Wednesday, August 31, 2022
New Developments in the World.
There is a continued legal battle involving Trump. The Department of Justice is to file a response to Trump's special master request. Trump refused to turn in the documents voluntarily when he was asked nicely by federal authorities. Months came, and the FBI had no choice but to execute a legal search warrant to retrieve classified documents in his Florida home. Senator Lindsay Graham said that riots will happen if Trump is indicted. His words show him to be a coward who cares more about worshiping Trump than justice. Justice requires Trump must be indicted for many crimes. Trump supporters are filled with hypocrisy. They claim to hate the ideology of defunding the police, but many of them want to defund the FBI (which is part of the police). They claim to want to embrace family values, but they endorse a radical free market view that harms families. They claim to want liberty, but they want to suppress anti-racism books, deny rights to minorities, and suppress voting rights in America.
Certainly, there are tons of controversies today. One is about Fat Joe saying that hip hop is 50/50 Black and Latino invented. Now, there are black Latinos who are Afro-Latinos. They are my Brothers and my Sisters. Yet, hip hop came from black people in the Caribbean and America. So, don't get things twisted. Many Latinos in the early stages of hip hop had an influence in b-boy and b-girl dancing, graffiti, and other freestyle music related to hip hop culture (like Resident DJ, DJ Charlie Chase, Charlie Rock, etc.). Crazy Legs is worldwide known. Yet, the tree and the roots of humanity came from black people. Without us black people, no one on this Earth would be born. That's a fact. Kool Herc is the Godfather of Hip Hop being from Jamaica. Also, many black Americans were rapping, freestyling, and doing other dance moves decades before 1973. Joe Hill Louis in 1950 was rapping in the song Gotta Let You Go. We know of the Jubalaires rapping in the song The Preacher in the Bear. They were rapping back in the 1930's. We know about Pigmeat Markham with the song Here Comes the Judge in the 1960's rapping. These people are from the South long before the 1970's. These whitewashers of history talk about the Bronx, but back in the day, black people have to form groups to defend themselves against white racists in the Bronx. Bronx was very racist back in the day against black people. A Bronx Tale didn't lie about white racism in NYC decades ago. There is no hip hop without disco, funk (i.e. James Brown), jazz, blues, and toasting. Many say that if anyone isn't from NYC, then he or she should be quiet about NYC history. That is silly because that's like saying we can't comment on Columbus being a racist imperialist because we are not from Europe. People (whether they live in NYC or not) have the God-given right to comment on NYC filled with accuracy and truth.
Muhammad Ali used rhymes to show his wit. The Afro-Caribbean influence in hip hop history is well known too. So, hip hop has complex origins found in jazz, the blues, Jamaican music, etc. When I was young, I understood that hip hop included the themes of dancing, graffiti, DJing, having wisdom, and using rhythm to express yourself. Hip Hop is a universal culture which means that anyone of any color can be a part of it. So, hip hop was created by black people, and people of other ethnic groups did have a great influence on it from early on. That is the truth. Fat Joe is really slick in claiming to love black people, but he calls black people the n word, disapproves of peaceful protests against police brutality (i.e. Fat Joe disagreed with Colin Kaepernick protesting when the National Anthem played), and said the lie that Will Smith slapping Chris Rock makes minorities look bad (in believing in respectability politics. I'm not surprised that one author in the Root supports Fat Joe like some in the Root supports Cardi B. Cardi B called black women cockroaches, calls black people the n word, etc.). Those views from Fat Joe and Cardi B aren't hip hop or progressive. There are those who exploit this issue to promote xenophobia, and I reject xenophobia. We can honor our cultural differences without hating each other. Therefore, black people created jazz, blues, R&B, rock and roll, the spirituals, and yes hip hop. There are those who want to exploit the legitimately great culture of African Americans to demonize Afro-Caribbeans and Latinos. I don't agree with that. I am thankful for being a black American. I love my black American culture. Yet, I won't be part of the FBA or the ADOS movements when many of their members hate Pan-Africanism and have xenophobic views about other people. I don't hate a person based on their color or their ethnicity. I make that perfectly clear.
Some breaking news is that Mikhail Gorbachev has recently died. He passed away at the age of 91 in Moscow. He was the last President of the Soviet Union. During the end of the Cold War, he wanted reforms like perestroika and glasnost, but the Soviet Union ended by the end of 1991. He has a long, severe illness. He saw Reagan and both were angry at each for a time. Later, they created surprising deals that both men signed face to face. Gorbachev was not a brutal murderer like Stalin. He wanted change in the Soviet Union, but the Soviet Union started to end by the 1980's. The Soviet Union during that time had an economic crisis, disputes on what to do, massive revolutions in Eastern Europe that wanted democratic changes, and an over-extension of its military in places globally (like in Afghanistan) that stagnated the Soviet economy. These factors and others contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev continued to be an author, philosopher, and political leader after 1991. He maintained very cordial relationships with Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Margaret Thatcher, and other human beings. Gorbachev always advocated the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world. I send condolences to his family and friends.
There is a backlash against Aries Spears' comments about the singer and entertainer Lizzo. The wild thing is that Spears tried to defend his statements. There is nothing accurate about his statements. His words are part of the same old demonizing of plus-sized people that is common unfortunately in many circles of our world. Lizzo doesn't look like mashed potatoes, and she doesn't look like a vulgar emoji. She is a beautiful black woman who is confident within her own self. A lot of people forget that Lizzo can sing, rap, write songs, and play instruments, so we should respect her multifaceted talent. You don't have to dehumanize a person in order to give advice to a person. That point should always be emphasized.
By Timothy
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Monday, August 29, 2022
Facts about Life.
The American Civil War had a serious history with Texas. There was massive slavery in Texas. There were false rumors of arson in Texas when the arson was falsely accused of being done by slaves and abolitionists. Racist terrorists (vigilantes) lynched between 30 and 100 black and white people in the so-called "Texas Troubles." These events agitated secession in Texas. One fire was proven to be caused by a new kind of match that self-ignited in that season's unusual heat and wind. That stopped the Denton lynch mob in that case. Many racists used slave to promote the cotton industry in Texas. By 1860, 30% of the total Texas population of 604,215 human beings were enslaved. In the statewide election on the secession ordinance, Texas voted to secede from the Union by a vote of 46,129 to 14,697 (a 76% majority). The Secession Convention immediately organized a government, replacing Sam Houston when he refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. Texas declared its secession from the United States on February 1, 1861 and joined the Confederate States of America on March 2, 1861. With few battles in its territory, Texas was mainly a "supply state" for the Confederate forces until mid-1863, when the Union capture of the Mississippi River made large movements of men, horses, or cattle impossible. Texas regiments fought in every major battle throughout the war. The last battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Palmito Ranch, was fought in Texas on May 12, 1865. The 2nd Texas Cavalry Battalion (U.S.) (one of only two from the state) took part. Many Texas unionists supported the Confederacy after the war started. Yet, many others promoted unionism throughout the war, like in the northern counties, the German districts in Texas Hill Country, and the Mexican areas.
Local officials harassed unionists and engaged in large-scale massacres against unionists and German immigrants. In Cooke County, 150 suspected unionists were arrested; 25 were lynched without trial and 40 more were hanged after a summary trial. Draft resistance was widespread, especially among Texans of German or Mexican descent; many of the latter went to Mexico. Potential draftees went into hiding, Confederate officials hunted them down, and many were shot. On August 1, 1862, Confederate troops executed 34 pro-Union German Texans in the "Nueces Massacre" of civilians. Texas's most famous unionist was state Governor at the time, Sam Houston. After refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, he was deposed as governor. The Union and Confederate forces battled each other in Texas, Arizona, and all over the Southwest. Black people celebrated the news of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston on June 19, 1865. This caused the celebration of Juneteenth. Texas had trade and finance disputed. Angry returning Confederate veterans stole state property. Then, Texas had a period of extensive violence and disorder. Much violence existed in Northern Texas. In Oklahoma, people plundered and were murdered without distinctions of party.
President Andrew Johnson appointed Union General A. J. Hamilton as provisional governor on June 17, 1865. Hamilton had been a prominent politician before the war. He granted amnesty to ex-Confederates if they promised to support the Union in the future, appointing some to office. On March 30, 1870, although Texas did not meet all the requirements, Congress restored Texas to the Union. Many free black human beings were able to become businessmen and leaders. Through the young Republican Party, black people rapidly gained political power. Indeed, blacks comprised 90% of the Texas Republican Party during the 1880s. Norris Wright Cuney, an African American from Galveston, rose to the chairmanship of the Texas Republican Party and even the national committeeman. After the 1870's, white Democrats regained control of the state legislature. They passed a new constitution in 1876 that segregated schools and established a poll tax to support them, but it was not originally required for voting. Within the Republican Party, the Lily-white movement emerged, a movement to wrest control of the party from many whites and eliminate black influence altogether. The movement had its origins in Texas but spread across the nation. This in addition to wider efforts to restrict the influence of non-whites rapidly reversed the fortunes of the black population. Racists harmed black people in Texas during the 19th century and beyond. Also, black people created churches, formed organizations, made schools, and won political offices. More than 100,000 black people in Texas voted in state elections. In 1896 and 1898, Republican Robert B. Hawley was elected to Congress from the state by a plurality, when most white voters split between the Democratic and Populist parties. Democrats were determined to end competition by Republicans and Populists, and reviewed what other Southern states were doing to disenfranchise blacks and poor whites. Mississippi's new constitution of 1890 had survived a Supreme Court case, although in practice it was highly discriminatory against freedmen.
Land use, railroads, and other institutions expanded in Texas. The Morill Act used public lands to gain funds to invest in higher education. By 1876, the Agricultural Mechanical College in Texas was created. Seven years later, the University of Texas at Austin started to conduct classes. Large cattle ranches grew in Texas during the time of Governor John Ireland. Range wars existed, and people use barbed wire around public lands, to protect their access to water and free grazing. Railroads grew cities like Dallas. Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross had to personally intervene to resolve the Jaybird-Woodpecker War (1888-1889) among factions of Democrats in Fort Bend County; at bottom, it was a racial conflict. The majority population was black by a large margin and had been electing county officers for 20 years. But, the white elite Democrats wanted their own people in power. Conflict became violent and the Jaybirds ordered several black people out of town. Tensions increased and a total of seven people were killed. In the fall of 1889, the Democratic Party created "white-only pre-primary elections," which in practice were the only competitive contests in the county, and thus disenfranchised black human beings. This situation lasted until the US Supreme Court ruling in Terry v. Adams (1953) declared it unconstitutional in the last of the white primary cases.
