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Monday, August 19, 2024

How Times are Changing Rapidly.

 



The 2024 Paris Olympics has been historic in many ways. Excellence was shown in many arenas from both USA basketball teams winning gold against France to the 200m victory made by Gabby Thomas showing power and determination. It had the debut of breaking (or breakdancing) as a sport. There has been a massive amount of athletic competition, and many records were broken in various sports too. It was a time when the opening ceremony was held outside of a stadium for the first time in modern Olympic history. It is important to note that the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics is the first time in history to reach full gender parity on the field of play. America topped the medal table for the fourth consecutive time with 40 gold medals and 126 medals in total. China tied with America with gold medals with 40 and second with 91 medals in total. Japan finished third, Australia had fourth, France was fifth, etc. Dominica, Saint Lucia, Cape Verde, and Albania won their first-ever Olympic medals. Botswana and Guatemala won their first-ever gold medals. The Refugee Olympic Team won their first-ever medal, being a gold in boxing. The Paris Olympics had many logistical issues, some water issues, and controversies. Yet, the 2024 Paris Olympics was hugely a success. The United States of America team won greatly in track and field, swimming, basketball, and other sports. Sha'Charri Richardson achieved her first gold medal which was very inspiring. There has been massive popularity of the Olympics. The ratings of the recent 2024 Paris Olympics soared 82 percent over the Tokyo Games. That is why the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris drew a combined average of 30.6 million viewers. The Paris Olympics Games is the most streamed Olympics of all time. The media giant Comcast on Monday said that its coverage saw a large 23.5 billion minutes of stream time, a 40 percent increase compared to all prior summer and winter Games combined. The network's Spanish language broadcast on Telemundo also saw a 26 percent jump over the same period during the Tokyo Games three years ago. Days ago, the men's basketball gold medal game (when the U.S. defeated France in a 98-87 victory), averaged 20.3 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, making it the most watched gold medal game since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the company of Comcast said. The 2024 Paris Olympics stand as very historic to inspire the world to attempt to see a more peaceful future. The 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics deserves respect and its due too as promoting human diversity and human dignity strongly. Now, we await the Winter Olympics in 2026 in Salt Late City, Utah and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. .


 


I found out (from an Ancestry.com DNA match) today that my 2nd paternal cousin is Najah T. Masudi, who was born on January 20, 1975. We share the same ancestors as Adam D. and Georgianna Tillery. Her parents were Harry McNeil (1953-2000) and Shamah Masudi (formerly Lorraine Williams who lived from 1946-2016). She is married to Craig Clark. Shamah Masudi's parents were Courtland Williams (1924-1999) and Minne Alberta Lee (1928-2002). Minnie Alberta Lee's children with Courtland Williams (1924-1999) are Shamah Mas'udi (formerly Lorraine Williams. She lived from 1946-2016), Edwin Brian Williams (1947-2011), and Islah Hayatt Rasul (b. 1951). Minnie Alberta Lee's children with Elder Eddie L. Robinson are Diane Renee Robinson Hood Woodward Stephney (b. 1957. Her son was Kyle Vincent Woodall. Kyle's father is Clifford N. Woodall. Diane is married to David Stephney Jr. now. David was born in 1948) and Holly A. Robinson Scott (She passed away in 2020). Holly A. Scott passed away on June 24, 2020, when she was 62 years old. She lived in Bayville, New Jersey. She was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and lived most of her life in Trenton, New Jersey. Her parents were Minnie Alberta Lee and Elder Eddie L. Robinson. Her sisters are Shamah Mas'udi, Vera Riley, Islah Rasul, and Diane Stephney. Her brother was Edwin Williams. 


My 1st cousin Minnie Alberta Lee's parents were Hebert Laryon Lee (1909-1976) and Ernestine D. Lee (1911-1994). My grandaunt Ernestine D. Lee's parents were my great-grandparents Carl D. (1886-1968) and Lizzie Trice (1885-1950). Carl D.'s parents were my 2nd great-grandparents Adam D. (b. 1862) and Georganna Tillery (1868-1954). Shamah Masudi had many siblings. One was my 2nd cousin Edwin Brian Williams (1947-2011) who was married to Barbara Buck, and their children are Paula Williams of Columbus, Georgia, and Nadea Williams of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Edwin Brian Williams was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and was raised in the Princeton area. He was educated in the Princeton public school system. Also, he was a U.S. Army Veteran. Castro GMC Truck Company employed Edwin Brian Williams in Hopewell, and he was employed by Purdy Builders in Hopewell. He was a member of Second Calvary Baptist Church in Hopewell, where he served as a Trustee and a member of the Usher Board. Edwin Williams was part of the Hit and Miss Rod and Gun Club in Princeton. He was also a volunteer firefighter for Montgomery Twp. #2 Volunteer Fire Department. Edwin loved to experience go-cart racing and collecting scraps. Edwin Williams's grandchildren are Kaila Williams and Michelle Williams. Edwin Williams' four sisters are Shamah Masudi of Trenton, Islah Rasul of Statesville, North Carolina, Diane Stephney of Trenton, and Holly Scott of Trenton.


