5 Black Country Singers Who Have Made History, Including Beyoncé
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
The End of the Election is Coming.
There has been record early voting. The race is a complete tie in many battleground states. This is a total situation where voting matters. We know what the stakes are. We realize that the fascist Donald Trump wants to have tariffs, use the military to suppress dissent, desires to prevent himself from having legal accountability for his actions, sugarcoats the terrorists at the January 6th insurrection, and believes in the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Now, the Trump campaign is trying to do damage control after a MAGA comedian made racist jokes in MSG in New York City. Trump has made sexist, racist, and xenophobic statements for years and decades. Trump said that a Mexican American judge can't judge a Mexican case fairly because of his Mexican heritage, he called Haitian legal migrants cat eaters, he said that immigrants are vermin, and that people who disagree with his views are part of the enemy within.
We have the haters desiring to end the progressive blessings that we fought for. Trump calls Democrats and people who disagree with him as the enemy within. Even the New York Times has an opinion page criticizing Trump for wanting to prosecute his dissident, order mass deportation, use soldiers against citizens, and do other evils. Vice President Kamala Harris has condemned the racist jokes about Puerto Rico at the Trump rally in NYC. Many Puerto Rican voters are rightfully offended by the MAGA cult's comments about them. Harris has promoted a policy plan to help Puerto Rico, help black people, and help Americans in general. We have a clear choice. Trump and his Republican followers promote a white racist Christian nationalist, theocratic agenda, unchecked capitalist exploitation, and reversing a century of labor, women's, and civil rights gains. The Democrats aren't perfect, but Kamala Harris was never convicted of dozens of counts of felons, never was found legally liable of rape, and never desired to abolish the U.S. Constitution.
Foreign policy news is ever real. North Korean troops are in Russia to support Russia's fight in Ukraine. Israel has recently attacked Iran again. A U.N. humanitarian chief warned that the entire population of North Gaza is at risk of dying. We are consistent in opposing colonialism and imperialism, but legitimate self-defense is not imperialism. When Ukrainian people defend their lands against Russian illegal invasions, then that is self-defense. When peace-loving Palestinians and Israelis desire an end to the war in Gaza and a ceasefire, then that relates to truth as well.
Donald Trump made numerous lies in his hate rally at Madison Square Garden recently. Trump falsely said that the FEMA organization didn't respond to Hurricane Hellene in North Carolina. FEMA has immediately responded to the disaster in North Carolina. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, praised FEMA's response to the disaster. Trump falsely claimed that FEMA didn't respond in North Carolina because of money sent to migrants. There are separate pools of money for disaster relief and migrant human beings. Trump falsely called legal Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio as undocumented. Trump claims to support the military, but he has disrespected the military on many occasions. Trump lied and said that the 2020 election was stolen when it wasn't. Trump claims that they are looking for one cop to endorse Kamala Harris when the MAGA mob assaulted law enforcement on January 6th, 2021 (during the insurrection).
Days ago, was the Birthday of Sister Melba Moore, and she is 79 years old. She has been a legendary singer for decades. People who lived back in the 1980s and the 1970s know of her music thoroughly. She was born in New York City to Gertrude Melba Smith and Teddy Hill. She was raised in Harlem, NYC. Later, she lived in Newark, New Jersey. She attended Newark Arts High School and graduated in 1958. In 1970, she graduated from Montclair State College with a B.A. in music. Her recording career started in 1967. She had the song Magic Touch. It was left unreleased until 1986. Later, she worked in the Northern soul scene. She performed the song live in 2009 at the Baltic Soul Weekender in Germany, north of Hamburg. He was in the cast of Hair. In 1970, Moore won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Lutiebelle in Purlie. She worked with Clifton Davis too. She made many songs in the 1970s, the 1980s, and beyond. She had the song Lean of Me. Her inspiration was Aretha Franklin. She made hits like Love's Comin' at Ya in 1982. Later, she had a gospel career. She was in the film The Fighting Temptations in 2003 with Beyonce and Cuba Gooding Jr. Her 2016 album was Forever Moore. She was in the gospel musical called In Roll in Washington, D.C. in 2022. She loves her daughter. She had a Hollywood Walk of Fame star by August 10, 2023.