Under Jim Hogg, the state turned its attention toward corporations violating the state monopoly laws. In 1894, Texas filed a lawsuit against John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company and its Texas subsidiary, the Waters-Pierce Oil Company of Missouri. Hogg and his attorney-general argued that the companies were engaged in rebates, price fixing, consolidation, and other tactics prohibited by the state's 1889 antitrust act. The investigation resulted in a number of indictments, including one for Rockefeller. Hogg requested that Rockefeller be extradited from New York, but the New York governor refused, as Rockefeller had not fled from Texas. Rockefeller was never tried, but other employees of the company were found guilty.
By 1900, a hurricane destroyed Galveston, Texas, the fourth largest city at that time. The water killed from 6,000-8,000 people. The city was rebuilt using tons of effort and had a city commission government. Houston grew. Black people still suffered the poll tax and other forms of racism in the state. The poll tax harmed the voting rights of black people, Mexican Americans, and poor whites. The Democratic Party back then in Texas as mostly white and conservative. By 1906, the number of black voters had dropped from more than 100,000 in the 1890s to 5,000. The state also passed a law for white primaries. In 1896, 86.6% of all voters in Texas voted in the presidential election; following disenfranchisement, voter turnout in 1904 was 29.2% and in 1920 was 21.6%. The Supreme Court in 1923 ruled that white primaries established by political parties were unconstitutional. So, Texas governmental leaders made political parties form their own practices. The Democratic Party reinstated the white primary. That law survived until 1944 before another Supreme Court case ruled that it was unconstitutional. After 1944, the NAACP and other organizations worked to register black voters and participation increased. But the major disenfranchisement continued until the passage in the mid-1960s of civil rights legislation, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to provide for federal oversight in areas in which historically minorities did not vote in expected numbers based on population. Texas saw skyscrapers, the expansion of the oil markets, the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl. Federal relief programs like FERA, WPA, and the CCC hired thousands of workers in the state. Farmers and ranchers struggled during the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl caused an exodus of people from Texas and other areas. Many left for California.
By World War II, Texas saw tons of factories develop, POW detention camps were there, and military bases expanded. Army and Air Force training facilities were especially common in Texas during World War II. Tens of thousands of new migrants streamed in from rural areas, straining the city's housing supply and the city's ability to provide local transit and schools. For the first time, high-paying jobs went to large numbers of women, black people, and Hispanic people. The city's African-American community, emboldened by their newfound prosperity, increased its agitation for civil rights; they backed and funded the legal case of Smith v. Allwright (1944), in which the Supreme Court ruled against the latest version of the white primary in support of voting rights. Black people migrated all over Texas. Massive droughts in the late 1940's and 1950's caused an increase in mass urbanization in Texas. Water conservation plans were developed. Politically, African Americans and Mexicans Americans fought for human rights. Texas was involved in voting for JFK, and the Kennedy assassination took place on November 22, 1963. During World War II the main universities like the University of Texas and Texas A&M University gained a new national role. The wartime financing of university research, curricular change, campus trainee programs, and postwar veteran enrollments changed the tenor and allowed Texas schools to gain national stature.
From 1950 through the 1960s, Texas modernized and dramatically expanded its system of higher education. Under the leadership of Governor Connally, the state produced a long-range plan for higher education, a more rational distribution of resources, and a central state apparatus that managed state institutions with greater efficiency. Because of these changes, Texas universities received federal funds for research and development during the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson administrations. As Jim Crow Apartheid ended in America, oppression continued in new forms. Many people joined the Republican Party making Texas even more conservative. The 2003 Texas redistricting of Congressional districts led by Republican Tom DeLay, was called by the New York Times "an extreme case of partisan gerrymandering." A group of Democratic legislators, the "Texas Eleven", fled the state in a quorum-busting effort to prevent the legislature from acting, but was unsuccessful. The state had already been redistricted following the 2000 census. Despite these efforts, the legislature passed a map heavily in favor of Republicans, based on 2000 data and ignoring the estimated nearly one million new residents in the state since that date. Career attorneys and analysts at the Department of Justice objected to the plan as diluting the votes of African American and Hispanic voters, but political appointees overrode them and approved it. Legal challenges to redistricting reached the national Supreme Court in the case League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry (2006), but the court ruled in favor of the state (and Republicans).
In the 2014 Texas elections, the Tea Party movement made large gains, with numerous Tea Party favorites being elected to office, including Dan Patrick as lieutenant governor, Ken Paxton as attorney general, in addition to numerous other candidates including conservative Republican Greg Abbott as governor. That is why today in 2022, many people in Texas are fighting back against far extremism, so the future of Texas will be more progressive. This fight for justice is not easy as life is not easy. Yet, victory will come when it is all said and done.
There is the event of the Artemis I mission. This NASA mission is about its goal to travel to the Moon. This is the first time in 50 years that a spacecraft is preparing to have a journey to the Moon. The uncrewed Artemis I mission, including the Space Launch System Rocket and Orion spacecraft, will come about from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is the first step in sending humans into the Moon. The Artemis project wants to send humans to the Moon and later send human beings to Mars in the far future. There will be a recording by the lightning protection system towers at Launchpad 39B. Jeff Spaulding is the Artemis I senior NASA test director. The Orion spacecraft will enter a distant retrograde orbit of the moon and travel 40,000 miles beyond it, doing further than any spacecraft intended to carry humans. Crews will ride on the Artemis II on a similar trajectory in 2024. The first woman and other people will first land on the Moon on the lunar south police in late 2025 on the Artemis III mission. The Orion spacecraft will last for 42 days as it traveled the moon, loops around it, and goes to the Earth. It will travel 1.3 million miles. The capsule will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on October 10, 2022.
By Timothy
Friday, August 26, 2022
Late August 2022 Updates.
The Judge said that the DOJ must release the redacted affidavit in the Trump legal search of his home. The judge wants it to be released by noon Friday. The affidavit describes why investigators believe there was probable cause that crimes had been committed. U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart issued the order for the public release. The Justice Department wants to keep the document as secret as possible in order for the safety of ongoing investigations to continue. Many media companies like CNN want the unsealing of the DOJ document too. There are sources that Trump wanted to maintain the documents at his home. The Archives asked Trump to turn over many documents in 2021, but Trump refused after Trump lawyer agreed that they should be returned. This is according to an email as reported to the Washington Post. These documents were 2 dozen boxes of records. This controversy has been going on for over a year in 2021. Trump already knew that many documents were still in his Florida home too. This wasn't a secret to Trump.
President Joe Biden has shown his new student loans forgiveness plan. The far right doesn't like it, because they believe that it goes too far. Many progressives don't like it, because they feel that it doesn't go far enough. Biden said that he wants borrowers, who hold loans with the Department of Education (and make less than $125,000 a year) are eligible for up to $20,0000 in student loan forgiveness if they used Pell Grants for college. He wants people who make less than $125,000 a year to be eligible for $10,000 in loan forgiveness. These are for people who didn't receive Pell Grants. Pell Grants are money sent to people to help with tuition that folks don't have to pay back. Pell Grants aren't loans. The Biden administration said the undergraduate federal loans can cap their payment at 5% of their monthly income. The White House is extending the pandemic era pause on student loan repayments one final time until December 31, 2022. From an unbiased perspective, Biden's policy is an important step forward in addressing student loan debt. It is not the final answer, and we aren't at the finish line yet. Although, something is better than nothing.
There are many takeaways from the primaries in Florida, New York state, and Oklahoma. Right now, we know that Rep. Charlie Crist will run against Republican Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida for the Florida gubernatorial race. DeSantis is overt in passing reactionary laws, mocking the right for equality and justice (in calling it "woke"), and he desires to be President in 2024 blatantly. Crist wants the opposite vision where tolerance and human dignity are respected in Florida. Democratic Representative Val Demings will run against Republican Senator Marco Rubio. Rep. Jerry Nadler defeated Carolyn Maloney in a run for Congress. Pat Ryan had a victory in New York state too. DeSantis, in Florida, has gained $132 million for the general election, and Florida is much more conservative than four years ago (as many people in Florida are for the Trumpist agenda). Val Demings has fundraised a lot of money too. The 2022 midterm elections will be one of the most important elections in American history.
So, during the Biden Presidency, we have many Americans having their loans eliminated, the Inflation Reduction Act passed (being the biggest bill to combat climate change in American history), the American Rescue Plan, the infrastructure package, a gun reform package, CHIPS, PACT, the increase of American jobs, the lowest unemployment rate in 50, an al-Qaeda murderous leader killed, and other events. Therefore, this is massively better than Donald Trump's 1 term in office. We have a long way to go, and many people are suffering economically all over America. Yet, we are certainly in a different space than a year ago. Tim Ryan recently going against Biden's student debt forgiveness plan doesn't shock me. Many moderate Democrats are more obsessed with debt and inflation than the creation of revolutionary change in society. What really sends a wrong message is the status quo allowing large corporations to have record corporate welfare at the expense of the majority of Americans. Ryan forgets that you can cancel student loan debt, medical debt, and help workers at the same time.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
Mid-Week News.
Trump had over 300 classified documents at Mar-A-Lago. The judge has responded to Trump's lawsuit about Mar-a-Lago search. Trump wants the affidavit to be completely revealed. He wants a master to come and research the warrant. Trump's motion is trying to make him escape accountability from his corruption. Trump is a liar to say that the search into his home was illegal. It was a legal search warrant that caused the government to come into his home. The Trump team wants the government to return materials. The FBI executed the search warrant on August 8, 2022, on Monday. Donald Trump personally believes that he is above the law. The judge ordered Trump to file a supplement motion for the special master by Friday. Trump wants fundraising in order to promote his bigoted, racist, and fascist movement. That is why he supports Orban, minimizes extremism from Putin (who passed laws in Russia restricting religious evangelism, harming the freedom of the press, and harming the freedom of speech. It's an authoritarian, far right nation. It is disgraceful that far-right people and even some fake so-called "liberals" support Putin), and hates the fight against police brutality.