My maternal 4th cousin is Shirley Williams Hinton who was born in January 30, 1953 at Norfolk, Virginia. We share the same ancestor who was my 4th great-grandmother Sarah Claud (1842-1892), daughter of my 5th great-grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Shirley Williams's siblings are Leslie Thomas Williams (b. 1947), Edward Carlton Williams (1951-2021), Eric Lynn Williams (b. 1963), and Roland D. Williams. Shirley Williams's parents were Otis Grant Williams (1921-2007) and Annie Elizabeth Sharp (1927-2001). Otis Grant Williams's parents were Ezra Grant Williams (1898-1975) and Ella Wyche (b. 1897). The parents of Ezra Grant Williams were James Edward Williams (1877-1950) and Miranda Williams (1880-1964). The parents of James Edward Williams were Nottoway descendant John Henry Williams (1857-1921) and Adaline Hill (1862-1930). The parents of Adaline Hill were Sarah Claud (1842-1892) and Tom Hill (1838-1915). The mother of Sarah Claud was Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Shirley Williams married Harvey Hinton Jr. (b. 1950) on May 13, 1978, in Durham, North Carolina. One of their children is Harvey Hinton III (b. 1978), and he married Jametra Lynn Dickey (b. 1976) on September 3, 2006, in Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana. Their 2 children are my 5th cousins Maia Hinton and Sanura Hinton. 

 



By the 1960's, the New Nashville Sound existed. The music merged blending rockabilly and more traditional styles. Ray Price, Jim Reeves, Ferlin Husky, Eddy Arnold, Patsy Cline, and George Jones embody this sound in their recordings. Women singers come into their own as star performers. Kitty Wells and Patsy Cline lead the way for Jean Shepard, Skeeter Davis, Dottie West, Connie Smith, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton to rise to the top of the charts. The Country Music Hall of Fame inducted its first members in 1961: Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, and Hank Williams. Willie Nelson wrote "Crazy" for Patsy Cline and "Hello Walls" for Faron Young, planting himself squarely at the heart of the country music tradition. Roy Acuff was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1962. Vocal groups rise to prominence. The Statler Brothers, the Oak Ridge Boys, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, the Forrester Sisters, and the Bellamy Brothers all gain popularity by the late 1960's. By 1964, Charley Pride begins to rise to the top of the charts. He was the first black performer to become a star in the country music field. Pride successfully switches back and forth between the country, pop, and gospel charts.  Charley Pride lived from March 18, 1934, to December 12, 2020. He could sing, play guitar, and was a professional baseball player (playing in the Negro League's Memphis Red Sox and other teams like Bosie Yankees, Fond du Lac Panthers, etc.). He was born in the Deep South in Sledge, Mississippi. Charley Pride had tons of hits from 1969 to 1975. Pride is one of the three African American members of the Grand Ole Opry (including DeFord Bailey and Darius Rucker). He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. Starting in the 1950s to the mid-1960s, western singer-songwriters such as Michael Martin Murphey and Marty Robbins rose in prominence as did others, throughout Western music traditions, like New Mexico music's Al Hurricane. The late 1960s in American music produced a unique blend as a result of traditionalist backlash within separate genres. In the aftermath of the British Invasion, many desired a return to the "old values" of rock n' roll. At the same time, there was a lack of enthusiasm in the country sector for Nashville-produced music. What resulted was a crossbred genre known as country rock. Many of his hit songs are All I Have to Offer You (Is Me), Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone, and A Shoulder to Cry On. In 1967, Dolly Parton joined Porter Wagoner's TV show. In 1968, Bob Willis was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 1969, Gene Autry was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. By 1970, Bill Monroe and the Original Carter Family were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. During the 1970's, Bakersfield, California, becomes a center for a west-coast country music style. Ferlin Husky and Buck Owens are early examples of the style. A more contemporary artist is Dwight Yoakum. Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey is recorded by Thomas Dorsey, Marion Williams, and others. Thomas A. Dorsey is considered the Father of Gospel Music. Thomas Dorsey is the father of modern Gospel music songwriting. 


