Maryland is a unique state. It's much more Northern than Virginia culturally, but it has some Southern cultural roots found in the Maryland part of the Eastern Shore and in other places in Maryland. It has Appalachian culture in rural Western Maryland. Its areas of Baltimore and near D.C. has a Northeastern culture too. It is going through many political changes. Maryland borders Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Its largest city of Maryland is located at Baltimore and its capital is Annapolis. It has been a mostly progressive state for years, and it is a state where relatives on both sides of my family live at. Tons of African Americans live in Baltimore, Prince George County, and the southern Maryland region of the Eastern Shore. One of late relatives who have lived in Maryland for years was Fannie B. Moses Brittingham. She lived from November 28, 1928 to May 11, 2004 at Salisbury, Maryland. Her ancestors came from Southampton County, Virginia (where my maternal ancestors came from). So, she and her descendants are related to my maternal side of my family. One of her grandchildren is Kimberly Antionette Ponder-Duffy, who is my 3rd cousin. She was born on February 27, 1983 at Westover, Somerset, Maryland. We are third cousins, because we share the same ancestor of Charles and Fannie Peeples. Also, Ancestry.com confirmed our DNA relationship as she is found in my Ancestry.com DNA matches. Not mention, that we have shared matches with my maternal cousins like Tonya Peeples, Abdul-Rashad Diaab (who is related to the Peeples' family), the late Theophilus Moses, Jessica Lawrence (who is a descendant of Charles and Fannie Peeples), etc. So, DNA is the truth. Now, Kimberly Ponder-Mayfield is married to Rayfield F. Duffy. Her parents are Carl Ponder and Annettee Denise Moses (b. 1962). Annette Moses's parents are Vernon Archie Hope (b. 1930) and Fannie B. Moses Brittingham (1928-2004). Fannie's parents are Levin A. Moses Jr. and Viola Emily Jones (1909-1958). Viola Emily Jones' parents are Jessie Jones and Lizzie Peeples (1887-1964). Lizzie traveled from Southampton County, Virginia to Dublin, Somerset, Maryland. Lizzie's child was Viola Jones, and Lizzie's grandchildren were Moses Jones, Ralph Moses, and Fannie B. Moses Brittingham. Lizzie Peeples is the daughter of Charles Peeples and Fannie Peeples. Lizzie Peeples married Jessie Jones first and had the children of Viola Jones and John Mason. Lizzie's 2nd husband was a man named Thomas Spady. This information was recorded by my late grandaunt Leara Smith as it was told by my ancestor Hollie Peeples (1908-1996) in 1991. Hollie Peeples was my great grandmother, and Leara Smith was her daughter. Viola Emily Jones married Levin Moses on October 15, 1927, at Northampton County, Virginia. Their children are Ralph Ealie Moses Sr. (1927-2011) and Fannie B. Moses Brittingham (1928-2004). Viola E. Jones passed in 1958, and she was buried at Wes Pocomoke, Somerset County, Maryland. Ralph Ealie Moses Sr. lived to be 84 years old, and he departed on Saturday, December 24, 2011 in Salisbury, Maryland. He was born in December 9, 1927. He loved his wife of 61 years whose name is Lottie Polk-Moses. Their seven children are Ralph Moses Jr. (1952-2021), Claudius Moses (1956-2012), Timothy Price Moses (b. 1974), Patricia Moses, Virginia Corbin, Brenda Dale, and Victoria Handy. My 3rd cousin Ralph Moses Jr. married Ophelia Moses (b. 1950) with the children of Tiffany N. Moses (b. 1975), Ralph Ealie Moses III (1978-2006. He married Andrea Jones-Moses, and their children are Anesha Moses, Elijah Moses, and Jair Pittman), Myra White, and Ericka Moses Johnson.
According to the Daily Times newspaper, Fannie B. Moses Brittingham's parents are Otis Winslow and Viola Jones Moses. Her brother was Ralph Moses Sr. Her children are Arnelda (Omra) Redding, Arvenia (Williams Jr.) Saunders, Annettee (Carl) Moses, and Theophilius (Ginger) Moses. She has 10 grandchildren and one on the way and 14 grandchildren. My 3rd cousin Annette Denise Moses was born in February 1962.Annette's parents are Vernon Archie Hope (1930-2021) and Fannie B. Moses Brittingham (1928-2004). Vernon Archie Hope was a known police officer from the Maryland Eastern Shore. He had a sense of humor, and his family plus peers respected him a great deal. Vernon Archie Hope's devoted wife is Recie Hope. Vernon Hope has two daughters, Annette (Carl) and Shalinda (Robert); three grandchildren, Nicole, Tykeshia and Kimberly (Rayfield); four great grandchildren, Tirrell, Daelynn, Sanaa, and Lon'dyn; and two sisters, Lince Brown and Eula Becket.