Many people are talking about this Andrew Tate person. He is being banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok because of making misogynistic statements. The more that I research him, the more that I found that he is part of the manosphere movement. The manosphere movement is a sexist movement that wants to blame women for basically nearly everything under the sun from relationship issues to other social problems. He used to kickbox. Tate is so extreme that he said that victims of sexual assault share some responsibility for the assaults. Tate in 2017 said that depression is not a real illness. He has been known to have acquaintances with far-right extremists like Paul Joseph Watson, Jack Posbiec, and Mike Cernovich. By 2022, he has a cult-like following among incels and women haters. Tate said that men can't have feelings or show emotions which is a lie. Recently, Tate has denied any involvement in human trafficking and rape allegations. So, Andrew Tate has no character and is no role model. Also, Andrew Tate had posts having racial slurs on his Twitter page, so he is a white racist. Many defenders of Tate talk about free speech, but those platforms are private corporate spaces that can ban people (who make sexist and bigoted comments on them) from them if they desire. He is typical of the new generation of wicked people whose views that we should reject 100 percent.
There is a noninvasive brain stimulation using electric currents that can boost memory in older adults for one month according to a study. This can help people with Alzheimer's and other memory issues. This new treatment uses electrical currents in 2 parts of the brain, known for storing and recalling information. This helps to boost the recall of words in people over 65 years old. This study comes from a team at Boston University, and was published in Nature Neuroscience on Monday. According to Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic in the Center for Brain Health at Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine, small amounts of electrical current are safe and can improve memory. These waves are done to stimulate growth and change the brain's neural networking. There are right now magnetic field devices called transcranial magnetic stimulation (or TMS) used to treat depression, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Gayatri Davi is a woman who supported neurologic intervention to help strengthen the human brain. This is one step forward in this long fight to cure Alzheimer's once and for all.
Recently, there was the death of Daria Dugina, who is the daughter of Russian nationalist public intellectual Aleksandr Dugin. There was a car bomb that blew up her Toyota Land Cruiser on a highway west of Moscow, Russia. Russia has accused Ukraine of doing it, and Ukraine has denied any involvement. Right now, there is no conclusive evidence about who was involved in the attack. The attack was evil, unjustified, and wrong. There is no excuse for murdering an innocent human being. There are sources saying that Dugin was the target, not his daughter. Dugan was planning to travel in the same car as his daughter, but he changed vehicles only at the last minute. It is no secret that this bombing comes during the Ukraine/Russia. It would be silly if Ukrainian secret police and the CIA handlers would be involved as that would escalate the war. We can't take anything for a chance, and it is possible that Ukrainian intelligence could be involved in the bombing. Dugin is no hero as he is a Putin supporter and ally. Aleksandr Dugin is a far-right extremist. Dugin believes in the lie that Ukraine is not a real authentic nation-state that Russia must control thoroughly. Yet, we just don't know yet. We know the history of U.S. imperialism being involved in assassinations and wars instigated by the U.S. intelligence agencies. We know about Russian intelligence being involved in assassinations too.
Yesterday was the Birthday of the late, great Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant was more than a good NBA Player. He was the greatest NBA of his generation. In the decade of the 2000's, he was the best. Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia. His father was a basketball player, and his mother loved him too. His life has been filled with him trying to perform excellence at all costs. Playing in Philadelphia, Kobe gained grit and determination to go into the NBA. Kobe left high school straight into the League in 1996. Kobe was never afraid of any player. He wasn't even afraid of the GOAT Michael Jordan who would later become one of his best friends. Playing for the LA Lakers for the duration of his career, Kobe Bryant won 5 NBA Championships, 2 NBA Finals MVPs, the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008, 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion, 18 times NBA All Star, 2 Olympic Gold Medals (in Beijing in 2008 and in London in 2012), and I can go down the list of his other parts of his resume. He was a family man who loved his wife and daughters, including Gianna. He wrote literature and was part of a movie about basketball. As time went on, he became a better man and a role model for sports, technology, and entrepreneurship. As the all-time leading Lakers scorer, Kobe Bryant is among the top 3 greatest LA Laker of all time. Kobe Bryant acted in many shows and movies.
Rest in Power Brother Kobe Bryant.
By Timothy
Monday, August 22, 2022
Late August 2022 Updates about Life.
Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth most populous city in the United States of America. Houston is known for having great diversity. Its mayor is the Democrat Sylvester Turner, and Houston has almost 700 square miles of land. It has had rapid growth by the oil industry, NASA, and medical research. It is home to the Texas Medical Center or the world's largest concentration of healthcare of research institutions. The Port of Houston is ranked first in America in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. It has an active museum, religious, theater, and music scenes. The majority of people in Houston are people of color. Houston is filled with African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and other ethnic groups. Houston is home to a large population of Nigerian Americans too. It is a Black Mecca like Atlanta where black professionals have grown businesses and other institutions. The Houston area is home to the largest African American community west of the Mississippi River. A 2012 Kinder Institute report found that, based on the evenness of population distribution between the four major racial groups in the United States (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian), Greater Houston was the most ethnically diverse metropolitan area in the United States, ahead of New York City. In 2018, non-Hispanic whites made up 20.7% of the population, Hispanics or Latino Americans 44.9%, African Americans made up of 30.3%, and Asian Americans made up of 8.2%. The largest Hispanic or Latino American ethnic groups in the city were Mexican Americans (31.6%), Puerto Ricans (0.8%), and Cuban Americans (0.8%) in 2018.
San Antonio is the second largest city in population in Texas and in the South. It was created by 1718 and it was controlled by the Spanish Empire, later by Mexico, and then by America. It has over 1.4 million people with over 500 square miles of land. Also, it was named after the 1691 Spanish expedition for the Portuguese priest Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day is June 13. It has highly popular tourist locations with places like the River Walk, The Tower of the Americas, SeaWorld Antonio, the Alamo Bowl, and Marriage Island. Many amusement parks are there, and its home to the five-time NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. Its annual San Antonio Stock and Show and Rodeo is one of the largest events in America. Military culture is found in many bases in its city limits. San Antonio is the largest majority Hispanic city in the United States of America with 64% of its population being Hispanic. The Alamo is a famous tourist location. The Alamo was where Mexican military forces fought people who wanted Texas to be independent of Mexico. Other places of interest include the San Antonio Botanical Garden, Brackenridge Park, the Japanese Tea Gardens, The Shops at La Cantera, the Sunken Garden Theater, The Woodlawn Theatre, and the Majik Theatre, a children's educational theater. The Mayor of San Antonio is the Independent Ron Niremberg.
Dallas is one of the most famous cities in Texas. Its mayor is the Democrat Eric Johnson, and it has about 386.9 square miles in terms of land. Its population is about 1.3 million people. It has a strong center of transportation and infrastructure development. It has four major interstate highways converging in the city and a fifth interstate loop around it. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. The Metroplex has DART of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Dallas is home to economic sectors being prominent like defense, financial services, information technology, telecommunications, and transportation. It hosts 23 Fortune 500 companies, the second most in Texas and the fourth most in America. It has over 41 colleges and universities in its metropolitan area. Dallas is one of the most diverse cities in America. The Dallas area is also a major destination for Black and African Americans. Between 2000 and 2010, the Dallas area gained 223,000 new Black and African American residents only behind the Atlanta metropolitan area. The notable influx of African Americans is partly due to the New Great Migration (or black Americans migrating from the North, Midwest, and West into the South). There is a significant number of people from the Horn of Africa, immigrants from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. Most people in Dallas are Hispanic Americans, then 28.1 percent are white Americans, Black Americans are 22.9 percent, and Asian Americans are 3.7 percent. Almost 80 percent of the people in Dallas, Texas are Christian. Dallas is home to the largest prison ministries on Earth probably. Dallas is filled with Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches. Dallas has a large Jewish, Buddhist, and Muslim population too.
Austin is home to music festivals. It is home to tons of people. It is the capital city of Texas. Austin's mayor is Democrat Steve Adler. Many people there are diverse made up of government employees, college students, musicians, high-tech workers, digital marketers, and blue-collar workers. Social media conferences, film producers, and large companies are found there from Google to Intel. The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest universities in America with over 50,000 students. In 2021, Austin became home to the Austin FC, the first (and currently only) major professional sports league in the city. It has over 1 million people with over 320 square miles of land. Austin hosts many film festivals, including the SXSW (South by Southwest) Film Festival and the Austin Film Festival, which hosts international films. A movie theater chain by the name of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was founded in Austin in 1997; the South Lamar location of which is home to the annual week-long Fantastic Fest film festival. In 2004 the city was first in MovieMaker Magazine's annual top ten cities to live and make movies. The Paramount Theater in Austin contributes to the city's film culture. According to the 2015–2019 Census estimates, 51.7% of Austin residents ages 25 and over have earned at least a bachelor's degree, compared to the national figure of 32.1%. 19.4% hold a graduate or professional degree, compared to the national figure of 12.4%.
Fort Worth is the 5th largest state in Texas. The Texas Longhorn cattle trade is found in the city. Its Western heritage is embraced with its architecture, culture, and other aspects of its compositions. It has over 950,000 people in Fort Worth. Fort Worth is the location of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and several museums designed by contemporary architects. The Kimbell Art Museum was designed by Louis Kahn, with an addition designed by Renzo Piano. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth was designed by Tadao Ando. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art, designed by Philip Johnson, houses American art. The Sid Richardson Museum, redesigned by David M. Schwarz, has a collection of Western art in the U.S., emphasizing Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History was designed by Ricardo Legorreta of Mexico. Fort Worth is the location of several university communities: Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan, University of North Texas Health Science Center, and Texas A&M University School of Law. Several multinational corporations, including Bell Textron, American Airlines, BNSF Railway, and Chip 1 Exchange are headquartered in Fort Worth. Motor racing and the rodeo are found in Fort Worth. Fort Worth is known as part of the Bible Belt with a large group of Baptists and other Christian groups.
