people." Trump still believes that the 2020 election was stolen which is a lie. The terrorists took shields from the police to beat U.S. Capitol police. Yet, many Republicans are silent on these events or even try to sugarcoat these acts of overt treason. The terrorists involving in the 1/6 disaster are traitors to the United States of America. The hearing continues. The officers at the Capitol literally saved democracy on that day. Now, we must find out what Trump knew, the responses by entities, and other information.

 

 

Many protesters in Brazil have taken down the statue of Manuel de Borba Gato in Brazil. To this day, protesters have made their voices heard in opposing the far right President of Brazil. Gato was a person who is known for advancing genocide against Native Americans and Afro-Brazilian black people in Brazil. This happened in Sao Paulo. Gato was involved with a group of men who came into the interior of Brazil. They were part of the Bandeirantes or "flag carriers." The Bandeirantes has been accused of abusing indigenous women and trafficking them too. They or the Bandeirantes stole gold and other resources in the regions of Brazil. Another person involved in this terrorism was Domingos Jorge Velho who was involved in harming the black Quilombo de Palmares community. This community was made up of former slaves. Their leader Zumbi dos Palmares was killed in 1695. Therefore, we have to understand about these subjects, because black folks live globally. Wanting all human beings liberated means all. We certainly believe in unity among our people in the globe as people of black African descent.


I find genealogical information all of the time. One was about my late 1st cousin named Thelma Lee Whitehead Highsmith. She was in my paternal side of my family as she was born in Halifax, North Carolina. She lived from 1933 to 2014. Her descendants have been a mystery to me until now in this year of 2021. Her grandfather was my 2nd great grandfather Adam D. (b. 1862). Thelma moved from North Carolina where she lived in Brooklyn, New York City. Many of my ancestors migrated into the North as a product of the Great Migration of African Americans. Her parents were Gustave Whitehead and Penola D. Thelma married a man named Herbert Reed Highsmith at Martin, North Carolina on August 30, 1950. Their children are my 2 cousins. Their names are Hebert Reed Highsmith Jr. (1951-1993), Leathe Highsmith (1956-1991), Reginald Highsmith (b. 1957), Bishop Rothel Highsmith (b. 1951. He is a religious man who lives in New York City), and Rhoda L. Highsmith Alexander (b. 1974). This family living in Brooklyn interested me, because I never heard of these human beings until recently.

 

 

There is tons of information about my distant cousins on my father's side that I didn't know. One heroic person was my paternal late 2nd cousin named Lois Carolyn Beech Jacobs (1923-2020). She was born in Cape Charles, Virginia. We share the same ancestor of Isam Tillery (b. 1835 who was my 3rd great grandfather). Isam Tillery is the father of my 2nd great grandmother Georgianna Tillery (1868-1854). Lois Jacobs' parents were Cora Lee Tillery (1895-1955) and Walker Beech Jr. (1885-1966). Lois Jacobs's grandfather was Isam Tillery. Lois was a very religious woman being involved in the Baptist church. Lois married Wesley Floyd Jacobs, Jr. on June 14, 1948 at Cape Charles, Virginia. Cape Charles is located at the Eastern Shore. Lois Jacobs's children and grandchildren are my 3rd cousins and 4th cousins like my 3rd cousin Crystal Jacobs Eaton (b. 1952). So, the journey continues, and I keep on learning information about my distant relatives.

  


Voting rights are being damaged by new, unjust laws. That is why activists are in the streets fighting back against voter suppression efforts. Soon, the Texas House Democrats will testify before the Congressional Committee on the state voting bill in Texas. Many people have spoke their minds on this issue like the Texas State Representative Jasmine Crockett. Some news is that author Ilyasah Shabazz or the daughter of Malcolm X will produce a series on her father's life. It is found at Sony Television's TriStar. The series will be based on the novels of X: A Novel and The Awakening of Malcolm X. These novels were co-written by Shabazz. X: A Novel was co-written by Kekla Magoon and The Awakening of Malcolm X was co-written by Tiffany D. Jackson. 

 

By Timothy

 


Monday Information Galore.

  

I have written about liberal arts for many years, and I love to do that. I will continue to do this for years and decades into the future, Lord Willing. Yet, it is always vital to write about this issue, because this issue relates to modern society in a myriad of ways. How broadband is constructed, how new homes are formed, and how more technological advances are cultivate relate to this subject matter indeed.  All  over the world, STEM exists. It is found in how we utilize I Pads and smartphones. It is also we gauge the weather and cook our foods. It represents how important science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are important in our lives. For thousands of years, humans have used STEM to not only invent objects or decipher natural laws. In a new generation, we live in a time where more young  human beings should have the right to learn about space travel, building buildings, and growing the research into coding. Young people, older people, and the rest of the human family appreciate the glory of STEM. That glory is found in the weather people understanding shifting rain and snow patterns, the further innovations of the I-Phone, the video games that people enjoy, and the creation of architecture that has facilitated human lives for thousands of years. The beauty of STEM is that it is not static. It constantly evolves with the times of the globe. More schools from elementary schools to universities worldwide have incorporated STEM in their diverse curriculum. Exploration also is great apart of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The acronym of STEM was adopted by Rita Colwell and other science administrators in the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2001. However, the acronym STEM predates NSF and was used by a variety of educators including Charles E. Vela, the founder and director of the Center for the Advancement of Hispanics in Science and Engineering Education (CAHSEE). In the early 1990s, CAHSEE started a summer program for talented under-represented students in the Washington, DC area called the STEM Institute. Seeing space and going into the oceans requires understanding of STEM. In our time, human beings should respect agriculture, manual labor, manufacturing, the liberal arts, construction, engineering, and other facets of human existence as these fields are inter-related to STEM completely.  

  

During the start of human history, the human race existed from Africa. Stone tools were existence to cut objects and to eat foods back then. More than 100,000 years ago, modern human beings started to have clothing on. Modern humans spread quickly from Africa into Europe and Asia by ca. 60,000 years ago. Some humans traveled from Africa into Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and then into North America. By the Upper Paleolithic to Early MesolithicAge, we see mines and shoes. This (or human travel from Asia to the Americas) took place by the climax of the most recent ice age. Tools already existed, and the Neolithic Revolution took place by ca. 10,000 D.C. Human beings used cereal crop cultivation and animal domestication existed in the Middle East. In ca. 4,000 B.C., people had plumbing at the Temple of Bel at Nippur, Babylonia. Plumbing including urban draining was found in the Indus Valley in ca. 2700 B.C. We know that the Sumerian civilian had potter wheels in vehicles. Ancient STEM devices were commonplace in the ancient world. 

  

The Great Pyramid complex is one of the most stunning feats of STEM in human history. The complex shows the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menakaure. It is also associated with the Great Sphinx of Gaza. The Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Khafre are the largest pyramids built in ancient Egypt. They were popularized in Hellenistic times, when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is by far the oldest of the Ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence. The pyramids, according to researchers, was created by using techniques over time. They would use bedrock to have a stable foundation. Stones were moved. Thousands of workers had to go to the quarry in order for them move stones plus sculpture the stones. According to archaeologist Mark Lehner, the complex would took place to be built in 35-40 years. The Great Pyramid complex was built in ca. 2500 B.C. The pyramids of Giza and others are thought to have been constructed to house the remains of the deceased pharaohs who ruled over Ancient Egypt. A portion of the pharaoh's spirit called his ka was believed to remain with his corpse. Proper care of the remains was necessary in order for the "former Pharaoh to perform his new duties as king of the dead." It is theorized the pyramids not only served as a tomb for the pharaoh, but also as a storage pit for various items he would need in the afterlife. "The people of Ancient Egypt believed that death on Earth was the start of a journey to the next world." The embalmed body of the King was entombed underneath or within the pyramid to protect it and allow his transformation and ascension to the afterlife. Some people believe that the pyramids relates to the Orion constellation, and some don't. 


 

The Antikythera mechanism was one of the most developed ancient computers of world history. It has a large gear in it. It's found in Ancient Greece too. So far, it is the oldest example of an analogue computer. It is hand powered being an orrey. The ancients used it to predict astronomical positions and exclipses decades in advance. The device can track the 4 year cycle of athletic games which is similar to an Olympiad or the cycle of the ancient Olympic Games. It was found off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901. 