Annette Denise Moses has the following children with Carl Ponder named: Tykeshia Raynell Ponder (b. 1980. Her child is named Tirrell Copes Jr.) and Kimberly Antionette Ponder (b. 1983). These daughters are my 3rd cousins. Kimberly Antionette Ponder has a daughter named Daelynn Johnson. Kimberly Ponder married Rayfield F. Duffy.
The late Darthelia Frances Turner was born in ca. 1844. She is a very important ancestor as her descendants were part of many families. To start, the research documents her parents as being Betsy Woodson and Edwin D. Turner (both descendants of the Nottoway people in Southampton County, Virginia). She married John Harrison Jr. (b. 1852) on January 4, 1877, at Southampton County Virginia. The couple had one daughter named Rosa Ellen Sykes (1884-1972). She was my 2nd cousin. Rosa Ellen Sykes lived to be 91 years old, and she was a member of St. James United Methodist Church in Salisbury, Maryland. She was a former member of the Byrant Baptist Church in Courtland, Virginia. Rosa married Joseph Robert Sykes (1883-1930). Their children are Erdy Frances White (1911-1997), George Henry Sykes (b. 1912), William Sykes (b. 1915), Frank Sykes (1915-1921), Lucy M. Sykes (1917-1931), Hattie L. Sykes (1919-1960), Mattie V. Sykes (1922-1975), and Harwood H. Sykes (b. 1924). My 3rd cousin Hattie L. Sykes married Joe Ben Stith (1919-1974), and she lived to be 41 years old. She lived in Salisbury, Maryland. Hattie L. Sykes and Joe Ben Stith's children are: Mary L. Sykes (b. 1934), Sarah Sykes (b. 1938), Joseph Wesley Sykes (1940-1988), Christine Sykes (1942-1942), Edieth Mae Sykes (1942-1969), Benjamin P. Stith (b. 1944), Annette Stith (b. 1948), Diana Robinson Stith Hitch Brooks (1949-2020), and Ernest Sykes. My 4th cousin John Welsey Sykes married Elizabeth Ann Hudson (1938-2003) in 1961, and their children are: Broderick L. Sykes (b. 1959), Joseph Welsey Sykes Jr. (1961-2005), Ronald Lakeith Sykes (b. 1963), and Michael Lorin Sykes Sr. (b. 1966).
After all of these year, more people have woke up about how popular culture really is. As more people wake up, some people have shown hatred against anyone who does conspiracy related research. There has been an increase of people who not only disagree with people who believe in God. Some want to mock people who believe in God as being ludicrous while claiming to be so tolerant. These hypocrites forget that we have the freedom of speech, and the freedom of speech dictates that I have every right to believe in God. I have every right to research conspiracy related information and show it to the world. Therefore, I feel like we should do more apologetics in defending our views with sources, great research, examples, and truth. The paradox of our generation is that we have more access to information than any other time in human history, but some claim to have an image of godliness but never come around to embrace the knowledge of God. Some just deny the power of God thereof under the guise of being just "spiritual" without a foundation or code of conduct. It is not enough to be spiritual. You have to test what you believe in, prove what you believe in, and follow what you believe in without apology. Modern-day popular culture has existed for over one century. We know of the stories of many people in the industry with drug addiction, reckless behavior, bigotry, and anger that ruined so many lives. There are countless victims of the industry being exploited and harmed. Not to mention that we realize that not everyone in the industry is monolithic. There is still a remnant of people, even in Hollywood, who sincerely embrace the truth, fight back against oppression, and desire a society filled with justice. One example is how Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee fought for black freedom for decades. That fact should not be underestimated. The common myth promoted by some is that any believer in God (and especially a Christian) is some money-lusting, materialistic bigot who doesn't know complicated thought or philosophy. Typically, these haters cite scandals as an excuse to advance their lies about believers. The truth is that there are tons of people who are religious or not with understanding the false doctrines found in the Prosperity Gospel, who believe in the rights of black people, who love truth, who want living wages plus economic justice, and who want a separation of church and state (in fact, many early Baptists were jailed and assaulted for believing in the separation of church and state during the 18th century), and seek a cleaner environment.