El Paso is the city in the far southwestern part of Texas. It has almost 680,000 people. 81 percent of the people of El Paso are Hispanic Americans. El Paso stands on the Rio Grande across the Mexico–United States border from Ciudad Juárez, the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua with over 1.5 million people. El Paso's size is almost 260 square miles. El Paso has a strong military, federal, and economic presence. El Paso's economy does deal with international trade, military government, oil, gas, health service, etc. El Paso has cotton, fruit, vegetables, and livestock produced. El Paso has the KLAQ Great River Raft Race every year. The Southwestern International PRCA Rodeo is the 17th-oldest rodeo in the nation and El Paso's longest-running sporting event. Consistently ranked as one of the top 50 shows in the country by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, this charitable event is a true celebration of western culture and heritage. La Fiesta de las Flores is one of the oldest Hispanic festivals in the Southwest. The three-day fiesta is held each year during the Labor Day weekend and emphasizes El Paso's Hispanic heritage and culture. The festival attracts 20,000 to 30,000 visitors from El Paso County, New Mexico, West Texas, and the State of Chihuahua, Mexico. Activities included in the fiesta are the crowning of the queen, a Fiesta Parade, Senior Appreciation Dance, Military Appreciation Day, and live entertainment. The Fiesta is also well known for the authentic regional cuisine, arts and crafts, games, and services available for the enjoyment of all attendees. Over 80 booths, sponsored by local vendors and nonprofit organizations, create the Hispanic ambiance and culture.
Dr. Katherine Johnson's mother was a teacher, and her father was a lumberman, farmer, and handyman. His father worked at the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia. After she graduated from high school at the age of 14, she matriculated at WVSC, a historically black college. She loved to take every mathematics course at the college. Many professors mentored her like the chemist and mathematician Angie Turner King, who had guided Coleman during high school. Professor W. W. Schieffelin Claytor, the third African American to earn a doctorate in mathematics, mentored Dr. Johnson too. Claytor added new mathematics courses just for Johnson. Dr. Johnson graduated summa cum laude in 1937 with degrees in mathematics and French, at the age of 18. She taught black schools in a public school in Marion, Virginia. A lot of people don't know that she co-authored 26 scientific papers. She helped to pioneer more research in space science and computing.
It is important to write about the Shields family more on the paternal side of my family. My great-grand aunt named Geneva Shields. She lived from 1927 to 2016. Her parents are my 2nd great-grandfather Adam D. and Nancy Reynolds. She married Jessie Lee Shields on March 12, 1946, at Norfolk, Virginia. Jessie Lee Shields's parents are Jimmie Shields and Robert McNeer. Geneva Shields worked at 1039 Calvert Street in Norfolk, Virginia, and Jimme Lee Shields lived at 1029 Chapel Street at Norfolk, Virginia. Geneva was 19 years old, and Jessie was 26 years old. Geneva and Jessie Shields' children are: Carolyn Maxine Shields Ruffin (b. 1945), Marian Jean Shields (b. 1946), James Lee Shields Jr. (b. 1949), Clarence Edward Shields (1949-1949), Annie Marie Shields (b. 1950), William Earl Shields, Paulettee Shields Melton, and Dianne Shields-Harris. Paulette Shields Mellon lived from December 14, 1953, to February 26, 2017. She was the youngest daughter of Jesse and Geneva Shields. Paulette attended Brawley School in Scotland Neck, North Carolina. She loved her childhood and teenage years in North Carolina with her siblings and family. By 1969, she moved with her family to Spring Valley, New York. Paulette attended and graduated from Ramapo High School. She met and married Leroy Smith as her first husband. Later, Paulette worked as a nurse's aide at the Dr. Yeager Health Center in Pomona, New York for 10 years. She moved back to her home at Scotland Neck, North Carolina by the early 1990's where she worked at the Scotland Neck Manor Nursing Home for years. She gave tender care to the sick and elderly. Paulette loved to take care of people. She fellowshipped and worship as a member of Shiloh Baptist Church. She loved to dance, play games with her family and friends, and hold events for the holidays at her home. She also cooked and baked goodies. The children of Paulette and Leroy Smith were Tyrone Smith, Lamont Smith, and Lakeisha Smith (who was a cheerleader when she was a child). Leroy and Tyrone played football before. Paulette Shields Melton's last husband was Renzalo Melton. Tyrone Smith's wife is Michelle Smith, and Lamont Smith's wife is Veronica Smith. Paulette's grandchildren are Shaqora Parker, Shaquan Smith, Taron Smith, Tianna Smith, Tyreke Smith, Tieha Smith, Le'onnie Smith, and Quana'asia Whyte. She has one great-grandchild named Noel Kellaman.
With the events going on, we have to realize the importance of Title IX. It is the federal civil rights law in America that came about in 1972. It was part of the Educational Amendments of 1972. It banned sex-based discrimination in any school or any other educational program that receives funding from the federal government. It was enacted by the 92nd United States Congress. Title IX is one of the most underrated laws in human history. President Richard Nixon signed the bill into law on June 23, 1972. Senator Birch Bayh wrote the 37 words of Title IX. Representative Edith Green, chair of the Subcommittee on Education, held hearings on exposing discrimination against women, and she introduced legislation to the House on May 11, 1972. Title IX was created to update Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Back in 1972, only 42 percent of the students enrolled in American colleges were girls and women. That is changed now. Title IX helped millions of women to be involved in sports, education, and other legitimate spheres of human life. It is a progressive law beneficial to all people, regardless of background too.
By Timothy
Friday, August 19, 2022
Friday Updates.
A federal judge has set in motion the possible public release of a heavily redacted version of the affidavit for the FBI search at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. The judge said that the affidavit should not remain fully sealed, but the redacted version is probably made to save lives. Trump wants the whole affidavit to exist for the public, because he is desperate in trying to prevent himself from being charged by the federal government. Donald Trump and his movement of extremism have brainwashed tons of Americans. He could also be charged in Georgia or New York state possibly. We know that ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pleads guilty in the Manhattan tax probe. The Trump Organization has been accused of financial corruption for years. The Trump Organization remains defiant in maintaining its innocence in all allegations. The DOJ is opposed to releasing the affidavit. The judge said that the redacted document or affidavit should come by August 25, 2022.
I think the problem is that many manosphere and divestors manipulate or lie about the real meaning of the word simp. Many manosphere extremists view any black man as a "simp" if he shows true love and concern for the well-being and human dignity of black women. If a black man is attracted to a black woman and defends the human rights of a black woman, then many manosphere people call that person a "simp." The real definition of a simp is a man who acts like a doormat to a woman without independent thought, without concern for being humiliated, uses money alone as a tool to gain love or respect (instead of his own personality and merit as a human being), and seeks women out of desperation instead of sincere love or a sincere motive to seek companionship. Tons of studies confirm that a black man and a black woman being together increases life expectancy, helps with mental health, and increases just a successful life. We should cultivate positive, loving black relationships. Regardless of the divestors lie about, we don't want black folks who aren't compatible to date each other to be married. We just want black people with similar interests, with real connections, and real motives to date and marry each other. Real wealth is not about paper money per se. Real wealth is your health, your institutions, your family, your land, your community, and other real resources that will stand for future generations. That is why isn't just about us alone or bread alone. It is about following words of the living God.
Also, we have to be wise to reject ignorance. Some conservative and even some self-hating black people spew anti-black talking points. Some of them blame the black community collectively for crime, some promote the lie that black people don't speak out against crime, and some hypocritically glorify bad music but later blame every black person for ills in society. The person who said that nonsense is Kevin Gates. Kevin Gates is a hip-hop artist who hypocritically had music glorifying violence and other things, and then he said that we (black people) kill each other. The truth is that black people are not monolithic. There are tons of black people in Stop The Violence programs, self-help groups, and conflict intervention actions to fight back against violence nationwide. The vast majority of black people aren't killing each other. This anti-black nonsense has been promoted by Candance Owens (who disrespected Native Americans too. She called Native Americans literal cannibals and white people came to civilize them. You can Google this too). Owens omits that racists have used genocide against Native Americans, gave them smallpox, and stole their lands. Black folks experienced slavery and massive murders too. This history must be shown to the people, whether folks like it or not.
Yesterday was the Birthday of Brother Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and he is 52 years old. He is one of best in what he does. He is an actor, director, producer, musician, and writer. Many of us know him for the roles of the NBC sitcom of The Cosby Show and the UPN sitcom of Malcolm and Eddie. Years ago, he starred as the character of Dr. Alex Reed in the show of Reed Between the Line. Now, he stars as Dr. AJ Austin on the FOX medical drama The Resident. Jersey City, New Jersey is the city of his birth. His mother raised him, and he was named after Malcolm X and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. He graduated from The Professional Children's School in New York City (which is a high school). Malcolm Jamal Warner was on TV shows, music videos, and other avenues. He has always promoted literacy in our community. Warner won a Grammy, won an Image Award, and won 2 Young Artist Awards. He wrote a book in 1988 called Theo and Me: Growing Up Okay. He loves his family and his daughter. I wish Brother Malcolm-Jamal Warner more Blessings.
Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Brianna Rollins-McNeal. She is a champion gold medal winner of the 100 m hurdles during the 2016 Olympics at Rio. Also, she won gold in the same event during the 2013 World Championships. Her time of 12.26 is tied as the fourth fastest run in history. Miami, Florida is the city of her birth. Now, she is 32 years old. For years, she worked hard by her own merit. She is the oldest of seven siblings. By 2009, she graduated from Miami Northwestern Senior High School. She majored in travel and tourism in 2013 from Clemson University in South Carolina. She was a three-time NCAA champion at Clemson. She won the 60 m hurdles in 2011 and in 2013. She won the 100m hurdles in 2013. By 2017, she married Bryce McNeal in a ceremony in San Deigo. Both met at Clemson. She won gold in the 2018 Diamond League race in 2018. She has her faith in God, and there is nothing wrong with that. I wish Sister Brianna Rollins-McNeal more Blessings.
Thursday, August 18, 2022
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Historic News in Late August 2022.