 

On May 17, 1902 it was identified as containing a gear by archaeologist Valerios Stais.  The device, housed in the remains of a 34 cm × 18 cm × 9 cm (13.4 in × 7.1 in × 3.5 in) wooden box, was found as one lump, later separated into three main fragments which are now divided into 82 separate fragments after conservation efforts. Four of these fragments contain gears, while inscriptions are found on many others.  The largest gear is approximately 13 centimetres (5.1 in) in diameter and originally had 223 teeth. In 2008, a team led by Mike Edmunds and Tony Freeth at Cardiff University used modern computer x-ray tomography and high resolution surface scanning to image inside fragments of the crust-encased mechanism and read the faintest inscriptions that once covered the outer casing of the machine. This suggests it had 37 meshing bronze gears enabling it to follow the movements of the Moon and the Sun through the zodiac, to predict eclipses and to model the irregular orbit of the Moon, where the Moon's velocity is higher in its perigee than in its apogee. This motion was studied in the 2nd century BC by astronomer Hipparchus of Rhodes, and it is speculated that he may have been consulted in the machine's construction. There is speculation that a portion of the mechanism is missing and it also calculated the positions of the five classical planets. The complexity of this clock has never been seen until the mechanical astronomical clocks in Europe during the 1300's. All known fragments of the Antikythera mechanism are now kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, along with a number of artistic reconstructions and replicas to demonstrate how it may have looked and worked. 

 

Woodblock printing was invented during the Han Dynasty China at sometime before 220 AD. This made China become the world's first print culture.  Water turbine in the Roman Empire in modern-day Tunisia was created by the 300's A.D. Ancient inventors like Archimedes and Ctesibius were prominent in the ancient world. There was the physician Galen who practiced eye and brain surgery 2,000 years ahead of his time. Heron of Alexandria created automatic doors and coin operated machines. There was ancient robotics like  the automata of ancient China, the Hellenistic engineers Heron and Philon. By the 5th century, A.D., there is the invention of numerical zero in Ancient India. The concept of zero as a number, and not merely a symbol for separation is attributed to India. In India, practical calculations are carried out using zero, which is treated like any other number by at least the time of Aryabhata, even in case of division.

  

There was the  inventions of the Kurdish engineer Al-Jazari. He lived in Iraq and Turkey. His designs included automated water-lifting mechanisms, water based clocks, and other geared mechanisms. By 1286, modern eyeglasses was invented in Italy. One scholar who was involved in STEM Fields and inventions plus art was Leonardo da Vinci. In terms of STEM, the 1439 creation of the printing press changed the game. It was created by the German Johannes Gutenberg. It used screw presses. By the 1950's, Gerardus Mercator created the Mercator Projection map that was crated in 1569. 

 

 

 

 

Today, the Olympics is going onward. The Summer Olympics transpiring at Japan in 2020 has been a long time coming. It was previously cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic. Yet, the athletic competitive mentality still remained among the sports performers. The pandemic is still spreading, and the initial ceremony was completely finished. The human being who lighted the flame was the young tennis player Naomi Osaka. Osaka is one of the greatest tennis players of her generation. Naomi has been brave to publicly discuss her mental health issues when dealing with public media conferences. She has Haitian and Japanese heritages. Also, some athletes couldn't join the Olympics because of catching the virus. Other athletes couldn't be a part of it because of, in my opinion, excessive rules in dealing with certain things like Sha'Carri Richardson, who admitted her errors. Richardson has been sincere in her words. At the end of the day, you have to allow Sha'Cari Richardson to move on with her life and continue in her track and field career. Compassion comes into play. Also, Gwen Berry courageously protested against racial injustice similar to the 1968 Olympic fisted protest done by Tommie Smith and John Carlos. The IOC has been strident in their anti-activism policies, which I absolutely disagree with. The drones (during the opening Tokyo Olympic ceremony) making a design of the world's continents, the music, and the process of nations were certainly significant. I'm a black American, so the American team certainly came in ready to compete at the highest level. The events of swimming, track and field, basketball, tennis, soccer, baseball, golf, volleyball, and other sports have caused the world to see that despite our differences, we love the strength of human camaraderie. The sport of skateboarding is now the first sport of its kind having Olympic representation, and that is certainly great news. 

 

 

I always love to research and write about this issue for years. For over 10 years, I have learned about the African Diaspora in a high level. Scholars like Runoko Rashidi from Los Angeles certainly have motivated me in this journey. Like always, forever, I will be pro-black. As Africans, people of black African descent do live in the four corners of the Earth. I have mentioned the following for years. You can't love black people without loving black Africans and the black African Diaspora. If someone claims to believe in black liberation, but he or she has xenophobic views about the African Diaspora, he or she is a liar (and anti-black). So, I reject so-called social movements who seek division in the Diaspora instead of black liberation. You know which social movements that I writing about (i.e. FBA and ADOS xenophobic movements). Black people live globally, and all black people are entitled to freedom and justice by birthright without exception. 2 DNA Tests prove that my ancestors came mostly from Nigeria and Congo. I am obvious an African American. During this generation, we understand so many diverse black people making a difference in the lives of humanity. The African Diaspora is global being found in America, Brazil, Haiti, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Turkey, and other nations of the world. We speak many languages. Many of us are Christians, Muslims, follow traditional African religions, etc. We exist in different ages. We live in urban, rural, and suburban locations. We are still part of one black African family regardless of our diverse cultures and nationalities. That truth ought to be wholeheartedly cherished. 

  

 

There is an African Diaspora in Ireland for a long time. Rachael Baptist was a famous black Irish singer who lived from 1750 to 1775. Back then, ca. 1,000-3,000 black people lived in Ireland. She was in the stage at Dublin.  From 1750 to 1753, Baptist performed regularly in Dublin. Many people visited Ireland before like Olaudah Equiano and Frederick Douglass. Today, black Irish people live mainly in Limerick, Cork, and Dublin areas. Lord Edward FitzGerald, who was seriously wounded in the American Revolutionary War, was saved in 1781 by Tony Small, who had been enslaved, after the Battle of Eutaw Springs in the Carolinas. Small returned with Lord FitzGerald to Ireland, and in 1786 his portrait was painted by John Roberts. Many Afro-Irish people were musicians, soldiers, tradesmen, musicians, and had other occupations. Osmond Tisani lived in Ireland too. Today, many black people in Ireland fight racism, and unequal treatment in education. Many black immigrants into Ireland come from North, East, and Central Africa like the Congo, Burundi, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, etc. In 2007, Nigerian refugee and politician Rotimi Adebari was elected as mayor of Portlaoise, the first black mayor in Ireland. The poem 'For Our Mothers', by Nigerian-Irish poet Felicia Olusanya (FeliSpeaks) is featured on the 2023 Leaving Certificate curriculum. Author Emma Dabiri is one of a number of black Irish authors. In July 2021, the team from Maynooth University, consisting of Rí Anumundu and Chikemka Abuchi-Ogbonda became the first Black Irish team to win the prestigious Irish Times Debating Competition.


  

 

I decided to create a new series about the American Presidents, because Donald Trump lost the election in 2020 plainly speaking. This is a new era. Because of that, I knew that I wanted to analyze every President from George Washington to Joseph Biden. After more than two centuries, America is still here. We live in a more diverse national atmosphere culturally, socially, and politically than during the late 18th century. Yet, we exist now to advocate for the sacrosanct principle that justice is meant for all people without any exceptions. Presidents reflect the imperfections of America and the massive changes during the evolution of American society too. America has always existed in controversy. The first President George Washington was a notorious slave owner, Freemason, and signed a Fugitive Slave Act to allow vigilantes to kidnap black people who desire liberation. This fact ought to be known in history books, but some reactionaries in Texas including in other states enjoy historical revisionism (even some in the Texas Senate desire to omit calling KKK an evil group in textbooks. The KKK is a terrorist, racist group period) instead of truth. That is why I created this series, so people globally can witness the reality that good people and wicked people lived in America. In that sense, real progressive change can earnestly come about. People have every right to resist a capitalist system that promote poverty wages, billionaires having trillions of dollars of benefits (without some of them paying federal taxes), and police terrorism. So, we will win in the end after this journey for our rightful liberation. 