I wish Sister Melba Moore More Blessings.
By Timothy
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Monday, October 28, 2024
Developments at the End of October 2024.
The end of the 2024 Presidential campaign dealt with evidence of Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump touring battleground states in the last few weeks before November 5, 2024. Kamala Harris was in Atlanta, Georgia first to make her case to the American people that she has the best policies to deal with the challenges of America (involving loss of rights, inflation, immigration, housing, health care, and other important issues). Kamala Harris said that Donald Trump was unhinged, angrier, and a threat to democracy. Celebrities like Bruce Springsteen and Tyler Perry gave speeches in favor of Kamala Harris. It is cowardly that the Washington Post and the LA Times declined to support a Presidential candidate because this election is the most important election in American history. Jeff Bezos used his influence to cause the Washington Post to not endorse a candidate. Kamala Harris spoke in Houston, Texas to promote her version of America and how Trump desire to terminate the U.S. Constitution doesn't make him worthy to speak behind a Presidential seal. Beyonce and Kelly Rowland including Tina Knowles spoke in favor of Kamala Harris in the rally. She said comments in Michigan to a large crowd and in Philadelphia on October 27, 2024, to advocate for tax credits for parents with children, for loving your neighbor, and for turning a chapter in American history. Trump has campaigned in Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Military leader John Kelly has called Trump a fascist including other people. Trump is a clear and present danger to the world, because he wants a Muslim ban, lied and called the Central Park Five guilty, disrespected military veterans and the military in general, wants more tax breaks for the super wealthy, desires to shut down media organizations like CBS if they don't comply to his agenda (when the media should be an independent body as cited in the American Constitution at the Bill of Rights), and seeks the police to have immunity (even if some officers are guilty of police brutality). Sellouts who support Trump like Amber Rose, Trick Trick, Judge Joe Brown, and others should be ashamed of themselves. Rose allying with Trump outlines her anti-black colors once again. Some good news is that early voting in Georgia has surpassed 50 percent of the 2020 ballots cast. We have a record of early voting turnout in America involving voting.
The October 27, 2024, Madison Square Garden rally will go down in history as a bigoted, racist, sexist, and xenophobic rally. That rally shows what the MAGA movement is all about and what Trump relates to division, hypocrisy, and hate. Trump's closing argument has been disgraceful. Trump said that America is an occupied country which is a lie. Also, many speakers at the rally spoke profanity and racist remarks in front of kids and adults in the crowd. Anyone who is a Trump supporter is totally wrong, and I don't care who it is. You have former Congressional candidate David Rem calling Kamala Harris the antichrist and the devil. You have others bashing Hillary Clinton and undocumented human beings. Tony Hinchiffe called Puerto Rico a floating island of "garbage." He compared black people to just eating watermelons. This is the evil that Trump and his supporters promote. That is why artist Bad Bunny showed support for Harris after the comedian made offensive comments about Puerto Rico. Vice President Kamala Harris never said that language and has talked to Black and Latino voters in Philadelphia on the same day the Trump Klan hate rally existed at MSG. Another disgraceful thing is that many CEOs are supporting Trump despite his narcissism, his extremism, and his lies.
One lesson of life is that change comes by action. We all believe in justice, but standing by the sidelines does not solve the problem. We have to be active in voting, building institutions, mentoring, and taking other constructive actions to seek the real change we desire. Robert Kennedy Jr. speaking at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City (on October 27, 2024) shows him to be the ultimate sellout and hypocrite. One truth is that we must realize that Trump is a vulgar xenophobe, sexist, and racist. We don't need bad economic views. We don't need tariffs being paid by us which can increase inflation as tariffs are sales taxes. Inflation is heavily caused by corporate consolidation because when there is less competition, prices can increase on goods and services. We don't need more monopolies in our society. Even Kamala Harris' tax on unrealized capital gains will only impact people with $100 million. This is certainly fair. Many sources say that Trump praised Hitler and kept Mein Kampf close to him. We don't need any fascists like Trump in the White House again. We are in the most important political crisis in America since the American Civil War, and we can't sugarcoat the times that we live in.