We certainly have a state crisis involving Trump. The DOJ wants the affidavit sealed because it has highly sensitive information. Many in the GOP support Trump, regardless of what he does. Trump can potentially violate the Espionage Act, and he is their hero. Trump is a bigoted racist who should have accountability for being involved in the coup d'état against the American government. After the August 8th FBI raid on Donald Trump's estate in Mar-a-Lago, Trump has been desperate to try not to go into prison. Everything is not perfect in the world. We have war in Ukraine caused by a Russian preemptive attack. We have conflict politically between the West and China. I don't believe in the two extreme views of everyone in China being totally evil and the other extreme of China being just a teddy bear. China has great people, but the authoritarian policies in China (like religious liberty suppression, Internet censorship, and other issues) have no justification at all. It's like the police brutality, the racism, and the xenophobia in America has no justification too. The materials found by the FBI at Trump's home have information about Emmanuel Marcon, nuclear weapons, etc.
Today, Liz Cheney lost the GOP primary in Wyoming to the Trump-backed extremist Harriet Hageman. Rep. Liz Cheney was one of the few Republicans who condemned Trump's corruption, lies, racism, and anti-democratic actions. In Alaska, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski faced a challenge from Trump-endorsed candidate Kelly Tshibaka. She won her GOP primary. Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is in a special election for Alaska's only House seat. Trump and his allies have used their influence to try to defeat GOP challengers to his agenda of Trumpism. He wants his followers to be completely loyal to him like a cult. It is a cult where grown adults unconditionally support Donald Trump no matter what he does. It is a cult when Trump supporters in many cases have not only threatened people, but some of them used violence against innocent human beings nationwide for years. This far-right extremism is a terrorist movement for real, and we shall be victorious in the end.
President Joe Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. This is one of Biden's greatest legislation accomplishments. It has $750 billion in health care, tax, and climate bill into law at the White House. Immediately, this law will help the lives of Americans. This law is very progressive. The American people sacrificed hard for this legislation to be on the books as official law. There were valleys, but victory is real. The journey for justice is not over yet, but this victory is an important one for freedom-loving people. Biden will travel across the country to talk about the new law. We are in the midst of one of the most important midterm elections in American history. Recently, he signed a bill to increase domestic semiconductor production and increase benefits for veterans affected by toxic burns pits in Afghanistan and Iraq. There is a bipartisan gun reform bill being passed too. The Inflation Reduction Act will cut the deficit being paid for by new taxes. The new law has a 15% minimum tax on large corporations, a 1% tax on stock buybacks, negotiates lower prices for Medicare prescription drugs, and boosts the Internal Revenue Service's ability to collect.
Rudy Giuliani was told by prosecutors that he is a target in the Georgia 2020 Presidential election probe. Rudy was involved in the coup plot to try to overthrow the 2020 Presidential election. There is a grand jury investigating in Georgia on whether former President Donald Trump and his allies violated the law in their efforts to flip the 2020 election results in Georgia. Giuliani possibly could testify soon, and he could be indicted in the near future. The prosecutor from the Fulton County District is serious to find the facts. A federal judge ruled that Lindsay Graham (who is a U.S. Senator from South Carolina) must testify in the Georgia 2020 investigation. Guiliani was Trump's attorney who promoted the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Joe Biden won Georgia by nearly 12,000 votes. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis detailed the large scope of the current investigation. Many people could be charged with solicitation of election fraud, making false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office, and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election's administration. We shall wait and see what will happen.
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Monday, August 15, 2022
Mid August 2022 Updates.
Recently, Passion Lowe has information about my ancestors. I found out that she is my 6th cousin living in California. We both are descendants of my 6th great-grandfather parents of the free African American Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791) from Southampton County, Virginia. So, how did the journey start? Long ago, my maternal ancestors lived in Southampton County, Virginia. Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman had a son named John Burwell Williams (b. 1815), and his wife was Mary Williams (b. 1824). Their daughter was my 1st cousin named Mary L. Williams (1855-1905). She had a child with Eddie Drew Kello named Roa Lester Kelle Williams (1876-1920). He lived from October 22, 1876, to November 13, 1920. In the 1880 United States Federal Census Records, we find that Rao Williams was raised by Mary Williams at Berlin and Ivor, Southampton County, Virginia. He was also known as Rassie Williams too. He married Violet Ramsey (b. 1887) and their following children are: Susie Kelle Williams (b. 1900), Claudia Ann Williams (1902-1936), Samuel B. Williams (b. 1904), Ras C. Williams (b. 1906), Daisey D. Williams (1910-1976), Carrie Elizabeth Hunt Williams (b. 1911), and Sylvia Margaret Davis (1912-1994). Claudia Ann Williams lived from 1902 to 1936. She married Charlie Foster and had the daughter of Marion Elizabeth Foster (1920-2014). Marion Elizabeth Foster lived from October 5, 1920, at Newport News, Virginia to February 21, 2014. She married Arceanious Herbert Felton in Norfolk, Virginia on July 24, 1936. Their child was LaVonne Harriet Felton (1936-2001). Marion had a child with Enrich Alfred Jasper (b. 1919) named Enrick Alfred Jasper Jr. (1944-2009. He was a military veteran). She married Joseph Murphy (b. 1918) and George Foster (1921-1996). She made a child with Rufus C. Wheeler named Ruthie Charlesetta Wheeler (1951-2005). Marion Elizabeth Foster's son with Joseph David Murphy Sr. was Joseph David Murphy Jr. (1964-2009). Marion Elizabeth Foster's child of Ruthie Charlesetta Wheeler married Lemuel Kinney (B. 1948). Their son is Lemuel Kinney Jr. (b. 1966). Marion also married Hary Irvin Wells (1925-2010) later on in her life, and they have the child of Passion D. Wells Lowe (b. 1985). By the time of Marion Foster and Passion Lowe, this family lives in California in San Diego and other cities in Southern California. Passion Desiree Lowe is my 6th cousin.
Beyonce's seventh studio album of Act 1: Renaissance is highly popular in 2022. It's an album that takes huge risks, but it's filled with a mixture of old school and new school sounds. It is right to comment on the album from an unbiased perspective. This is about the music. It was released to the general public on July 29, 2022, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. After years of waiting, Beyonce fans love it when this new work has been shown to the world. This album is one of her trilogy project involving diverse music. Beyonce, at this time, has nothing to prove. She is the most influential musician of the 21st century and one of the greatest artists of our time. This album deals with the time of reflection involving COVID, family, and life in general. Wiring and producing on the album came from her, Nova Wav, The Dream, Tricky Steward, Hit Boys, No I.D., etc. Beam, Grace Jones, and Tem are guest vocalists. Beyonce recorded the album in Atlanta, New York state, Connecticut, North Hollywood, and Jamaica. The album has a mixture of dance, house, disco, pop, and R&B. The break-out single was Break My Soul which was released on June 20, 2022. The song reached number one on many charts worldwide, including the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Beyonce, Trickey Stewart, The Dream, Jens Christain Isaken, and Jay Z. It was produced by the former four. It samples Big Fredia's 2014 bounce song Explode, written by Big Freedia and Adam Pigott including Robin S.'s house song Show Me Love (written by Allen George and Fred McFarlane). American singer Crystal Waters, who helped to make house music mainstream in the 1990's, said that she was ecstatic when she heard Break My Soul and showed gratitude for Beyonce for helping shine a light on underappreciated house singers. Former President Brack Obama featured the song as the first track on his Summer 2022 playlist. Beyonce wanted her new album to have a time of joy and escape from the injustice and isolation that happened over the year. She dedicated the album to her children, her husband Jay Z, and Uncle Johnny, her late gay cousin who battled HIV. Jonny was the nephew of Beyonce's mother Rina. Beyonce and her sister Solange called him "Uncle" He inspired Beyonce to learn about the house and dance music found in the Renaissance album.
Beyonce was on a horse on the album cover. The horse looks crystal. Some people say that it's similar to John Collier's 1897 painting Lady Godiva and to the photographs of Bianca Jagger riding the horse. There is another cover image with Beyonce atop the same horse with a white cowboy hat with a silver headpiece. Renaissance is unlike any album that Beyonce has done. It has beats and sounds from Chicago house, electro house, Afrobeats, disco, R&B, etc. It's an album that celebrates black culture and it has elements of escapism, confidence, sexual expression, and pleasure. It merges the sexual freedom of the album Beyonce mixed with the introspection about life found in Lemonade. Most critics have loved the album. Early on, there have been the Kelis and J. Lo issues. Kelis has gotten what she wanted, and that controversy is over. As for J. Lo, I will say that Beyonce has made Lemonade. J. Lo has never made anyone close to Lemonade artistically or lyrically. J. Lo is the person who said All Lives Matter, and she has used black culture for a long time and later moved on to mainstream society. To me, Renaissance is a hybrid, experimental album that some folks will like it or not. It depends on your taste. It is her bravest work that she ever released, and she went totally left in terms of the sonic content. You can tell that she has a love for disco and house music, including dance music too. Dance music is one of the most underrated genres in the world. Beyonce also eliminated an ableist slur from the album. The album honors black LBGT+ culture and it shows a new generation of the diverse aspects of black music in general. Much of the songs like I'm That Girl and Cozy shows her confidence. Church Girl is a song that focuses on the experiences of black people in the church. Virgo's Groove is one of her best songs on the album vocally. Renaissance will be debated for years and decades to come. What is true is that Beyonce hasn't stopped in her goal of being the best of what she can be.
This year is the 35th year anniversary of A Different World. It all began in 1987. A Different World was unlike any show in television history. It was a show that was ahead of its time. I always mentioned that this show certainly inspired me to be more socially and politically conscious about the world. The greatness of the show was it presented to the world a diverse amount of black people personality wise and social-wise. In real life, we know people who act like a Dwayne Wade, a Whitley Gilbert, a Ron Johnson, a Jalessa Vinson-Taylor, a Kimberly Reese, or a Freddie Brooks. The series started to center around Denise Huxtable (played by Lisa Bonet) in its first season. Its story focused at Hillman College, a fictional historically black college in Virginia. The show inspired people at HBCUs for years and decades to come. After Lisa Bonet left the series in the first season, the remainder of the series focused on many cast members like Whitley Gibert-Wayne (played by Jasmine Guy) and math genius Dwayne Wayne (played by Kadeem Hardison). The show was spin off from The Cosby Show. The show called about race and class issues, sexual assault, the Equal Rights Amendment, and HIV/AIDS. Marisa Tomei was in the first season. By the 2nd season, Debbie Allen (who is an alumna of Howard University) changed the whole show to make it more realistic. She was the chief creative force. Denise was pregnant by the summer of 1987 as she was dating Lenny Kravitz back then. By the 2nd second, Cree Summer and Charnele Brown came on the show Marie-Alise Recasner was in the first season. Legendary people like Glynn Turman and Lou Myers were anchors on the show for years. Many celebrities on the show were Kim Wayans, Jenifer Lewis, Diahann Carroll, Patti LaBelle, Roger Guenveur Smith, Rosalind Cash, Ron O'Neal, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Halle Berry, Richard Roundtree, Ev Vogue, HeavyD, Jesse Jackson, Trina McGree, David Alan Grier, and other human beings.
