An Important Day.

 

Today is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2023. We know this time especially has great significance because of the increase of anti-Semitism in the world. No matter your religion or creed, there is absolutely no excuse to hate anyone of another background than you. The Golden Rule is right to say to treat your neighbor as yourself. Anti-Semitism is evil and wrong period. During the Shoah, 6 million Jewish people were murdered by the Nazis in Europe during World War Two (which was the bloodiest war in all of human history). People fought back too. There was the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising where Jewish people in Warsaw, Poland fought against Nazi tyranny. Roma people, black people, and other human beings were exterminated during the Holocaust as well. Today, war is going on in Ukraine which was caused by Russia's illegal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Putin lied and said that Ukraine is not a real nation. We learn lessons on this day to be further inspired and have vigilance to oppose injustice and any form of bigotry. Activism, education, holding folks accountable, and other actions will cause a change to eradicate anti-Semitism from the Earth indeed. America has a permanent base in Poland. Auschwitz was one of the many concentration camps that murdered many Jewish people. Jewish Holocaust survivors live in the world today, and on this day, we have to be clear to stand up for the rights of the oppressed.

Some breaking news is that five former ex-Memphis Police officers are having murder charges for being involved in the death of Tyre Nichols. Tyre Nichols had a traffic stop, and then he died. He experienced a massive beating, was taken to the hospital, and he passed away. The city of Memphis plans to release the video of Nichols' arrest. Nichols was pulled over for alleged reckless driving on January 7, 2023. There is no question that there is no excuse for a grown black man in that situation to be beaten to death. There are protests now all over Memphis. The police chief said that the beating was inhumane. The attorney of Nichols' family said that the beating has no justification at all when Tyre Nichols was beaten nonstop for 3 minutes straight. We desire accountability and justice here. Black lives matter, and society has to act like it. The reason is that far too often, black lives have been mistreated by evil people for centuries in the United States of America. The family of Tyre Nichols saw the video. The video is definitely disturbing, and no family deserves their child to die in an unjust, heinous fashion. Tyre Nichols was only 29 years old. He loved his son, photography, and loved his mother.

Facebook and Instagram re-installed Donald Trump. We know what Donald Trump stands for. He stands for divisiveness, habitual lying, sexism, racism, sexism, xenophobia, and political extremism. The lesson about Trump is that we should glorify his abhorrent views, and we should always stand up for the principles of truth, wisdom, and democracy. The rights of all of us are threatened when the rights of some are threatened. At the end of the day, what matters are our families, our legacies that we leave behind, courage, fidelity to justice, and making sure that future generations live in a world much better than the present. Some breaking news is that Barr pressed Durham to find flaws in the Russia investigation. They failed to do so. John Durham veered into the criminal investigation related to Donald Trump, but they failed to find wrongdoing in the origins of the Russia inquiry. It's a historical fact that Russian agents and their proxies tried to steal elections, monitor their opponents in America, and aided the Trump administration in various ways. John H. Durham (who was a veteran prosecutor) failed to find any wrongdoing behind the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign's ties to Russia.

Yesterday was the Birthday of a real icon. She has performed R&B, soul, jazz, and other forms of expression. She is that talented. There is no bad song made by her. All of her music has been trendsetting and powerful. She is the leader of the quiet storm period of the 1980's. She made many soulful ballads about the power of love and romance. She is Sister Anita Baker, and she is now 65 years old. She was born in Toledo, Ohio. Later, she was raised in Detroit, Michigan. When she was 16 years old, she started to sing R&B at Detroit nightclubs. She was discovered by bandleader David Washington, who gave her a card to audition for the funk band, Chapter 8. Anita Baker is known as a contralto with a range of nearly three octaves. By May 1983, her debut album was The Songstress with singles like No More Tears, Will You Be Mine, Angel, and You're the Best Thing Yet. These are all classical music. 

Rapture was her second album. Sweet Love is a romantic song that was a great hit. Caught Up in the Rapture, No One in the World, and Same Ole Love (365 Days Year) stand the test of time. She made more songs like Talk to Me. She made the comeback album of Body and Soul with the single I Apologize (which won a Grammy). In May 2005, Baker was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music. She is admired by everybody from Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, and to others. She loves her children and lives in Grosse Point Park, Michigan. My Everything in 2004 was her recent album. Her 2023 tour will be called The Songstress. In 2018, Anita Baker won the Lifetime Achievement Award. She won eight Grammys. She earned four American Music Awards. Anita Baker also won seven Soul Train Music Awards. I wish Sister Anita Baker more Blessings. 

By Timothy