We are in an era of acknowledging many important anniversaries in our history. Soon, it will be the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War. During that time of the late 18th century and early 19th century, the world has changed. Many human beings started revolutions to end the concept of monarchies ruling people in an authoritarian fashion. Religious leaders like Baptists, the Enlightenment Movement, and the Scientific Revolution inspired many early Americans to oppose the British Empire. The British Empire back then ruled areas on multiple continents (with slavery, economic exploitation, colonialism, and authoritarianism) including much of the Eastern part of America. The colonists lived in the British Empire for over 100 years back then, while Native Americans were in the Americas for thousands of years. This time saw contradictions. Many colonists felt that they wanted freedom to express their religious, and political views, and have their own families peacefully, but many colonists owned slaves, used genocide against Native Americans, and some were viciously bigoted. Therefore, the American Revolution started in a paradox. The British Empire wanted absolute control over the American colonists, and the colonists were divided. Some colonists wanted to be part of the British Empire, some were neutral, and many colonists wanted complete independence from the British Empire like Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other people. The Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party were acts done by the colonists to seek a measure of independence from the British Empire. The Redcoats trying to get guns from the colonists in New England started the Revolutionary War. The colonists were nearly defeated by the British, but the Americans had help from the French, the Dutch, Spain, and other nations to cause a miraculous American victory. The American Revolution changed everything and caused people to reckon with the concept of democracy and other human freedoms in a more personal way.
There is always new information that I find out constantly. I found out that Julinda Delores Lewis is my paternal cousin. She was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and lives in Henrico, Virginia. She has studied at Brooklyn College, New York University, and Regent University (in Virginia Beach). She is an adjunct faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University, and she is an editor and publisher at RVArt Review. Also, Julinda Lewis is an expert dancer and dance teacher. She went to the Bronx High School of Science. She was born on February 28, 1955. She was once married to Ralph George Ingersoil Ferguson. Her parents were James W. Lewis (1925-1975) and Emma C. Manley (1938-2008). My 4th cousin Emma C. Manley's parents were John Manley (1908-1969) and Alice Virginia Satchell (1913-2009). The children of John Manley and Alice Virginia Satchell were Robert M. Manley (1930-1995), John Edward Manley (1935-2002), and Emma C. Manley. The parents of Alice Virginia Satchell were Teagle Satchell (1886-1939) and Doris Satchell (b. 1893). The parents of Teagle Satchell were Jackson Satchel (b. 1845) and Harriet Susan Kelley (1860-1927). The parents of Harriet Susan Kelley were George Kelly (b. 1830) and Easter Perkins (1840-1910). The parents of Easter Perkins were my 4th great-grandparents of Esther Perkins (b. 1816) and George Perkins (b. 1815). The daughter of Dr. Julinda Delores Lewis is Jamila Julinda Williams (b. 1977). Dr. Julinda Delores Lewis has other children named Trey Ferguson (who is a pastor) and Soleil Afafa Ferguson (b. 1985).
By Timothy
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Friday, October 25, 2024
Late October 2024 News.
Vice President's Kamala Harris' speech in Georgia gave a passionate message about her views and her agenda for future for Americans. She criticized Trump's policies as wrong. She said that Trump increasingly unhinged and unstable with his rhetoric and personality. Kamala Harris went out of her way to describe policies like a $6,000 tax credit for parents who have children to fight childhood poverty, allowing the super wealthy to pay their fair share of taxation, and desire moving the chapter after Trumpism. People want a new chapter shown in a way to move forward with housing rights, economic rights, and health care rights as health care is a fundamental human right, not a privilege for the few. In Georgia, many people were there from Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, and to Bruce Springsteen. There were over 20,000 people in the Kamala Harris rally at Georgia yesterday evening. This has been Harris' biggest crowd yet. Barack Obama gave a speech too to contrast the views of Harris and Trump. Trump is a convicted felon, wants to glorify Hitler's generals (according to Kelly), and seeks to be a dictator on Day One. Trump is not qualified to hold any political office including the Presidency. Over 1 million people have voted in Pennsylvania now via early voting. Kamala Harris will go into Texas tonight.