By the end of the show in July of 1993 (near the start of my 5th-grade year), I was near the end of my time in elementary school. From tackling issues like racism, poverty, HIV/AIDS, apartheid, the 1992 Los Angeles rebellion, sexism, rape, domestic violence, colorism, and the issue of music, A Different World stands on its own as a classic television show. I like the Wedding episode, the episode exposing racism after the football game, and the new characters coming up during the show's last two seasons too. Debbie Allen helped to re-invent the show to make it more realistic and honest about the multifaceted black American experience. It gave an eye-opening look at HBCUs too. A Different World contributed to an increase of black people going into Historically Black Colleges and Universities. As part of my childhood, A Different World was one of the greatest television shows in human history.
The 2022 film of Elvis is a biographical musical drama film directed by Baz Luhrmann. He co-wrote the screenplay with Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner. Elvis Presley is known for his role in rock and roll. Also, the film focuses on Elvis and his manager Colonel Tom Parker. The film has Austin Butler as Elvis, Tom Hanks as Parker, and Helen Thomason, and Richard Boxburgh as co-stars. The film was started to be created by 2014. Luhrmann wanted to direct an Elvis Presley biopic. The trailer of the film has been emotional. Before going and evaluating the elephant in the room, it's time to give a summary of the film. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2022, and was released in Australia on June 23, 2022. America saw the film released on June 24, 2022. The film has many fashions, and some people questioned the historical accuracy of Elvis. People have praised Butler and Tom Hanks' performances in the film. It has grossed $261 million worldwide making it the second highest-grossing music biopic of all time behind Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). The film starts in 1997 when Elvis Presley's former manager, Colonel Tom Parker is on his deathbed after suffering a stroke. He looks back on the life of Elvis fighting gambling addiction. He was destitute. Elvis started out living his childhood in the poorest areas of Mississippi raised by his mother Gladys.
The movie showed Elvis reading the comic book adventures of Captain Marvel Jr. He moves with his parents in Memphis, Tennessee. Some of his peers criticized him for loving the African American music of Memphis' Beale Street. Parker back in the day was a carnival person who wanted to be a modern day P.T. Barnum. Although Parker is partnered with country singer Hank Snow, Parker immediately realizes Elvis' crossover potential when he hears the white artist sounding unique on the groundbreaking single, "That's All Right." That night, he sees Elvis at a Louisiana Hayride performance, finding him a talented musician with charisma.
Parker persuades Elvis to let him take exclusive control of his career, beginning a meteoric ascent that sees the Presley family lifted out of poverty. Ordinary Americans are divided as to their opinions on the singer, with Southern Democrat-minded citizens (including segregationist Mississippi Senator Jim Eastland) worried that his music will corrupt their children and calm racial hostility. Eastland calls Parker to an informal hearing, during which he questions Parker about his mysterious past. Back in the 1950's, the country was much more conservative, so Elvis's dancing was considered too controversial by many back then.
After Elvis' charged dance moves at a concert, the singer finds himself facing potential legal trouble. Parker persuades the government to draft Elvis into the US Army instead to avoid any legal entanglements. During his military service in West Germany, Elvis is devastated by his mother's alcoholism-induced death. He only recovers when he meets Priscilla Beaulieu. After his discharge, he resumes his movie career, and years later, he married Priscilla.
As the popular culture of the 1960s passes him by, Elvis is heartbroken by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. Although he wants to become more politically outspoken in his music, Parker only allows him to release frivolous feel-good songs. Elvis eventually decides to revamp his image with the help of an outside group of consultants, hijacking a Christmas special by recording various political and emotionally-charged songs. Network sponsors are infuriated and threaten litigation, while Parker is disgusted, believing Elvis to have been "brainwashed by hippies." Regardless, Elvis’s instincts are proven correct when the show is a massive hit.
After the special, Elvis headlines at the largest showroom in Las Vegas, the International Hotel, and then resumes concert tours. Parker's control of Elvis' life becomes even stronger as he refuses Elvis' request for a world tour and tricks him into signing a contract for a lengthy Las Vegas casino residency. Elvis discovers that Parker cannot travel abroad because he is a stateless illegal immigrant; having surrendered his original Dutch citizenship, he would not be able to return to America after leaving. When he attempts to fire Parker, the manager responds by suing him for an impossibly large sum of money. They argue, and Parker convinces Elvis that the two need each other. They rarely see each other afterwards, though Parker continues in his role as manager.
Elvis' behavioral issues and prescription drug addiction overtake him, and a despondent Priscilla divorced him in 1973, taking their daughter Lisa Marie with her. Elvis continues a rigorous schedule of shows that leaves him increasingly exhausted. Shortly before his death in 1977, Elvis expresses his greatest fear to Priscilla: that no one will remember him after he is gone.
The movie ends with real-life footage of Elvis at one of his final shows. Elvis (who has massive health issues by the 1970's) sings "Unchained Melody". He ends the performance triumphantly, to thunderous applause. As he finishes his recollection, Colonel Parker dies, impoverished and alone, while Elvis is beloved worldwide and is the best-selling solo artist in history. The soundtrack of the movie of Elvis is diverse from his music, Big Mama Thorton, Doja Cat, Eminem, CeeLo Green, Stevie Nicks, Jack White, Swae Lee, and other artists. The truth about the film Elvis is that it showed his complex life. Elvis was a very talented person with flaws and a sense of trying to adjust to changing times in America. Lisa Marie Presley or the daughter of Elvis praised the film as "nothing short of spectacular." Priscilla or Elvis' ex-wife praised the film too including Elvis' granddaughter Riley Keough (who is an actress and filmmaker).
Elvis Presley's life represents a transition from the old school music of the early 20th century to the explosion of rock and roll during the 1950's and the 1960's. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam observed: “In cultural terms, [Elvis’s] coming was nothing less than the start of a revolution” (Halberstam, The Fifties). When Elvis appeared on the Milton Berle Show in April 1956, he was watched by more than 40 million viewers, one out of every four Americans. Elvis was raised in the First Assembly of God Church in East Tupelo, Mississippi. By high school, Elvis didn't sing or attend church regularly. Elvis, as a child, would try to pray to his dead twin brother Jesse. Also, Elvis would curse and blaspheme God behind his mother's back. B.B. King knew Elvis as Elvis learned the blues from black people on Beale Street in Memphis. Elvis loved to perform and record gospel songs, but he embraced New Age beliefs later in his life. Pastor Hamill, former pastor of First Assembly of God in Memphis, says that Presley visited him in the late 1950s, when he was at the height of his rock & roll powers, and testified: “Pastor, I’m the most miserable young man you’ve ever seen. I’ve got all the money I’ll ever need to spend. I’ve got millions of fans. I’ve got friends. But I’m doing what you taught me not to do, and I’m not doing the things you taught me to do” (Steve Turner, Hungry for Heaven, p. 20). Ultimately, drug abuse, unfortunately, contributed to Elvis Presley's passing. He used amphetamines, Benzedrine, LSD, marijuana, and other drugs including pills. The life of Elvis shouldn't be mocked or ridiculed. We learn lessons in life, and in our lives we learn about human lives in order to better our own lives. We can't let our mentalities be just about ourselves alone. Life is about caring about others too.
Friday, August 12, 2022
News of our Lives.
Some breaking news from the Washington Post is that federal government authorities searched Trump's Florida home for nuclear documents. We have to wait for more facts. If it is true that Trump carried nuclear documents with him home, the FBI tried to subpoena him to turn them over, Trump refused, and the FBI had no other choice but to use a warrant to get them, then that is wild. Trump has committed borderline treason if this is true. This is why Garland didn't want to talk about the more specifics about the warrant. The Washington Post said that signals intelligence material was included in the boxes. Signal intelligence deals with intercepted phone calls and technology used by the intelligence community. If this story is true, Trump placed America's national security in danger. Trump is easily the most corrupt President of my lifetime. He is not insane or unintelligent. He knows exactly what he is doing with his evil actions. He needs to be held accountable for also trying to overthrow American democracy with his failed coup d'état. There is no defense of Trump's actions. The DOJ wants to unseal the search warrant for Trump's home, and Trump's legal team considering fighting the unsealing (until recently when Trump wants the unsealing of the warrant).
The primaries prove Trump's control over the Republican Party. There are pro-Trump election deniers winning primaries in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Vermont. These races are races for the governor of Wisconsin, the Senate race in Connecticut, etc. Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (one of the 10 Republicans who lost her race in the primary, and she voted to impeach Trump for the attack on the U.S. Capitol), lost to the far-right Republican Joe Kent (a former Green Beret). The Republican Party continues to evolve in a fascist fashion directly. The Democratic Party is made up of progressive and compromising moderates who want the status quo. Construction Republican boss Tim Michels will run against Democrat Tony Evers, who defeated Walker in 2018. Michels supports building the Keystone XL pipeline under Trump. The pipeline was stopped from being constructed under the Biden administration. Kim Crockett, another Republican, won the nomination for Secretary of State in Wisconsin. Donald Trump has shown a police state plan in his fascist speech at the Texas CPAC conference in August of 2022 saying "And we have to hit them very, very hard, it has to be a crippling defeat because our country cannot take it." We know what he means which is inciting. He or Trump said he wants the National Guard and military troops to go into Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, and New York City. Trump wants stop and frisk and executions for "suspected drug dealers." That is why Trump supports the racist and fascist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Recently, Attorney General Merrick Garland spoke on the FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. He said that he personally approved of the decision to execute a legal warrant for federal agents to go to Trump's home. The FBI was concerned that Trump was refusing to send classified material back to the U.S. government. Garland also said that the Justice Department will file a motion requesting the Trump warrant and property receipt be unsealed. Trump brought many documents to his Palm Beach, Florida residence. Reports say that an informant told the FBI information about this situation too. Trump received a subpoena for the documents ahead of the FBI search. Garland defended the actions of the DOJ employees as "dedicated, patriotic public servants." Many far-right people have lied and disrespected DOJ agents executing a legal search warrant. Kerik, who was a convicted criminal from the Bush administration, made even more outrageous comments about the situation too. We are not shocked at the lies from the far right. Garland mentioned that the DOJ is applying the law without fear or favor.