  

By Timothy

 


Friday, July 23, 2021

Friday Information.

  

Tucker Carlson disrespected the black officer from the U.S. Capitol in saying that he is just a liberal puppet pushing an agenda. The black officer will give his testimony to January 6 Committee. Tucker is known for disrespecting people, and for Tucker to minimize the officer's courage in saving lives is truly disgraceful. The officer sacrificed his life in order to preserve democracy. Tucker Carlson is known for lying about progressive activism (like the right of universal health and voting rights are sacrosanct rights), and he has been caught in numerous scandals. Tucker works for FOX News, and FOX is known for their far right extremism. They once lied and called themselves "Fair and Balanced." We know that FOX is not fair and balanced. The black Capitol police officer was called the n word by the terrorists who stormed the U.S. Capitol. The insurrectionist desecrated locations, fought officers, and caused mayhem in general. I remember Tucker Carlson from Crossfire on CNN (almost 20 years ago with Novak) when he was spewing his far right deceptive rhetoric. Officer Harry Dunn is certainly owed respect for defending the lives of people in the Capitol building.

Some good news is that the Missouri Supreme Court rules in favor of Medicaid expansion. That means that Missouri must expand Medicaid to help its low income residents and those with disabilities. We realize that health care is a human right. Missouri had a ballot resolution that most people in Missouri promoted the expansion. Yet, many Republicans didn't want this. The Republicans were politically defeated. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled in favor of Medicaid expansion in a 7-0 ruling. Oklahoma has approved of Medicaid expansion too. Newly eligible residents started on the program by July 1. The social safety net is a precious instrument that not only helps people. It strengthens the government, as true government is meant to be comprised of the people for the people. Now, we have more discussions on the infrastructure bill.

 

Nancy Pelosi has rejected Reps. Jordan and Banks for the 1/6 Select Committee. Later, McCarthy went off and made up distractions and exaggerations. The truth is that Pelosi didn't play politics. Banks and Jordan are 2 people who questioned the validity of the 2020 election (which is the most monitored, fair, and successful election in American history). People want to know the truth. McCarthy has pulled all five Republicans from the committee, and he wants to set up his own biased Republican investigation. Pelosi is right to have a real investigation to understand more about what took place. 1/6 was a date filled with terrorists who wanted to overthrow our democracy. Now, Pelosi wants McCarthy to name 2 new January 6 committee members. Liz Cheney has criticized McCarthy's comments. The hearings will exist by next Tuesday. 

  

It is important to recognize the billionaires doing into space will not solve massive economic inequality in the world. There is nothing with legitimate technology advancement, but we still have to fight for justice. Now, Biden wants to tax capital gains at 39.6% up from 20% earning more than $1 million. In America, workers are striking. There are over 1000 coal miners in Alabama being on strike for over 200 days. Many are not reporting on such things, but we still have workers desiring their rightful economic rights. Mitch McConnell said that the GOP will vote to raise the debt ceiling, but he supported the tax cuts for the rich in 2017 that mainly benefited large corporations and the super wealthy. That fact outlines the necessity for billionaires to be taxed fairly. Frito-Lay workers are on strike in Kansas too. The biggest irony is that the states without Medicaid expansion and with low vaccination rates have the highest percentages of cases with the pandemic virus. Numerous Republican hypocrites lecture us on "family values," but no Republican in Congress vote for the Child Tax Credit. With these events, the filibuster must be gone. Many Republicans are even resisting a progressive infrastructure bill. The far right Republicans demand compromises and still say no on many bill negotiations.

 

Yesterday was the Birthday of Brother Danny Glover, and he is 75 years old. For decades, he has been one of the greatest actors of all time. Also, he has been a social activist for years and decades too. He was raised in a conscious family. Oakland, California is the location of his birth. Both of his parents were active in the NAACP, and they came up to fight for equal rights. His mother came from Georgia. His father was a World War II veteran. Danny Glover graduated from George Washington High School in San Francisco. He survived an epileptic seizure before too. He attended the San Francisco State University (SFSU), and he was trained at the Black Actors' Workshop of the American Conservatory Theater. Danny Glover worked in theater. Danny Glover was in many movies like  The Color Purple, the Lethal Weapon trilogy, Predator 2, and other films. He loves his child. Danny Glover worked in strikes, and fought to have a Department of Black Studies at SFSU (San Francisco State University). He protested to promote humanitarian help to the people in Darfur. He opposed the Iraq War. Danny Glover has promoted Pan-African movements too. He won many awards. Danny Glover recently married a fellow activist in 2009. I wish Brother Danny Glover more success. 

 

 By Timothy

 


 





News on our Time in Late July 2021.

 

 

The historic events in Cuba are complex. The far right (including Trump supporters) are exploiting the legitimate grievances of the protesters as an excuse for them to promote some military intervention in Cuba like the mayor Miami has advocated. We reject that nonsense. Yet, we realize that the government of Cuba is having a crisis, because of the pandemic, lax economic growth, civil liberty violations, the embargo, and other reasons. The people of Cuba has risen up to desire true freedom in enormous numbers. They are entitled to freedom unconditionally. Yet, we have to expose one lie. One lie promoted by far right Cubans in Florida is that before the Cuban Revolution of 1959, everything was cool. No. Before Castro, there was the dictator named Batista. Batista supported the Mafia, oppressed the poor, and was supported by U.S. imperialism. Batista wasn't a hero. Castro and others ended that regime. A lot of people don't know that America originally supported Fidel Castro. The problem was that Castro adopted Stalinist Communism (we know that communism is not monolithic as there are different variations of it. Democratic socialism is not communism) where massive violations to democratic rights existed. Some want to say what about Afro-Cubans. We support Afro-Cubans, and racism in Cuba is a reality today. Yet, we are not silly to want Cuba to be a puppet state of America. We want Cuba to change to be an independent, progressive state not controlled by far right interests. Now, the Cuban government is wrong to violently suppress protesters, to end Internet services, and to use policies that violate democratic rights. That must change. People in Cuba deserve freedom and liberty.

 

Yesterday, Jeff Bezos came into space along with other human beings. This is early in this new space exploration chapter, but the future will have even more advances of technology involving space travel. Bezos had this dream since his youth about going into space. He fulfilled it along with a woman who dreamed of this moment for most of her life as well. There are many debates about money, priorities, and other issues. These debates ought to exist, but researching space should not end. There is purpose in space exploration as satellites help with GPS system as Dr. Mae Jemison has eloquently mentioned. Space travel helps to cultivate new technologies in the world. Also, as Dr. Jemison has mentioned, people should acknowledge the hundreds and thousands of people on Earth who made space research possible with their wisdom on STEM, etc. Some want space travel to go the Moon or travel into places across continents in a short span of time. There must be a democratization of space where not only the rich has that opportunity to travel into outerspace. Also, we should address economic inequality and other important issues too.

 

Many people rightfully disagree with many of the Republican picks for the 1/6 commission. McCarthy picked Jim Jordan of Ohio. The problem is that Jim Jordan is a far right extremist who once questioned the validity of the fact that Joe Biden won the 2020 election. McCarthy also picked Jim Banks of Indiana, Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota, and Troy Nehls of Texas. Nehls and Banks also voted to object to the 2020 Electoral College results. Jordan and Banks signed on to a Texas lawsuit trying to invalidate votes in many swing states, but the Supreme Court rejected it. There is no question that Jordan will try to promote distractions instead of exposing the pro-Trump terrorists who organized and participated in the 1/6 insurrection. We know that Trump is one of the most corrupt administrations in American history, and we know that there must be the total truth exposed about what took place on 1/6.