There are about 28 million ballots cast as part of early voting. Tons of people are voting in force. Polls show the swing states as tied. Georgia has record voting in terms of voting early too. Vice President Harris has campaigned in Georgia with celebrities in Clarkston, Georgia. Vice President Kamala Harris is right to call Donald Trump a fascist. The reasons are obvious. Trump wants a Muslim ban, desires to limit democratic rights against people who disagrees with him, wants mass deportation, and desires total immunity to do as he wants if he is President. Donald Trump is truly an authoritarian who loves to use slurs against his political opponents and habitually lies constantly. Harris plans to have his final address at Washington, D.C. at the same location where Trump agitated a mob to have an insurrection on January 6, 2021.
More former Trump officials have accused Trump of making fascist and pro-Hitler remarks. John Kelly said that Trump prefers a dictator approach to government. Vice President Kamala Harris said at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. that Trump is increasingly unhinged and unstable (and if he wins a second term, people like Kelly won't stop his actions). Liars like Steven Cheung criticized the Vice President, but Trump is a person who openly wants to end the Constitution if necessary to get his way. Trump is the person who made derogatory comments about the U.S. military, about disabled people, about women, and about Jewish people including black women who disagree with his hate-filled rhetoric. Trump supporters are lying in trying to defend Trump when Trump has publicly praised dictators like Putin, said that the Central Park Five are guilty (which isn't true), and desires a new Muslim ban with mass deportations in America. Today, the Republican Party is not the party of Lincoln anymore. It is the party of xenophobia, sexism, anti-democratic evils, and other repugnant ideologies. John Kelly said that Trump more than once praised Hitler. Trump is an evil, sick person. Elon Musk is said by the Wall Street Journal of having regular contact with Vladimir Putin since 2022. Therefore, we must defend our democracy fully.
Yesterday was the Birthday of the late Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was born in the Deep South. She was an icon who was involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Also, she was a lifelong activist. Before the 1950s, she was in the NAACP to combat lynching and rape. She worked hard to support the Civil Rights Movement, opposed the Vietnam War, and worked with the Black Panther Party of Self Defense. She supported the rights of prisoners and was admired by Malcolm X. Rosa Parks was a protester too. She lived in Detroit for decades to head movements to deal with housing, economic rights, and fighting racism. Rosa Parks was a beloved member of the black community, and she was as shining light of revolutionary strength. In recent years, many people want to downplay Rosa Parks' revolutionary views. The movie Barbershop slandered Rosa Parks as just a person who only sit on the bus, but Rosa Parks fought for justice before every actor and actress on that movie was born. She stood up for social justice nationwide.
Rest in Power Sister Rosa Parks.
By Timothy
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
The Stakes are High.
Trump is an extremist. He said that he wanted the Generals that Hitler had according to an article from The Atlantic. Trump made many remarks making despicable comments about the U.S. military. Trump supporters are lying about Trump being moral. Trump is the person who made inappropriate comments about Arnold Palmer. Trump said that he wants to abolish the Constitution if he doesn't get his way. Trump is the person who was found legally liable of raping a woman, made sexist comments about Vice President Kamala Harris, and desires to re-establish the Muslim ban. The Biden/Harris administration now has taken anti-trust action against Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Kroger, Jet Blue, Live Nation/Ticketmaster, Nvidia, Open AI, and Real Page being unprecedented in this nation's history. The majority of voters in battleground states support the government suing to break up monopolies and powerful companies. Unrestrained corporate power is a serious problem as we are against the concept of oligarchy. Governor Tim Walz is right to said that expanding Medicare to cover home care is a great idea.
This 2024 election is the most important election in American history. The choice is between moving forward or being a fascist nation on the eve of the 80th year anniversary of the end of World War 2 (in a cruel irony). That is why it is important for us to vote in high numbers. Trump represents authoritarian, bigotry, and hatred of democratic freedoms. So, we have to stand up for truth and wake up for housing rights, health care, economic rights, and a better future than the past.
