Late January 2022 News.

 

Now, Governor Ron Desantis wants to propose a new Congressional map that will harm the voting power of black people in the state. Florida Governor has doubled down on the election proposal. Desantis is a terrible governor by any metric. His proposal is not only extreme and racist. It's terrible and against morality. Experts have said that this policy would reduce black American and Hispanic voting strength in congressional districts. We know what he is doing. He is trying to run for President in the near future. He is exactly the same reactionary governor who made a terrible response to deal with the coronavirus, passed a law that harm the freedom to protest, and doesn't care about certain people of Florida who looks like me. The GOP has proposed more voting restrictions in new bills. It doesn't stop. The proposed map would lower the number of black majority districts in Florida from 4 to 2 (ending black districts in North Florida including Orlando. The Republicans believe in the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen. These extremists don't believe that the federal government has a large role in making sure our environment is clean, to provide people with basic resources, and stand up against all injustices. Our democracy is sacred, and it must be defended.

 

One this historic day, we recognize the heroism of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Dr. King family today in 2022 lead a march in D.C. for voting rights and D.C. statehood too. Martin Luther King III wants federal voting rights legislation to be passed. Congress must do the right thing. Vice President Kamala Harris have echoed the same thing in wanting the Joe Lewis Voting Rights Act and other legislation to be passed. One way to honor Dr. King, his family, and his legacy is to stand up for voting rights, justice, being against imperialism, and for human equality. President Joe Biden wants people to pick on the side of voting rights. The Senate will debate on the legislation on Tuesday. Our democracy is on thin ice. There is no other way to put it. Now, we have many states with voter suppression laws. In Texas, hundreds of people are prevented from voting because of new applications in Texas' unjust voter suppression law. 

The problem isn't just with far-right Republicans who are opposed to progressive policies. Dr. King said that the worst threat are the moderates who want the status quo instead of liberation. Now, we have the moderate Democrats (in the form of 2 Senators) refusing to end the filibuster completely. Also, it is important to note that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a revolutionary. Dr. King opposed LBJ's Vietnam War. Dr. King supported Ghanaian independence and Third World liberation movements. He called the United States government the greatest purveyor of violence in the world. That doesn't sound like a moderate person. Dr. King advocated a world revolutionary change in anti-colonial action. He said that he believed in Black Power meaning getting political and economic power in order to achieve legitimate goals. Dr. King praised fellow revolutionaries W.E.B. DuBois and Paul Robeson. Even Dr. King's nonviolence involved civil disobedience, direct action, and boycotts. Dr. King called out the political establishment of both major parties and the black bourgeoisie (just like Malcolm X. In fact, Malcolm X and Dr. King shook hands in the U.S. Capitol on March 26, 1964). Dr. King criticized capitalism and honored democratic socialism. Dr. King also advocated reparations for black Americans. Also, Dr. King believed in people using self-defense to protect one's home or family. So, Dr. King believed in love, but he was also a black revolutionary too.

 

The 11 hour hostage standoff at the Colleyville, Texas synagogue is over. We are glad that the hostages are all alive. They will never forget this moment for the rest of their lives. The kidnapper was a coward who wanted to promote an extremist in prison. As others have mentioned, religious and racial hatred have no place in the world. The terrorist wanted harm done to Jewish people and their faith explicitly as documented by the FBI. Anti-Semitism is evil, wrong, and has no justification. Also, it is important that many people in the Christian and Muslim community shown compassion to the victims of the kidnappers. We certainly can't be silent on these issues. In our time, we have seen an increase of hate crimes against black people, Jewish people, Muslims, Asian people, and other groups of human beings. The terrorist and kidnapper was Malik Faisal Akram (who wanted the convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui to be freedom from federal prison). He came from England. Akram lived in a homeless shelter in America.

Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Estelle, and she is 42 years old. London, England is the place of her birth. For years, she has worked in R&B, soul, hip hop, and other genres of music. She is an old school soul who can also present new school types of music too. Her mother's family came from Dakar, Senegal, and her father is from Grenada. Growing up, she was raised in a religious family. They listened to American gospel and traditional African music. Estelle would listen to some hip hop too. She knew about Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane growing up. She worked on many UK hip hop songs during the early 2000's. She worked with Kanye West on the song American Boy. The 18th Day was her debut album that was released in the UK on October 2004. Her 2nd album was Shine working with John Legend and other people. The album had Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Wyclef Jean, Will.I.am, and other people. She won many awards like a Grammy. All of Me was her third album. One of her most powerful songs was Conqueror. Estelle continues to act and make music. She loves to listen to Adele, Nas, Lauryn Hill, Jay Z, Jill Scott, etc. Her main musical influences are Mary J. Blige and Ella Fitzgerald. Lovers Rock was her 2018 album. She has been on movies, TV shows, and on video games. Great vocals and charisma are part of her style as an artist. Estelle is a great musical artist of our generation. I wish Sister Estelle more blessings. 

By Timothy