 

One fascist and terrorist was recently given a slap on the wrist on his role in the January 6 insurrection and attempt coup against American democracy. This person is named Paul W. Hodgkins. He is 38. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss (an appointee of President Barack Obama) sentenced him. Hodgkins  only gets 8 months in prison. We know many black people falsely accused of voter fraud possibly getting 5 years in prison. Their names are Hervis Rogers and Crystal Mason. Paul pled guilty. Some are concerned that other terrorists will have similar sentences as Paul. According to reporters Carol Leonning and Philip Rucker (via their new book, "I Alone Can't Fix It"), General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that Trump's plot to overthrow the 2020 election was like his Reichstag moment. Hodgkins broke into the Senate chamber. He waved a Trump 2020 flag. These people are terrorists. Qanon supporter Jacob A. Chansley wanted to hang Mike Pence. The Republican Party overtly has now whitewashed the acts of terrorists, and extremists like Marjorie Taylor are leaders in that party. Many people are silent of this time. We are living in a time where our democracy is the most fragile since the American Civil War. This is not an exaggeration or  hyperbole. It's real.

 

Another piece of sad news is that the Civil Rights Movement hero Gloria Richardson passed away days ago at the age of 99 years old. She was from the Maryland area, and she stood up for freedom for black people. There is an iconic photo of her using her hand to push away a bayonet. She always stood up for civil rights and human rights. She was so impactful in our lives that Malcolm X praised her as a heroic black woman. She lived in Cambridge, Maryland which I have been to before. Later, she fought for justice in New York City. She encouraged the younger generation of people to stand up for justice after the unjust death of George Floyd. Gloria Richardson was right to say that racism is a serious problem in America, and that racism must be eradicated completely. She had children and grandchildren. I heard of Gloria Richardson for long years.  

Rest in Power Sister Gloria Richardson.

 

 

By Timothy

 


Monday, July 19, 2021

Information on Gospel History.

  


After the passing away of the legendary icon Mahalia Jackson (whose life was celebrated in the recent Lifetime TV film about her life in 2021), gospel music was in a transition. From being relegated to religious people mostly, gospel expanded internationally by the time of the early 1970's. That is why that tons of religious and non-religious people love gospel music. With the growing pains of the musical genre, gospel music evolved. By the 1970's, there were growing debates to figure a balance of how to show the gospel music with a message of salvation plus inspiration while not selling out spiritual principles. These debates continue to this very day in the 21st century.  Edwin Hawkins’ “Oh Happy Day” is loved by diverse audiences. During this time, some gospel songs represented outstanding character. Also, we find gospel musicians who were revolting and who abused innocent human beings. Abusing people is wrong period in any circumstance. Artists and groups flourished during the era of 1972 to 1997 like Andrae Crouch, Yolanda Adams, The Disciples, The Imperials, Shirley Caesar, Alex Bradford, Aretha Franklin, Clarence Fountain, Clara Ward, Five Blind Boys of Alabama, Marion Williams, and other human beings. This time period of gospel saw greatness, controversies, and a transition to the new school era of music at the same time. Music is representative of the culture of the ages of time regularly. This time saw civil rights, women's rights, and other cultural revolutionary changes existing in American plus world societies. Gospel music definitely reflected the time. The end of this era saw the rise of hip hop, and some gospel musicians like Kirk Franklin merging gospel and hip hop sounds into one. That is exemplified in the song of Stomp. Therefore, we have to know of these realities in order to analyze plus understand the evolution of gospel music in general. Like always, I do believe in God. To me, mathematics, natural laws in the Universe, Phi, the complexity of DNA, prophecies, and other reasons cause me to believe that the Most High God caused the Universe to exist in the first place. Gospel certainly does inspire the soul magnificently. 

  

By 1972, America and the world was in a new era. There was the aftermath of the deaths of prominent human rights activists and musicians (like Fred Hampton, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, etc.). Gospel music helped to filled the void found among many people. One of the most influential albums of the 1970's was Amazing Grace by Aretha Franklin. It was a live album recorded in January 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. He worked with the controversial Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir accompanying Franklin in performance. The album was very powerful, and it was highly successful with zeal and energy.  It went double platinum in the United States.  It also won Franklin the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance. As of 2017, it stands as the biggest selling disc of Franklin's entire fifty-plus year recording career as well as the highest-selling live gospel music album of all time. Aretha Franklin is one of the greatest vocalists in history, and that album proved it once again. Songs like Old Landmark, Mary, Don't You Weep, and Amazing Grace are staples in American gospel culture. The black gospel group of the Dixie Hummingbirds helped many diverse artists in the 1970's. Many of their members are James Davis, Ira Tucker, William Bobo, Jimmy Bryant, Barney Gipson, Claude Jeter, etc. Even Elvis Presley made some gospel music in the 1970's which was strange, because Elvis by the 1970's didn't believe in orthodox Christianity. We know of Elvis' imperfections, and I don't agree with him on many issues. I do agree with his statement that ultimately rock and roll and rhythm and blues came from black people. Also, the imperfections of Elvis shouldn't be understated. When he was a child, he grew up in the First Assembly of God Church in East Tupelo, MS and then the First Assembly of God in Memphis. Elvis was a rebel, he wanted to pray to his dead twin Jesse, and cursed God in private when he was in high school. Elvis loved Southern Gospel music, but he didn't repent of his mistakes. He accepted a New Age faith. Elvis had a violent rage, he tried to get people to murder his enemies, he threw a poll ball at one woman fan to cause severe injury, and he abused drugs. He put his hands on Priscilla Presley (he was a grown man when he dated her as a teen). Elvis and Priscilla committed adultery against each other. Elvis Presley read new age books like material from the guru  Paramahansa Yogananda, the Hindu founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship. According to the book Hungry for Heaven, Elvis studied Hindusim, mind control, theosophy, numerology, and positive thinking. He constantly cursed God's name in private conversations. Elvis was a great fan of occultist Madame Blavatsky. He was so taken with Blavatsky’s book The Voice of Silence, which contains the supposed translation of ancient occultic Tibetan incantations, that he "sometimes read from it onstage and was inspired by it to name his own gospel group, Voice" (Goldman, Elvis, p. 436). Another of Elvis’s favorite books was The Impersonal Life, which supposedly contains words recorded directly from God by Joseph Benner. Biographer Albert Goldman says Elvis gave away hundreds of copies of this book over the last 13 years of his life. So, Elvis was the ultimate hypocrite to make gospel albums, but he didn't follow what the Holy Gospel entails. So, this is the truth. Now, you know.

 

Additionally, there are other black gospel singers who excelled in the 1970's too. Andrae Crouch was one of the gospel legends too. For decades, he has been a gospel singer, a songwriter, an arranger, a record producer, and a pastor.  He worked with The Disciples in the album of Keep on Singin' in 1971 and Soufully in 1972. His debut album was Just Andrae in 1973. Later, he made the album of I'll Be Thinking of You in 1979. Later in his life, he was a producer and arranger with  Michael Jackson, Madonna, Quincy Jones, Mika (We Are Golden), Diana Ross, Elton John, Rick Astley ("Cry for Help"), and Prefab Sprout. Crouch also had a long relationship with the Oslo Gospel Choir, which he occasionally produced, arranged  for and performed with. By the 1970's, Edwin Hawkins made more albums like Children Get Together (1971), New World (1973), Wonderful (1976), The Comforter (1977), Edwin Hawkins Presents the Matthews Sisters (1977), and Edwin Hawkins Live at the Symphony (1979). Many singers who worked with  Hawkins are Elaine Kelly, Margarette Branch, Dorothy Combs Morrison (the original lead singer on "Oh Happy Day"), Tramaine Davis (Hawkins), Reuben Franklin, Donald Cashmere, Betty Watson, and Ruth Lyons. Albert Floyd and the Floyd Family was a prominent gospel group of the 1970's. The Floyd Family made tons of music. Willie Scott and the Birmingham Spirituals worked as a collective team. Willie Scott handled booking, merchandise, marketing, and logistics. 