Donald Trump has invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions from the New York state Attorney General. Years ago, he mocked people taking the 5th Amendment hypocritically. He was deposed by lawyers from New York Attorney General Letitia James' office as part of a more than 3-year civil investigation into whether the Trump Organization misled lenders, insurers, and tax authorities by giving them misleading financial statements. Trump is facing investigations in multiple places nationwide in America. Trump continues to embrace false victimhood and lies and says that the investigation of his corruption is part of the greatest "witch hunt" in U.S. history. This comes after the FBI executed a legal search warrant at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The federal government wants to know about his handling of classified documents. We know of the armed man being shot by the authorities after his attack in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Another story of sad news is the passing of Lamont Dozier recently. Dozier was a legend being one of the greatest songwriters in history. Detroit was the place of his birth. He was a singer, record producer, and he loved his family. He was so talented that he co-wrote and produced 14 U.S. Billboard number 1 hits and 4 number ones in the UK. Dozier was part of the songwriting and production Dream Team of the Holland-Dozier-Holland group that helped to cultivate the Motown sound and made many hit records. They made hits for Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, The Four Tops, and the Isley Brothers. Dozier worked on musical arrangements too. Dozier created his own music too. He composed a song called Without You (sang by the duet of Regina Belle and Peabo Bryson). Dozier is always the icon.
Rest in Power Brother Lamont Dozier.
By Timothy
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Developments.
The legal FBI search at Trump's Mar-A-Lago home has been tied to classified materials according to sources. The FBI seized about 12 boxes of material from Trump's home. This happened on Tuesday, and the search warrant was legal. Involving federal inquiry, it involved the highest level of the U.S. government to search into Trump's home. We know that Trump is one of the most corrupt Presidents in history. The operation has been criticized by many far-right extremists, but these extremists are hypocrites. They claim to care about the rule of law, but they desire Trump to escape any accountability from the law. They claim to love the blue or the police, but many of them were taped cursing out the U.S. Capitol police when the January 6th, 2021, the terrorist insurrection took place in the U.S. Capitol. They claim to love God and Christianity, but they don't follow the Golden Rule in dealing with immigrants, black people, women, and anyone who disagrees with their extreme agenda. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden was not briefed ahead of the search. Republicans rush to Trump's defense because they are liars. They claim that Trump is a victim when Trump made it his business to try to weaken libel laws, was involved in a conspiracy to attempt to overthrow American democracy as we know it and supported the Muslim ban. Trump is a fascist and an enemy of democracy in the world. That is why Trump has praised authoritarian dictators like Putin and the President of Brazil. Kevin McCarthy called the search warrant an act of weaponized politicization which is false. Trump (who is supported by Jim Jordan, Mike Turner, and Marjorie Green Taylor) is threatening to sue CNN over CNN rightfully calling Trump a liar for Trump claiming that the 2020 election was stolen.
Tuesday, August 09, 2022
Monday, August 08, 2022
Stories on Life.
Norma Artis Morton was my 4th cousin who lived from February 5, 1927, in Pennsylvania to August 15, 2010, in Jamaica Queens, New York City. She married the late Harry Morton Sr., and they had many children. Some of their children are Harry B. Morton Jr. (b. 1952), Bernard Louis Morton (1953-2003), Maureen V. Morton (b. 1961), Evan Morton, and Adrienne C. Morton George. My 3rd cousin Elliot Artis has a long history. She lived from 1898 to 1968. Her parents are Benjamin Joe Artis and Annie B. Lewis Artis. Their children are Madelean Artis (1894-1935), Annie L. Artis (b. 1900), May Artis (b. 1902), Maude Artis (b. 1907), Prince Edward Artis (1909-1972), Miriam Artis (b. 1912), Thaddeus Wilson Artis (1913-1968), Lewis A. Artis (B. 1917), Elliot Artis (1898-1968), and Jo Bill Artis. Elliot Artis married Julia Ann Wyche on December 28, 1924, in Virginia. Their children are Ella Beatrice Artis (1925-1927), Irma Artist (b. 1929), Virginia Artis (1929-1992), Elliot Benjamin Artis Jr. (1931-2003), Edward Artis (b. 1932), Mabel Artis (b. 1933), George E. Artis Sr. (1936-2003), Florence E. Artis (b. 1940), Lloyd Artis (b. 1942), Minnie Artis (B. 1943), and Anthony Artis (b. 1947). Elliot Artis's son was George Artis. George Artis married Bessie Mae Branch. Bessie Mae Branch's parents are Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Branch. Elliot Artis lived in Ossining, New York state. The ceremony was performed on February 20th, 1960, in a home. The bride Bessie Branch was employed at Beckley Hospital before going to New York. Her sister, Julia Branch, was the maid of honor. Her bridesmaids were Miss Alberta Knight, Miss Jane Murray of Brooklyn, NYC, and Miss Daisy Lee of New York including Miss Myrtle Merchant of Tuskegee, Alabama. Lloyd Artis is the brother of George Artis, and he was the best man.
Many people know about the story of reparations coming to Evanston in 2012 by former Alderman Lionel Jean-Baptiste. Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) is a nonprofit organization that promotes and develops affordable housing. It was used to give the first 16 local reparations restorative housing grants. This is not reparations for black Americans collectively, but it is a legitimate gesture to help fellow human beings to survive in the world. Evanston's Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program wanted to eliminate the effects of systemically racist past practices from the city government and all city affiliated organizations. Many black people have to fit certain categories to get reparations like residents who lived in the city from 1919 to 1969, a direct descendant of a black resident from 1919 to 1969, and residents who gave evidence that they were victims of housing discrimination due to the city's policies or practices after 1969. More black Evanstonians are fighting for these types of reparations. This story has been written by the reporter at the Evanston RoundTable named Debbie-Marie Brown. Evanston is found in Illinois being a Chicago suburb. Reparations for black Americans have been stalled in Congress for a time now. In St. Paul, Minnesota, the city has apologized in 2021 for its role in the institutional and structural racism experienced by its black residents. City officials in St. Paul formed an advisory committee to create a framework for reparations commissions. The committee made a report recommending direct cash payments to eligible black residents and creating a permanent reparations committee. This will focus on sending reparations to address racial disparities in housing, healthcare, education, employment, etc. Trahrn Crew, a member of St. Paul City council's reparations legislation advisory committee partly influenced reparations efforts in Minnesota's capital city. Yohuru Williams wants a holistic approach to reparations. Times are changing, and the movement for reparations for black Americans collectively is reaching new heights of power.
Life is a miracle. When I was younger, I certainly underestimated the value of life and timing. Now, that I'm older, I see the value of life is very important. Learning great lessons is part of aging. Centuries ago, my ancestors were in Western and Central Africa. Later, evil people kidnapped, raped, and abused our ancestors. They sent them to America against their will. Their cultures, music, and way of life (from Africa) have been gone in a moment. The journey of the Maafa was brutal. Black women were raped on ships, black men were whipped, and black people on ships were placed in chains. The worst crime of humanity involving slavery was the Maafa. It lasted from the late 1400's to the 1800's. It lasted for over 400 years. The miracle is that our people live now. After all of that pain and turmoil have done to our black ancestors by racists and terrorists, black people still exist as STEM leaders, teachers, lawyers, activists, theologians, artists, musicians, athletes, doctors, lawyers, and other courageous human beings. Our people have no malice toward innocent people of every color, but we reserve our right to advocate for restitution, accountability, and justice. Part of that aim for justice is to promote reparations for black Americans. The Black American story is a great story filled with triumphs from laws being made to institutions being developed to improve the lives of so many people in the world. We still have a long way to go in seeking liberation. For the past 50 years, the reparations movement has grown in strength. Many policies have existed. For the record, I reject xenophobia. Some try to exploit the reparations movement to demonize or minimize the importance of Pan-African unity. That is why I don't agree with the ADOS or FBA movements as their movements have tons of members having hostility toward black people outside of America. The leader of FBA, Tariq Nasheed, has disrespected Afro-Caribbeans constantly in videos and Tweets (even calling them slurs like the "t" word). One of the founders of ADOS even showed hostility to African music shown in Howard University. Another founder of ADOS said that he has more in common with a European American than an African. Therefore, black Americans will continue to fight for reparations without compromise, without xenophobia, and without bigotry. Truth is on our side.
Popular Culture has been around for a long time. During ancient times, many people did plays and other ceremonies about acting. Today, we have more sophisticated technology to describe stories, show entertainment, and deal with other aspects of human lives. Nowadays, Tik Tok among the youth can show dances and other forms of entertainment. Presently, advanced smartphones can create movies by themselves with cinematic, digital devices. The more facts that we know, the more insights that we know. I want to make the following point too. Crowder's disrespect of the quarterback Russell Wilson as "lame" (when Crowder talks about Wilson like that, he wants to dismiss his manhood) is silly by him. That view represents the view of some in the world. The truth is that Russell Wilson is a man who takes care of his kids, stands up for his wife, loves his family, and goes out of his way to provide for people. Russell Wilson is a role model that real men should respect not downgrade. Also, we know of the massive symbolism and occult influence found in Hollywood. One example is the racist L. Ron Hubbard invented Scientology. Scientology is a controversial group that believes that humans are immortal alien spiritual beings (a thetan) trapped on planet Earth in a physical "meat body." They claim that going through the process would allow people to gain spiritual strength. Margery Wakefield's 1991 work called, "What Christians Need to Know About Scientology" documents the heresies, blasphemies, and deceptions found in Scientology too. He lived in Jack Parsons' home for a time. Jack Parsons was obsessed with magic, sex rituals, the occult, and the views of the occultist and sexist Aleister Crowley. Jack Parsons founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, an organization that paved the way for much of the research found in NASA. We know that it is evil in the world. Yet, we have to know about the good news. The good news is that many people are waking up and rejecting the Crowleyan sick ideologies. There is a remnant of human beings in the world who care for the sick, defend the rights of the poor, promote human rights for black people, care for women, and believe in the creed of justice for all.