The era of Presidents from Lyndon Baines Johnson to William Jefferson Clinton involve some of the greatest changes in human history from humans going to the Moon to the black freedom movement reaching new heights of power. Life would never be the same. Many of the same debates back then persist today. Also, the Presidents from 1963 to 2001 saw a fluctuation in the expansion and decrease in the role of government. For example, The Great Society obviously expanded the powers of the federal government to promote the general welfare of the people. Reagan saw cuts to many aspects of the federal government as part of his conservative revolution agenda. By the time Bill Clinton was President, we saw a centrist movement that impacted society in many ways too. From the civil rights, women's rights, and other movements, it was never a time without excitement. Scandals dominated the time from Watergate, Iran Contra, and the Clinton impeachment scandal. A lot of heroes lost their lives fighting for our freedom like Malcolm X, Ruby Doris Smith Robinson, Dr. King, Fred Hampton, and other human beings. To reflect on that time period is to realize the truth that you need both federal government policies and grassroots organizing plus activism in seeing the real change to be widespread. You need investments and cultural development. You need intellectual growth and agriculture plus the growth of the industry in order to see the Dream realized. Building institutions that we own and control benefiting the masses of the people will develop into more success. There should be no minimizing of the power of local and state power too. Judges, school board members, mayors, governors, etc. have huge power in our lives, and we do have the responsibility to vote for the right person in order to desire the results that we deserve. Therefore, the fight for justice continues, and we will be always apt to advocate for freedom plus justice for all.
There are tons of lessons learned from Watergate. Richard Nixon was born in poverty. He struggled a lot in California during his early life. He was a WWII veteran being part of the Navy. He had a choice to either be a progressive hero or an establishment figure who worked with extremists in trying to ruin progressive institutions. Unfortunately, Nixon chooses the latter. His angry jealousy of John F. Kennedy was apparent. His narcissism was clear. His overt bigotry, racism, and anti-Semitism were on full display on those tapes from the 1970's. Him going to the Bohemian Grove decades ago which was a hotbed of Republican establishment figures doing rituals, etc. showed that Richard Nixon was supported by the elites. Richard Nixon wasn't acting like the new Nixon during the late 1960's. He had the same old mentality of "us against them," anti-Communist paranoia, and a sense of disdain for progressive activism. When he was President, he illegally monitored people, bombed Cambodia (which was illegal), and planned a cover-up over the Watergate burglary. For years, the Nixon administration violated the human civil liberty rights of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. His actions merit no justification, and he was about to be convicted. Yet, Gerald Ford pardoned him. The lessons learned about Watergate are that the federal executive doesn't have omnipotent political power, checks and balances are necessary for the government to prevent dictatorship, no one is above the law, and accountability matters. By the 1970's, new laws existed to address Watergate and the overreach by the CIA and the FBI. Yet, Trump and his team still tried their failed coup d'état on January 6, 2021. The Trump conspiracy existed long before 2021 too, and Trump never learned the Watergate lessons indeed. With our lives, we have to make it right to protect our democracy more than ever.
Reparations for black Americans is an important cause to promote. We believe in the wonderful sounding statement that all people are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Part of living up to that creed is to promote accountability involving restitution to the oppressed. The argument from some who hate reparations for black Americans is that slavery is gone in America, and it would be impossible for compensation to be met. That is refuted for many reasons. One is that historically, the American government gave reparations to Native Americans centuries after the first genocides against Native Americans. There are instances where the government gave payment to the descendants of the victims of oppression. Also, the American government gave reparations to Japanese Americans who were the victims of the internment camps decades later in the 1980's. Black Americans have not received reparations after we experienced the Maafa, slavery, the peonage system (which was virtual slavery that lasted from the 1800's to the 1940's), Jim Crow apartheid, other forms of discrimination, etc. Also, America in many cases had missed policy opportunities to send reparations to newly freed slaves back then. Even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. endorsed a form of reparations during the 1960's.