 

 

Annie Caldwell was born in Mississippi. She loved the Staples Singers growing up too. She formed a band called The Caldwell Singers who performed for years and decades. Shirley Caesar continued to make music in the 1970's.  Caesar recorded and performed with Albertina Walker, Cassietta George, Inez Andrews, Delores Washington, Josephine Howard, Eddie Williams and James Herndon while in the Caravans. Her biggest hit with the Caravans was the song "Sweeping Through the City" followed by "No Coward Soldier." After eight years with the Caravans, she decided to leave after being offered a solo recording contract with Hob Records. Her first LP on the Hob label was entitled I'll Go, backed up by the Institutional Radio Choir and includes the classics "Oh Peter, Don't Be Afraid" and "Choose Ye This Day."  In 1971, Shirley won her first Grammy Award for her recording of "Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man", and in 1975, her recording of the song "No Charge" became an instant hit and her first gold record. To reach more people with her music, Caesar signed with a secular record label called Roadshow Records in 1977 and released the debut album entitled First Lady. The producer of the album titled the album First Lady because Caesar was the first woman to ever record on the label. The album contained songs with strong gospel lyrics, but many within the gospel community felt that the music itself was "too worldly," and many gospel DJ's refused to play it on their radio station. One song, however, "Faded Rose", later became a Caesar classic. Overall, the album sold poorly, but the "First Lady" title caught on within the gospel industry, and concert announcers, DJ's and gospel promoters everywhere started introducing her as "The First Lady of Gospel Music", a title that has been associated with her ever since.She had the From the Heart album in 1978. 

 

The Staples singers always did gospel music too. The Clark Sisters were born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. The Clark Sisters are Elbertina "Twinkie" Clark, Jacy Clark Chisholm, Dorinda Clark Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. Their parents are musician Dr. Mattie Moss Clark and Pastor Elbert Clark.  The Clark Sisters signed to Sound of Gospel Records in 1974. Under this association, the group released albums such as Unworthy, Count It All Joy, and He Gave Me Nothing to Lose, which hit the top 20 of the Billboard Spiritual LPs chart. By this point, Dr. Clark had turned over control of the group to Twinkie, who continued to write, arrange, conduct, and produce all of the Clark Sisters' recordings. Their popularity soared with the release of the live recording Is My Living in Vain, in 1980. By the end of the 1980's, music changed. Disco was scapegoated and bashed by bigots, hip hop (a new artform back then) grew, and Contemporary Gospel Music started to solidify itself. 

 

  

 

The 1980's saw a different style of music. There was the growth of CDs, synthesizers, and a sense of experimentation in fashion and music. Gospel music in the 1980's was a turning point. More artists wanted gain more secular audiences, while other gospel musicians wanted to keep up with the traditional sounds. In 1981, the Clark Sisters released the album of You Brought the Sunshine. The music from that album was a hit in the churches and on the dance floor. The song of You Brought the Sunshine (Into My Life) is beloved by lovers of music. The sisters delivered another progressive effort in 1982, Sincerely, which included "Name It, Claim It" and the politically charged "World." Though its success was overshadowed by You Brought the Sunshine, the sisters received their first Grammy Award nomination for Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group for the album at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards. Shortly after winning the Grammy nomination, the Clark Sisters won the NAACP Image Award for best gospel group for 1983.  After receiving a second Grammy nomination in the Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group category for the song, "He'll Turn Your Scars Into Stars" – later included on the album Heart & Soul (1986), the sisters were invited to perform live on the following 27th Annual Grammy Awards in 1985, alongside their mother, where they performed "Praise the Lord (Hallelujah)" as part of a medley with the year's fellow gospel nominees. By the end of the 1980's, the Clark Sisters were already one of the most influential, talented gospel groups of all time. Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Jill Scott, Fantasia, Brandy, Jazmine Sullivan , and Kelly Price (some of the most talented R&B singers of our generation) are all inspired by the Clark Sisters. A younger Yolanda Adams came on the gospel scene by the 1980's too. In 1982, Yolanda Adams was a featured vocalist for the song of For My Liberty (as part of the Houston's Southeast Inspirational Choir). Yolanda Adams is from Houston, Texas.  In 1986, Adams was featured on the Edwin Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar Choir released Give Us Peace, with a performance entitled "My Trust Lies in You." Later, she signed a recording contract with Sound of Gospel which yielded her first album Just As I Am in 1987. By the 1990's, Yolanda Adams would reach legendary status as a musician and artist. The history of 1980's gospel music was filled with choir and groups making a huge contribution to songs. One choir making a great deal of praise was the Mississippi Mass Choir based in Jackson, Mississippi. They were united by the 1980's made up of hundreds of people. After months of rehearsals, the Mississippi Mass Choir recorded their eponymous debut album and video live at Thalia Mara Hall (formerly Jackson Municipal Auditorium) on October 29, 1988.


In the spring of 1989, five weeks after their debut album was released, Billboard magazine certified it as the Number 1 Spiritual album in the country. The album stayed on the Billboard charts for a consecutive 45 weeks, setting a new record for gospel recordings. At the 9th annual James Cleveland GMWA Awards, the Mississippi Mass Choir won the Choir of the Year-Contemporary, and Best New Artist of the Year-Traditional. They also walked away with four Stellar Awards in 1989 and were nominated in several categories for the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards and Dove Awards. The choir's second album, Near the Cross, God Gets The Glory, was recorded live at the Mississippi State Coliseum in Jackson on December 8, 1990. Many of their great songs are All in His Hands, Lord, We Thank You, Come On In the Room, Going Up Yonder, and Call Him Up. The Mississippi Mass Choir continues to make music to this very day. The Commodores made a gospel album in the 1980's too with the famous song of Jesus is Love. By the end of the 1980's, BeBe Winans and CeCe Winans grew their gospel careers too. Both siblings were born in Detroit, Michigan. 


  

 

 

The 1990's saw the birth of new school gospel music. By 1990, Mighty Clouds of Joy had the song of Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus. In 1995, CeCe Winans had His Strength is Perfect. She also worked with Whitney Houston (her friend) on gospel songs too. By 1996, Fred Hammond and Radical for Christ had the 1996 song of When the Spirit of the Lord. Yolanda Adams shined brightly during the 1990's with the song of That Name. Her album of Save the World had her signature song of The Battle is the Lord's. The Battle is the Lord's is a song so popular that even I heard of the song as a child. My mother is a fan of Yolanda Adams's music too. The album had music like Let Us Worship Him, This Joy, and Right Now. In a way, the 1990's was a throwback to the 1990's with harmonies, soul singers, and a gospel influence in music. Gospel music was heavily popular in the 1990's. Also, we see the rise of Christian rap and gospel music with much hip hop elements in it. Back then, the group with that influence was Kirk Franklin and the Family. Kirk Franklin is the first of a new generation of gospel artists. He is urban, he has charisma, and he is daring. Kirk Franklin suffered a great deal in his childhood. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Franklin was raised by his aunt, Gertrude, having been abandoned as a baby by his mother.  Gertrude recycled aluminum cans to raise money for Kirk to take piano lessons from the age of four. Kirk excelled and was able to read and write music while also playing by ear. At the age of seven, Franklin received his first contract which his aunt turned down.  He did join the church choir and became music director of the Mt. Rose Baptist Church adult choir at 11 years of age. He was once involved in destructive behavior as a teenager until gospel music literally saved his life. In 1992, he formed a choir called the Family. In 1993, the group, now known as "Kirk Franklin & The Family," released their debut album, Kirk Franklin & The Family. It spent almost two years on the gospel music charts and charted on the R&B charts, eventually earning platinum sales status. It remained at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart for 42 weeks. It was the first gospel music album to sell over a million units. Two years later, after releasing a 1995 Christmas album entitled Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas, the group released Whatcha Lookin' 4 in 1996. The album was certified 2x platinum and earned Franklin his first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. Through accomplishments, controversies, and awards, Kirk Franklin remains one of the most influential gospel artists of all time. He loves his wife. We know the elephant in the room, but he admitted his imperfections like a man. That's much more courageous than deceit. Kirk Franklin remains a new school pioneer of gospel music. 

  

   

One date of gospel music that changed everything was May 27, 1997. That was the date when God's Property and Kirk Franklin released the album of God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation. This album was unlike any album before 1997. It represented a new time. I remember this album came out during my 8th grade time in middle school. Back then, many older people didn't like this album for it merging hip hop sounds with gospel music. It was very controversial when it was first released, but now it's more celebrated to keep it real. It changed everything. The song of Stomp ft. Salt represented the start of the current era of gospel music. This change was monumental, but the gospel message still persisted. From 1997 to the present, gospel music had new artists who wanted to express themselves from Mary Mary, Tye Tribbett to Smokey Norful. Many young artists continued to old school sounds, and other musicians used R&B/hip hop styles in showing their messages to the world. In the near future, the current artists of gospel will be shown in a more depth analysis. With a changing world, you never go wrong in maintaining legitimate core convictions of loving your neighbor, standing up against injustice, preaching the Gospel, and working to build in our communities. That is what real Gospel music is all about.  