There was a German settlement in Mexico during the Spanish rule of Texas. the first permanent settlement of Germans was at Industry in Austin Coun, formed by Friedrich Ernst and Charles Fordtran during the early 1830's. They lived under Mexican rule. Ernst wrote a letter to a friend in his native Oldenburg. This was found in the newspaper there. His description of Texas was very influential in attracting German immigrants to that area. He is known as the father of German immigration to Texas. Many Germans, especially Roman Catholics who sided with Mexico, left Texas for the rest of present-day Mexico after America defeated Mexico in the Mexican-American War in 1848. A few Mexican Irish communities existed in Mexican Texas until the Texas Revolution. Many Irish then sided with Catholic Mexico against Protestant pro-U.S. elements. The first Emprearial grant has been made under Spanish control to Moses Autin. The grant was passed to his son Stephen F. Austin, whose settlers, known as the Old Three Hundred, settled along the Braxos River in 1822. The grant was later ratified by the Mexican government. Twenty-three other empresarios brought settlers to the state, the majority from the United States of America. By 1821, in spite of growing Mexican limitations on slavery, U.S. immigrants brought an increasing number of slaves to Texas. By 1825, 69 slave owners owned 443 slaves. Mexican granted Texas a one-year exemption from the national edict of 1829 outlawing slavery. Yet, Mexican President Anastasio Bustamante ordered all slaves to be freed in 1830. Slavery is immoral, and it should be banned. The colonists violated the law by converting slaves into "indentured servants for life." By 1836, there were 5,000 enslaved African Americans in Texas. Bustamante outlawed the immigration of American citizens to Texas in 1830. Many new presidios were formed in the region to monitor immigration and customs practices. These new laws called for the enforcement of customs duties, angering both native Mexican citizens (Tejanos). In 1832, a group of men led a revolt against customs enforcement in Anahuac. These Anahuac Disturbances coincided with a revolt in Mexico against the current president. Texans sided with the federalists against the current government and after the Battle of Nacogdoches, drove all Mexican soldiers out of East Texas.
Texans took advantage of the lack of oversight to agitate for more political freedom, resulting in the Convention of 1832. Among other issues, the convention demanded that U.S. citizens be allowed to immigrate to Texas and requested independent statehood for the area. The following year, Texians reiterated their demands at the Convention of 1833. After presenting their petition, courier Stephen F. Austin was jailed for the next two years in Mexico City on suspicion of treason. Although Mexico implemented several measures to appease the colonists, President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's measures to transform Mexico from a federalist to a centralist state led the Texan colonists to revolt. This caused the Texas revolution. So, the Texas Revolution was about settlers trying to be independent of Mexico in order to have a conservative government and maintain slavery against black people.
The vague unrest erupted into armed conflict on October 2, 1835, at the Battle of Gonzales, when Texans repelled a Mexican attempt to retake a small cannon. This launched the Texas Revolution, and over the next three months, the Texian Army successfully defeated all Mexican troops in the region. On March 2, 1836, Texans signed the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos, effectively creating the Republic of Texas. The revolt was justified as necessary to protect basic rights and because Mexico had annulled the federal pact. The majority of the colonists were from the United States; they said that Mexico had invited them to move to the country, but they were determined "to enjoy" the republican institutions to which they were accustomed in their native land.
Many of the Texas settlers believed the war to be over and left the army after the initial string of victories. The remaining troops were largely recently arrived adventurers from the United States; according to historian Alwyn Barr, the numerous American volunteers "contributed to the Mexican view that Texan opposition stemmed from outside influences." The Mexican congress responded to this perceived threat by authorizing the execution of any foreigner found fighting in Texas; they did not want prisoners of war. As early as October 27, Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna had been preparing to quell the unrest in Texas. In early 1836, Santa Anna personally led a 6,000-man force toward Texas. His force was large but ill-trained. Santa Anna led the bulk of the troops to San Antonio de Bexar to besiege the Alamo Mission, while General Jose de Urrea led the remaining troops up the coast of Texas. Urrea's forces soon defeated all the Texian resistance along the coast, culminating in the Goliad Massacre, where they executed 300 Texian prisoners of war. After a thirteen-day siege, Santa Anna's forces overwhelmed the nearly 200 Texians defending the Alamo, and killed the prisoners. "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!" became a battle cry of the Texas Revolution.
News of the defeats sparked the Runaway Scrape, where much of the population of Texas and the Texas provisional government fled east, away from the approaching Mexican army. Many settlers rejoined the Texian army, then commanded by General Sam Houston. After several weeks of maneuvering, on April 21, 1836, the Texian Army attacked Santa Anna's forces near the present-day city of Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. They captured Santa Anna and forced him to sign the Treaties of Velasco, ending the war. The Republic of Texas lasted from 1836 to 1845. The 1st Congress of the Republic of Texas convened in October 1836 at Columbia (now West Columbia). It overturned the Mexican prohibition of slavery and outlawed the emancipation of slaves, although slaveholders were allowed to free their slaves outside the Republic if they desired. Free Black people were specifically forbidden to live in the Republic. Stephen F. Austin, known as the Father of Texas, died December 27, 1836, after serving two months as Secretary of State for the new Republic. In 1836, five sites served as temporary capitals of Texas (Washington-on-the-Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, and Columbia) before President Sam Houston moved the capital to Houston in 1837. In 1839, the capital was moved to the new town of Austin by the next president, Mirabeau B. Lamar. So, there you go.
There were internal politics in the infamous Republica. There was a conflict among 2 factions. The nationalist faction, led by Mirabeau B. Lamar, advocated the continued independence of Texas, the expulsion of the Native Americans, and the expansion of Texas to the Pacific Ocean. Their opponents, led by Sam Houston, advocated the annexation of Texas to the United States and peaceful co-existence with Native Americans.
Although Texas governed itself, Mexico refused to recognize its independence. On March 5, 1842, a Mexican force of over 500 men, led by Ráfael Vásquez, invaded Texas for the first time since the revolution. They soon headed back to the Rio Grande after briefly occupying San Antonio. 1,400 Mexican troops, led by the French mercenary general Adrian Woll launched a second attack and captured San Antonio on September 11, 1842. A Texas militia retaliated at the Battle of Salado Creek. However, on September 18, this militia was defeated by Mexican soldiers and Texas Cherokee Native Americans during the Dawson Massacre. The Mexican army would later retreat from the city of San Antonio.
Mexico's attacks on Texas intensified the conflict between the political factions in an incident known as the Texas Archive War in 1842. To "protect" the Texas national archives, President Sam Houston ordered them out of Austin. Austin residents, suspicious of the president's motives because of his avowed disdain of the capital, forced the archives back to Austin at gunpoint. The Texas Congress admonished Houston for the incident, and the incident would solidify Austin as Texas's seat of government for the Republic and the future state.
By February 28, 1845, the U.S. Congress narrowly passed a bill that made America annex the Republic of Texas if it so voted. The legislation set the date for annexation as December 29 of the same year. On October 13 of the same year, a majority of voters in Texas approved a proposed constitution. This constitution was later accepted by the U.S. Congress, making Texas a U.S. state on the same day annexation took effect (therefore bypassing a territorial phase).
The Mexican government had long warned that annexation would mean war with the United States. When Texas joined the U.S., the Mexican government broke diplomatic relations with the United States. The United States now assumed the claims of Texas when it claimed all land north of the Rio Grande. In June 1845, President James K. Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to Texas, and by October, 3,500 Americans were on the Nueces River, prepared to defend Texas from a Mexican invasion. On November 10, 1845, Polk ordered General Taylor and his forces south to the Rio Grande, into disputed territory that Mexicans claimed as their own. Mexico claimed the Nueces River—about 150 miles (240 km) north of the Rio Grande—as its border with Texas.
On April 25, 1846, a 2,000-strong Mexican cavalry detachment attacked a 70-man U.S. patrol that had been sent into the contested territory north of the Rio Grande and south of the Nueces River. The Mexican cavalry routed the patrol, killing 16 U.S. soldiers in what later became known as the Thornton Affair. Both nations declared war. In the ensuing Mexican–American War, there were no more battles fought in Texas, but it became a major staging point for the American invasion of northern Mexico.
One of the primary motivations for annexation was the Texas government's huge debts. The United States agreed to assume many of these upon annexation. However, the former Republic never fully paid off its debt until the Compromise of 1850. In return for $10 million, a large portion of Texas-claimed territory, now parts of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Wyoming, was ceded to the Federal government. More migration came to Texas after its statehood. Its population increased to about 150,000 people. There were societies like the Texas Emigration and Land Company that helped to settle colonists to be a militia to be a defense against Native Americans. In return, they would get a grant of 320 acres of choice land. Most of the new people migrated to the states of the lower South. Slavery was granted legal protection by the Texas constitution of 1845. The Texas population by 1860 was quite diverse, with large elements of European whites (from the American South), African Americans (mostly slaves brought from the east), Tejanos (Hispanics with Spanish heritage), and about 20,000 recent German immigrants. The new state grew rapidly as migrants poured into the fertile cotton lands of east Texas. With their investments in cotton lands and slaves, Texas planters established cotton plantations in the eastern districts. The central area of the state was developed more by subsistence farmers who seldom owned slaves. Texas in its Wild West days was filled with men, women, and children in love with adventure. Germans (who were Protestants, Catholics, Jewish people, atheists, Saxons, farmers, intellectuals, abolitionists, slaveholders, etc.) were the largest group immigrating directly from Europe.
The first Czech immigrants started their journey to Texas on August 19, 1851, headed by Jozef Šilar. Attracted to the rich farmland of Central Texas, Czechs settled in the counties of Austin, Fayette, Lavaca, and Washington. The Czech-American communities are characterized by a strong sense of community, and social clubs were a dominant aspect of Czech-American life in Texas. By 1865, the Czech population numbered 700; by 1940 there were more than 60,000 Czech-Americans in Texas.
By Timothy