In the state of California, the issue of reparations for black Americans is coming up. There is a new task force calling on the state to provide comprehensive reparations to black Americans. The truth is that slavery didn't just exist in the South over 150 years ago. It existed across America, even in parts of California. The California Reparations Task Force was created by Governor Gavin Newsom after George Floyd's 2020 unjust murder. This was made up of a body of nine appointed individuals responsible for studying what a reparations program would be like for California. It was created in 2021. Its report came about in June 2022 with a comprehensive interim report. It researched the state's history of slavery and the oppression of Black Californians since the state was formed in 1860. The report found that after the 13th Amendment allowed Congress to legally abolish slavery, new forms of oppression existed in California afterward. Khamilah Moore or the chair of the commission said that the report is the most thorough report on race since the 1968 Kerner Commission. The report dealt with exposing voting rights violations, housing segregation, unfair education systems, and environmental injustice in California. It studied the racial wealth gap and how the state and federal governments make it harder for black families to stay together. California never ratified the 14th Amendment until 1959, and the 15th Amendment until 1962. The task force wants solutions too in banning the words of involuntary servitude, education grants sent to black students, fighting police brutality, tackling pollutants, and other issues. This is an interim report, and it's the start of a move towards possible reparations in California and throughout the nation of America. Also, I heard of this person named "American Cholo" making anti-black statements. He, his ancestry is from Honduras, recently appeared on the radio station Power 106 (talking about Tyga apologizing for a music video). The racist on the American Cholo podcast wants to protest black people getting reparations (They want Native Americans and Mexicans to get it first, but many Native Americans already have reparations. Also, there is footage of American Cholo's racist rant using the n word and calling black people "ghetto c___." It is no secret that racism is found in Latin America including Mexico. Not all Latinos are racists, but black Americans and black people, in general, have every right to call out racism and bigotry. Yes, Afro-Latinos are black people too). American Cholo is a person that I don't respect, and his racism should be condemned 100 percent. Reparations for black Americans is a necessity.
Now, we have very important midterms coming up during the Fall of 2022. The issues of education, the economy, civil rights, reparations, the rights of black people, women's rights, the rights of other people of color, the War on Drugs, crime (dealing with crime is not just about making sure criminals are held accountable. It is also about making sure that laws are fairly applied to all people, and we have law and justice, not law and order. Stopping crime also deals with passing more gun safety regulations and not glorifying guns above the value of human life. Human life is worth more than a gun), the prison industrial complex and other issues will be on the minds of voters. Also, we have gubernatorial races, Senate races, House races, and other local races. Right now, Wes Moore is running for the Governor of Maryland, and his Republican opponent is the election denier of Dan Cox. Wes Moore is a Democrat. President Joe Biden is a President filled with unsung accomplishments but economic uncertainty at the same time. Many people legitimately talk about the crisis we are facing with our democracy and our economy. Also, it is important to realize the accomplishments that happened this year like the computer chip passed that will help American semiconductor productor. We are on the cusp of passing the Reducing Inflation Act. Child poverty is now cut in half, and an increase of people rejecting the Trump-backed candidates. We still need to reckon with higher inflation and the war in Ukraine.
With the recent passings of Bill Russell and Nichelle Nichols, you can never take life for granted. For decades, we have seen the truth in many ways. Legends are here physically for a short span of time. Yet, we learn lessons from them in being inspired to live a life better in the present and the future than the past. With all that is going on in the world, we have to be real to see that our democracy is in a very fragile state. We were just near the end of our democracy in America as we know it during January 6, 2021, terrorist insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. We have the growth of unjust Supreme Court decisions that completely violated the rights of fellow human beings. We have mass shootings harming tons of human lives constantly. We have the most massive increase of fascism in the world from Hungary to America since World War II. This isn't hyperbole. This is real. For years, some in the media falsely claim that Trumpism (as Trump wanted to use the U.S. military to dominate the streets and shoot the protesters on sight during the summer of 2020 during the George Floyd protests) is just populism instead of what it really is, which is fascism. The paradox of this time is that we have a massive problem of far-right extremism, but many of the moderates still feel like we must compromise our convictions to placate the emotions of Republicans. This strategy doesn't work as most of them will never go along with us anyway. Also, centrism commonly ruins society as it maintains the status quo, doesn't increase economic power, and seeks to preserve the system instead of making a better system of justice for all. That is an independent, people-centered movement is necessary to solve our problems. We don't need to bow down to any human on this Earth, and we ought to stand up for our human rights. Addressing housing, health care, nutrition, pollution, education, and other real issues will make a real difference in establishing a better society.
By Timothy
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