 

By Timothy

 


 



 

 


Serious Events in our Generation.

 

 

There are a lot of revelations from the book of "I Alone Can Fix It." The book was written by Carol Leonning and Philip Rucker. The book said that Trump didn't immediately contact Pence when the Capitol was overrun by terrorists. The 1/6 insurrection caused a huge change in America. It represented the first time in American history where they was no peaceful transfer of power in the United States of America. Many people lost their lives, and some GOP members have the nerve to minimize that terrorist attack. Also, the book mentioned that Generals and officials prepared to stop a potential Trump coup during the final days of the Trump administration. This is real about how close we were to a neo-fascist overt state in America. General Milley said that Trump's act is like a brownshirt movement. Trump also wanted the military to shoot protesters in Washington, D.C. in 2020 who wanted to protest against police brutality. So, Trump is one of the worst Presidents in American history. Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly asked General Milley to ensure that Trump couldn't launch a nuclear strike. The fact of Kevin McCarthy still having a meeting with Trump now shows how the GOP, as a political party, is morally bankrupt.

 
There are mass demonstrations against the far right extremist Bolsonaro in Brazil. Hundreds of thousands of people have been on the streets to protest his response to the pandemic. His response has been terrible to say the least. Many people in Brazil want a change from the status quo. These similar demonstrations are also in Paraguay, Cuba, and Colombia. Working class protests are over the Americas including in Virginia with the Volvo car strikes. It is easy to see the reactionary policies of Bolsonaro. He does nothing on the massive level of police brutality against Brazilian people, disproportionately against Afro-Brazilian human beings. Bolsonaro has discouraged masks wearing and social distancing. He promoted military officers in every department of his government. Strikes have existed in Brazil from transportation workers, app delivery workers, oil workers, and other human beings. So, we want Brazil to be better than it is now. In Cuba, we have seen the largest mass demonstrations since 1994 in the Maleconazo. Many Cubans have been arrested, the Afro-Cuban voices have the right to be heard worldwide too. The pandemic has hit Cuba hard with thousands of new cases and massive suffering. Lax imports have exacerbated problems as well. Only 15 percent of Cubans are fully vaccinated. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez wants a U.S. military intervention in Cuba. So, the Cuban people deserve freedom not U.S. imperalism or the status quo from the current Cuban regime. Liberty is what they deserve. 

There are many riots in South Africa. This comes after social conditions worsen in parts of South Africa, and Zuma has been imprisoned. Protests have existed in South Africa too. This may be the worst tensions in the nation since the end of the evil apartheid regime. Many protests have existed in Gauteng (in the area of Johannesburg or the capital city), Pretoria, KawZulu-Natal, the Northern Cape, etc. Some people have rebelled into stores, warehouses, store depots, and factories (where items were looted). A mother dropped her toddler form a burning building to a group of people below. Highways have been blocked. The unrest have affected clinics and the health care program.  

72 people have died and over 1,300 people have been arrested. The police have used live fire rounds on people too. Some protesters opposed Zuma's arrest, some oppose the income inequality in South Africa (that has expanded for years now), some want jobs, and some want justice. The super wealthy are benefiting heavily in the current economic system. This infighting in the ANC is about how despite the aspirations of the black working class in the nation, a group of bourgeoisie types dominated the wealth of the nation (influenced by Western international capitalist interests. One example is how millionaire Ramaphosa has allow security forces to fire on strikers killing 34 and wounding 78 others unjustly in 2012 at Marikana). So, we want South Africa to have liberation, and that means that class oppression must end too.
 
Bernice King is right that we must listen to whole speeches of Dr. King. Dr. King didn't just want people to be judged by character alone. Dr. King also want a radical redistribution of economic and political power to make sure that economic justice is a reality. Dr. King explicitly mentioned that the 3 evils in the world are poverty, racism, and war. Dr. King believed that the federal government should compensate black Americans for anti-black injustices. Dr. King's real views ought to be known. The CBC Chair has been arrested during a protest for voting rights. The Texas GOP has voted to search and arrest TX Democrats Congress people in Washington, D.C. Voting rights protests come about on Capitol Hill. The Democrats from Texas have been stripped of leadership positions for leaving Austin, Texas. Governor Abbott has ruined his political legacy with his promotion of the unjust voter suppression bill. When you talk about Cuba, you have to include Afro-Cuban voices who desire freedom.
 
 
By Timothy
 
 

 
 

Defending Our Voting Rights and Other News in July 2021.

  

 


President Joe Biden gave a recent speech at Philadelphia (which was the place where the Constitution was officially signed over 200 years ago) to make his case for voting rights in America. He is right to mention that this is the biggest democratic crisis currently in America since the American Civil War. GOP extremists, in many cases, still believe in the big lie, when the 2020 election is the most scrutinized and protected American election in the history of the United States of America. There was no massive voting fraud during the 2020 election. The recent voter suppression laws and bills in many states of America (not just in the South, but everywhere in America) are not only anti-democratic and evil. The legislation is immoral. Many of these laws restrict when people can vote, restrict who can monitor elections, and even heavily restrict mail in voting locations. The American people should hear from the President on this important issue of voting rights. 

The For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act should be passed. The filibuster, being a throwback from slavery, must be gone. The moderate Democrats (i.e. Sinema and Manchin) must wake up and oppose the filibuster, because very little legislation will be passed (especially in dealing with voting rights) if the filibuster remains. Fascists and terrorists nearly destroyed America in the 1/6 insurrection months ago. So, this is personal for all of us to fight for our democracy in July of 2021. Republicans have no mercy in their extremism, so we should be compassionate and determined to maintain progressive values in our generation. Not to mention that we ought to never compromise with fascists and racists in the Republican Party. Finally, Black Americans brought him into the White House, and our interests (as black people) must be respected.


The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise changed Haiti forever. Now, we know that one of the accused assassins was a DEA informant and might have links to the FBI. This is strange. It has been reported that a rival (named Christian Samon) may have been involved in the assassination in using Colombian nationals including 2 Haitian American people in the plot. We do know that Colombia is an ally of America, and many police/paramilitary forces have killed peaceful protesters in Colombia recently. Moise stayed in office past his term. It seemed that Moise was murdered by mercenaries with shady links. Two of the accused assassins have ties to oligarchs. According to The Washington Post, Solages’ Facebook profile, which has since been removed, listed him as the chief commander of bodyguards for the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. The Canadian Embassy confirmed that Solages previously worked as a security guard. We must allow the Haitian people decide their leaders. It must not be the United Nations or anyone else. The West's disrespect of Haiti is not new. After Haitian independence, Jefferson opposed Haiti's freedom in 1804. France forced Haiti to pay it reparations when it should have been the other way around. America brutally occupied Haiti during the 20th century. In 1994, Biden made the evil, offensive remark that if Haiti sunk into the Caribbean or rose up 300 feet, it wouldn't matter in our interest. You can't believe in democracy and truth and promote neo-colonialism. Solidarity among workers worldwide and the oppressed is our precept. A capitalist-imperialist system has ruined many lives over the centuries.

 

 

There is a crisis in Cuba. There are those far right forces who are exploiting the crisis as an excuse for them to make Cuba a puppet state. Many people don't know that before Castro, Batista ran Cuba. Batista was not only a U.S.-funded dictator. He was allied with exploitative corporations, he aided the Mafia in their casinos, and many poor Cubans were oppressed heavily. The problems now in Cuba (with food shortages, spread of the pandemic, etc.) is caused by both restrictive economic embargoes and anti-democratic policies done by the Stalinist Cuban government. Many of the restrictive embargoes have harmed the Cuban energy sector.  Then, food, medicines, and supplies are in short supply in Cuba. Some forget that the U.S. occupied Cuba in 1902 and imposed a brutal regime. Likewise, the Cuban government is wrong to use brutal force against peaceful Cuban protesters and restrict Internet access in Cuba. Two wrong don't make a right. The Cuban people deserve democratic rights and freedom. That is true. The Cuban government should do a lot more in promoting real freedom in their nation. I don't agree with Cuba arresting over 100 protesters, activists, and journalists. You have to promote real liberty in any nation in the Universe. Yet, the Cuban people don't deserve to become some puppet Western regime either.