One of the greatest country music artists is Linda Martell, and she was born on June 4, 1941. She was the first commercially successful black women artist in the country music field. She was the first artist to play in the Grand Ole Opry. As one of the first modern-day African American country artists, she has inspired future Nashville artists of color (including black people). She was born in Leesville, South Carolina, with her name of Thelma Bynum. She grew up listening to country, gospel, and R&B music. She formed a singing trio with her family called Linda Martell and the Anglos. By the 1960's, she made R&B singles with many black performers. She had the cover of Color Him Father. Her debut album was in 1970. Martell gave interviews, gave appearances on many country music television programs and released more music. She performed at Grand Ole Opry 12 times. She loves her three children. Martell has inspired future black artists like Kane Brown and Mickey Guyton (whose stories will be shown in the near future in a future work about country music). Martell was honored with the Equal Play Award at the 2021 CMT Music Awards. It was given to her to honor her work as a black woman performer in country music. A tribute during the broadcast was given by Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Rissi Palmer, Rhiannon Giddens, Jennifer Nettles, and Mickey Guyton. Linda Martell made a full recovery from breast cancer.  


Patsy Cline is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973. Minnie Pearl is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1975. In 1976, Willie Nelson creates the Outlaw movement (or Austin sound), exemplified in his album Wanted: The Outlaws, with vocals by Willie, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams, Jr., also fit the Outlaw category in their 1970s recordings in 1976. Fourth generation (1970s–1980s) music included outlaw country with roots in the Bakersfield sound, and country pop with roots in the countrypolitan, folk music, and soft rock. Between 1972 and 1975 singer/guitarist John Denver released a series of hugely successful songs blending country and folk-rock musical styles. John Dever was one of the most popular artists of the 1970's. He lived from December 31, 1943 to October 12, 1997. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico. He performed folk, folk rock, pop, Western, country, and soft rock music. He was not only a  singer, composer, actor, and guitarist. John Dever was a record producer, actor, and humanitarian. He loved his three children. John Denver released about 300 songs, with 200 of them being written by himself. He had 33 albums and many singles. Many of his signature songs are Take Me Home, Country Roads, Poems, Prayers, and Promises, Rocky Mountain High, Annie's song, Thank God I'm a Country Boy, Sunshine on My Shoulders, and Calypso. John Denver promotes nature conservation projects. In 1997, Denver filmed an episode for the television series of Nature. His last song was Yellowstone, Coming Home. By the mid-1970s, Texas country and Tejano music gained popularity with performers like Freddie Fender. Kitty Wells is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976.


 


We live in a time nearing Fall of 2024. There is a massive popularity in support Vice President Kamala Harris from across America from North Carolina to Nevada. Now, we live in a new generation. We are near the year 2030. Time is going forward very rapidly as I remember 1996 and the year 2000 just like yesterday. We have seen huge victories and challenges in our time too. The Biden and Harris Presidency recently managed to negotiate an 11 percent price reduction of many medicines for Americans. Medicare can negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time ever due to the Inflation Reduction Act. About two-thirds of the clean energy projects from the Inflation Reduction Act have gone to GOP congressional districts. Every Republican in Congress opposed the legislation, but many of them hypocritically celebrated its impact in their districts. Donald Trump has now proposed a 20 percent tariff on all imports and a 60 percent tariff on Chinese imports. This is a dangerous proposal, because tariffs aren't paid by other countries, but they are paid by people in America. Recent analysis predicted that his plan would cost the average family in America about $3,900 extra per year. Also, J. D. Vance is not using coded language, but he is using overtly sexist and racist language during his campaign. He recently said that the fictional movie Gangs of New York proves that ethnic enclaves in America can lead to higher crime rates. Even the movie Gangs in New York is about a young man avenging the death of his father, and his father was murdered by an anti-immigrant bigot. Vance also forgets that communities in New York City and in other cities like Baldwin Hills (filled with African Americans), Chinatown, Little Italy, Little Havana, etc. contribute heavy positive contributions to American society.





By Timothy


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