 

 

The Texas Democrats have spoken in D.C. to advocate for voting rights legislation. Vice President Kamala Harris meet with these Texas Democrats too. Governor Abbott have threatened the Texas Democrats with arrest when they return to Texas. People desire a plan involving courts, eliminating the filibuster, and other things that we wanted in order to advance justice. Today, we witness the fight for our democracy. Many state Texas Congress people left Texas to try to stop the vote of the bad voter suppression bill in Texas. The Texas GOP wants these voting laws to exist. This is a national problem too. Nationwide, tons of legislation have been proposed and passed to limit voting days, to restrict which types of IDs can be used for voting, to restrict in mail voting, and to shift power into other hands on how to hand voting policies. Biden gave his speech on Tuesday to address federal voting legislation. Voting rights is one of the most important issues in the world. Voting determines how revenues are sent, which types of people are in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government, and voting  directly will determinate which Supreme Court Justices will be on the Court. GOP leaders and Trump still promote the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Democracy must be protected.

  

By Timothy

 

 


 

 


Monday, July 12, 2021

Histories.

  


 

The outstanding singer and civil rights activist Abbey Lincoln was born in Chicago. She was born on August 6, 1930. Her original name is Anna Marie Wooldridge. She was raised in Calvin Center, Cass County, Michigan. So, she was born and raised in the great Midwestern region of the United States of America. As a  young child, Lincoln went into a one room school to develop her education. Abbey Lincoln was raised with 11 siblings. She even taught herself on how to play the piano. Constantly, Lincoln would invent songs. Lincoln performed at the church choir and at amateur contests. Lincoln sang from Hawaii to Havana early on. As early as 1951, she performed in numerous nightclubs. She lived in Honolulu, Hawaii as a resident singer in a club. She came back to California in 1954. Like many singers of her time, Abbey Lincoln was inspired by Billie Holiday. As many know, Bille Holiday was one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. Lincoln readily visited the Blue Note jazz club in New York City. Her debut album (in 1955) was "Abbey Lincoln's Affair: A Story of a Girl in Love." She made other albums for Riverside Records too. In 1956, Abbey Lincoln was in the movie of  The Girl Can't Help It, for which she wore a dress that had been worn by Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and interpreted the theme song, working with Benny Carter. By 1957, she moved into New York City, and she worked at the Village Vanguard, which is a jazz club in Greenwich Village. She had many friends and artists who was all about promoting civil rights and advancing the great genre of jazz music. In 1957, she released the album of That's Him!, and in 1958, she released the album It's Magic. Abbey is Blue came out in 1959. 

 

By 1960, she sang on Max Roach's landmark civil rights themed recording of We Insist! Lincoln's lyrics were often linked to the civil rights movement in America. With Ivan Dixon, she co-starred in Nothing But a Man (1964), an independent film written and directed by Michael Roemer. Nothing But a Man was a honest film that exposes the evil injustices of Jim Crow apartheid in America. Abbey Lincoln married Max Roach in 1962. All over the 1960's, Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach participated in civil rights activism via their performances at benefits and fundraisers for the NAACP and CORE (the Congress of Racial Equality). "It always did the actresses in, because I was the one who was supposed to have this reputation as a freedom fighter ... and I got two movies," Lincoln told NPR's Roy Hurst in a 2003 interview.

 

In 1968 she co-starred with Sidney Poitier and Beau Bridges in For Love of Ivy and received a 1969 Golden Globe nomination for her appearance in the film. For The Love of Ivy is an underrated film in music film history. It is about a black woman, who is a maid to a wealthy family, but she has an independent mind of her own. Her character was strong, intelligent, and with a determination to get what she wants in a positive way. Sidney Poitier and Abbey Lincoln in the film fall in love in many levels and steps. It's a realistic romance based on mutual respect for 2 black human beings in love. 

 

Television appearances, made by Abbey Lincoln, began in 1968 with The Name of the Game. In March 1969, she had a role for WGBH-TV Boston. The role was in one of a 10-episode series of individual dramas written, produced and performed by black people called, "On Being Black." It was her work in Alice Childress's Wine in the Wilderness. She appeared in Mission: Impossible (1971), the television movie Short Walk to Daylight (1972), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1974), and All in the Family (1978). Lincoln was married from 1962 to 1970 to drummer Max Roach, whose daughter from a previous marriage, Maxine, appeared on several of Lincoln's albums. During the 1970's, she helped her mother in Los Angeles, and Abbey Lincoln began to write literature. In 1973, Abbey Lincoln released the album of People in Me. Her first lead album in 12 years after Straight ahead. 

 

After a tour of Africa in the mid 1970's, she adopted the named of Aminata Moseka. By the 1980's,  Lincoln's creative output was smaller and she released only a few albums. In 1984, she released her album of Talking to the Sun under Enja Records. Her song "For All We Know" is featured in the 1989 film Drugstore Cowboy. In 1987, she released the albums of Abbey Sings Bille, Vol. 1 and Abbey Sings Billie Vol. 1 as a tribute to Billie Holiday with Enja Records. In the 1990 Spike Lee movie Mo' Better Blues, Abbey Lincoln played the young Bleek's mother, Lillian. In 1990, she also released the album of The World is Falling Down. During the 1990's and until her death, however, she fulfilled a 10-album contract with Verve Records. These albums are highly regarded and represent a crowning achievement in Lincoln's career. In 1991, You Gotta Pay the Band was released by Abbey Lincoln too. Devil's Got Your Tongue (1992) featured Rodney Kendrick, Grady Tate, Yoron Israel, J. J. Johnson, Stanley Turrentine, Babatunde Olatunji and The Staple Singers, among others. 

 

Lincoln worked with Maggie Brown on Brown's album of Wholly Earth in 1999. Lincoln wanted Brown to just make music and don't get bogged down in agents or money. Brown is a fan of Lincoln which is why she did a tribute to Lincoln called Maggie Sings Abbey. Maggie Brown was a fan of her since she was a child. In 2003, Lincoln received a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Award. Her music dealt with lyrics that dealt with the ideals of the civil rights movement and helped inspired future generations' passion for the cause in the minds of her listeners. She always loved acting too. Abbey Lincoln loved to explore more philosophical themes in the later years of her songwriting career. She remained professionally active in her work until well into her seventies. Her last album before her passing was "Abbey Sings Abbey" in 2007. 

 

 

Lincoln died on August 14, 2010, in Manhattan, eight days after her 80th birthday. Her death was announced by her brother, David Wooldridge, who told The New York Times that she had died in a Manhattan nursing home after suffering deteriorating health ever since undergoing open-heart surgery in 2007. No cause of death was officially given. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered. 


 

Before her passing, Lincoln asked her friend Dee Dee Bridgewater to help keep the songbook alive of her music. On May 2011, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., something happened. Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, and Cassandra Wilson played Abbey Lincoln's music. Bridgewater fulfilled Lincoln's promise. Terri Lyne Carrington was the musical director on the drums. It was their jazz tribute to Abbey Lincoln. 

 

   

9/11 existed because of many complex reasons. A conspiracy is an event organized by more than one person with a plan, and people carrying it out. By that definition alone, 9/11 was a product of a conspiracy as Osama bin Laden and other people planned it out and executed terrorism against America. The Western establishment exploited the 9/11 attacks as an excuse for some to try to reshape the Middle East and Central Asia (in growing markets, competing against Russia plus China, and gain more oil, gas, mineral resources). President George W. Bush already long before 9/11 wanted to go after Saddam Hussein in part to finish what his father started. There was the 1993 attempt to assassinate his father too. Iraqi oil reserves were huge, so private contractors worked heavily in Iraq for the purpose of gaining profit. George W. Bush's Treasury secretary Paul O'Neill in his 2004 book of The Price of Loyalty  mentioned a January 30, 2001 meeting. This meeting, he claimed had Bush, National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, CIA Director George Tenet), Donald Rumsfeld, and others to prepare for a possibly invasion of Iraq. Bush disputes the claim from O'Neill. Yet, we know of a memo dated January 23, 2001 outlining the "Origins of the Iraq Regime Change Policy."  This was requested by Vice President-elect Dick Cheney before taking office, presumably as a way to justify policy formation around aggressive US efforts for "regime change" in Iraq. Bush calling Iraq, Iran, and Syria an Axis of Evil is pretty much saying that he wanted those nations to be pro-American puppets of the West via war if necessary. Domestically, the corporate police state system that we see now was built greater since 9/11. NSA programs like PRISM, Boundless Informant, and Stellar Wind grew. 

  

 

20 years after 9/11, we still have massive political polarization. Nothing would be the same again after 20 years. You have some people who believe in truth and justice by defending voting rights, promoting living wages, and believing in environmental justice. Then, you have other people who believe in the lie that the 2020 election was stolen, who believe in sugarcoating real American history (under the guise of disagreeing with critical race theory. Critical race theory is not offensive. It is about exposing systematic racism in the legal system and desiring racial justice to exist. Not to mention that CRT is not taught officially in public schools), and promote their attacks on democracy with puppets like the bigot plus far right extremist Tucker Carlson. So, we are in an ideological crisis point in American history. Donald Trump is no longer President, but the Republican Party is headed by him. We already know that Trump is a sexist, a racist, a xenophobe, and a habitual liar. The most important thing to do is to do the right thing. Doing the right thing means to build in our communities, promoting our rights, working with organizations dedicated to results, and advancing real progressive values that our ancestors fought and died for. Many of my ancestors and late relatives fought in the Civil War and in World War II. The Republican Party now is so extreme that Lincoln, Eisenhower, and other Republicans back then would be considered Marxists by the far right. It's that serious. Now, people are discussing about the 2022 elections. People want to see what the future composition of Congress will be by 2022 (and after the 2020 Census has been fully completed). People want the social safety net protected and strengthened not weakened as many GOP extremists desire. Human beings want real change in our world. 

  

 

 

In conclusion, 9/11 was plotted an executed by Osama bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda network. The attacks were evil, unjust, and wicked. The murderers, who murdered almost 3,000 people in America, followed a reactionary, ultranationalist ideology. Also, it is important to note that Western imperialism have blood on its hands for decades. For example, the CIA and the MI6 worked together (via Operation Ajax) to overthrow the democratically elected President or Iran Mohammed Mossadegh. Done strikes, imperialist wars, and other bombings by the West have occurred in Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, etc. Once upon a time, America wanted fundamentalist extremists to defeat Soviet forces in Afghanistan. America was once an ally of the Taliban because of its anti-Communist views during the 1980's. That changed years later. The war on terror existed after the attack. There were many Saudi and Pakistani elites that worked with Western elites for many reasons (as Iran and Syria are heavily Shia states). The CIA promoted the Iraq War and advanced many actions of secret prison camps that included waterboarding. The desire of the neo-cons and their supporters was to restructure the Middle East. Also, the Bush administration used the lie of Iraq having massive quantities of weapons of mass destruction as an excuse for them to invade Iraq, to gain resources in Iraq, etc. The attacks in America on September 11th, 2001 represented the start in essence of the 21st century. 

 

 

By Timothy

 

 


Tons of Developments in July of 2021.

  

Recently, civil rights leaders have met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris about voting rights issues. We have a fragile democracy in this multicultural nation of the United States of America. We have now, the biggest voting rights crisis since the 1960's and the American Civil War. This is not hyperbole or an exaggeration. This is real. Many states from Arizona to Florida including Texas have proposed or passed voter suppression legislation. You have one Republican leader admitting on tape that he wants chaos during the Biden Presidency. We need the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. We want any American to have equal access to voting. There should be no discrimination involving voting at any circumstance. We want change now. This change requires involvement from the federal, state, and local governments. Also, we want living wages, an end to the filibuster, and real solutions to climate change issues. Our votes always matter. Nationwide, people are protesting this assault on our voting rights. You show your love for the people by respecting black people. Our black identities aren't meant to be erased but expressed without apology. There is the story of Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nahesi Coates being part of Howard University. This comes in the era where some reactionaries want to sugarcoat real American history. Both Hannah-Jones and Coates have been heroic to write literature and give speeches on the accurate stories of America. You can't change America unless you tell the truth about America.

 

Eric Adams won the New York City mayoral primary for the Democratic side. He wants to be the mayor of New York City. About 120,000 absentee ballots had to be counted. Like usual, many people decided to vote for a moderate, because on many cases fear inspires people to reject progressive values unfortunately. In the eyes of the moderate, standing up against police brutality is equivalent to nihilism. Mayor Bill de Blasio is about to leave office after serving the mandatory 2 terms. The Republican Party primary have Curtis Silwa, who is a right wing radio personality and founder of the Guardian Angels vigilante group. I heard of Silwa for over 20 years being on Geraldo, etc. Adams said that he is a great candidate, because he was a cop and he was a victim of police brutality. Adams supports a limited version of stop and frisk. He is supported by the far right New York Post and sections of big business. The crime uptick is not a product of culture. It's a product of the poverty, record inequality, and socioeconomic issues. Now, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo have announced a state of emergency involving gun violence. Maya Wiley was the most progressive candidate. Maya Wiley would have made an outstanding mayor of NYC. Today, New York City is witnessing a new era. Now, here we are in the Summer of 2021. 

 

This is the time when most of America's military forces have left Afghanistan. Now, Afghanistan is going through massive changes. Some fear that the Taliban will control the whole country as they have conquered many Northern territories of Afghanistan. Tons of troops have left Bagram Air Base. The Afghan government was shocked at the early leaving of the U.S. forces from the area. We have lived in almost 20 years of the Afghanistan War. At first, the Western forces flushed the al-Qaeda and Taliban out of the area. Years later, war and conflicts persisted to this very day. This war is the longest overt American war in U.S. history. Tons of U.S. military and Afghan civilians have died. Special forces teams have been involved. Enhanced interrogation existed at the Parwan Detention Facility. Many prisoners were abused and abused in sick ways. About 175,000 civilians have killed in the war. Trillions have been spent in the war too. The end of the Afghanistan war is about a shift in the West wanting preparations for further agitation against China and Russia.

 

There is a story about the former White House chief of staff John Kelly in his new book saying that Trump praised Hitler by saying that he did a lot of good things. If that is true, Trump is wrong and sick. Trump, of course denies this. We can't take Trump seriously in this regard, because he is known as a habitual liar. His credibility is abysmal. Kelly said that Trump said these comments in 2018 on a trip to Paris to commemorate the armistice after the end of World War I. Trump (who was impeached twice by the Congress and is one of the worst Presidents in American history) has a long track record of defending racists and authoritarian dictators. Donald Trump's personal hero is Andrew Jackson, who was the President that viciously transported Native Americans against their wills into Oklahoma during the Trial of Tears. Jackson hated abolitionists and helped to spread slavery in America. Trump has also praised gone out of his way to defend the usage of Confederate names on U.S. military bases. We know who Trump is. The big picture is that society is filled with people like Trump. We must stand up for our democracy against overt fascism spreading in America.

 

One of the most important news today is how Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated early Wednesday morning. Like always, we condemn the assassination, as we should always express dissent without murder. Also, Haiti has been through a lot. Haiti's borders and international airport are closed. The acting Prime Minister has declared a "state of siege" after martial law was been declared in Haiti. Haiti is part of North America, and we are really concerned about what goes on in Haiti. The murderers are unidentified now until recently. Many of them are Colombians and 2 are found to be Haitian American. The attack was done by a highly trained and heavily armed group of people. The First Lady of Haiti Martine Moise was injured and shot, and she is in stable but critical condition. Martine Moise is the late Haitian President's wife, and she is recovering at a Miami hospital. Kidnappings have happened in the nation and violence. There should be an investigation to find out everyone involved in the assassination. Haiti is linked to us Americans in many ways, and we want Haiti to rise beyond this storm. It will take time.

 

By Timothy