Elon Musk allying with Trump is not unusual. Both advocate for misinformation and extremism. Musk recently sugarcoated the terrorism done by the British Empire. Musk's 1 million dollar a day giveaway may be illegal and violate voting rights laws. It is illegal and against federal law to pay someone to vote. Musk wants to eliminate as much governmental regulations as possible, because he has been investigated for environmental damage and safety concerns involving his products. Musk is the richest person in the world now, and Trump is a person who desires to sugarcoat climate change and believes in the great lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Musk and Trump want to redesign the government to be more appealable to MAGA extremism and eliminate a large percentage of the social safety net. Elon Musk has poured millions of dollars into the Trump campaign.
It is unusual but not shocking why the Presidential race is nearly tied between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Many Americans unfortunately believe in a cult leader like Trump instead of democracy. Trump lied and said he is for freedom but wants a government to politically harm people who disagree with his abhorrent views. The true character of Trump shows his hatred of the military, his habitual lying, his vulgar language against people, and his hypocrisy (claiming that Kamala Harris supports funding gender-affirming care for prisoners, but the Trump administration created the policy of gender-affirming care for prisoners). There is a new report in the Atlantic saying that Trump grew angry over the funeral cost for a fallen U.S. soldier (he called the fallen soldier, who is a woman, an f-word Mexican. So, Trump is a hardcore racist). Trump wants to call Americans who reject his nonsense as the "enemy within." Trump called immigrants and migrants vermin and scum. Trump wants to target media services. Trump supported a Supreme Court stripping rights and giving the President near-total criminal immunity. In contrast, Kamala Harris has proven to be courageous, positive, exuberant, and a great campaigner in a short span of time. Harris refuted Trump in the Presidential debate in a great fashion. This is the greatest democratic crisis since the American Civil War. If the wrong person is elected, this nation will not be the same next year. It's that serious. We must vote this fascist Trump out in November 2024.
Conservatives who support Trump are hypocrites, because they preach to us about how adultery, rape, lying, and corruption are evil (and they are evil), but Trump has been accused of adultery, he has been found legally liable of rape, he is a habitual liar, and he admitted that he doesn't ask God for forgiveness for anything. Elon Musk saying that the British Empire was the driving force in ending the vast majority of global slavery is a lie. Slavery is still here in places of Mauritania, Yemen (which the Houthis support slavery against black people in Yemen), and other places of the world. Movements of progressively minded people supported the end of slavery. The British Empire fought for slavery in their Empire until people forced the British Empire to end it. After slavery was abolished legally, the British Empire continued with colonization, imperialism, and other evils for a long time.
By Timothy
Monday, October 21, 2024
Cultural Information in Late October 2024.
The 1970s had dynamic fashion styles, which includes some of the greatest fashion clothing of the 20th century. Popular music and movies influenced the fashion of the decades. Many prints came from India and other parts of the world. Soul music, hippie culture, glam rock, and other forms of expression influenced 1970s fashion styles. David Bowie sued glam rock as an androgynous clothing style. Many men and women wore bell-bottomed pants. There were turtle necked shirts and three-piece suits. Dark coats were worn by Richard Roundtree in the film Shaft, Pam Grier wore elaborate dresses in films, and Jim Kelly wore Afros in films like Black Belt Jones. Many men wore large sideburns, beards, and mustaches. Women wore long and straight hair. There were miniskirts and minidresses. Later, women wore hot pants. Young women wore crop tops by the end of the 1970s. There were platform shoes, leisure shoes, the start of the mohawk hairstyle (used in punk culture), Flokati rugs, lavalamps, and Papasan chairs. Many women wore denim jackets and headbands. The disco culture has tons of fashion styles, and many people in the 1970s roller skates in disco arenas. Individuality was common in the fashion during the 1970s. New technologies brought about advances such as mass production, higher efficiency, generating higher standards and uniformity. Generally, the most famous silhouette of the mid and late 1970s for both genders was that of tight on top and loose on bottom. The 1970s also saw the birth of the indifferent, anti-conformist casual chic approach to fashion, which consisted of sweaters, T-shirts, jeans and sneakers.
New technologies brought about advances such as mass production, higher efficiency, generating higher standards and uniformity. Generally the most famous silhouette of the mid and late 1970s for both genders was that of tight on top and loose on bottom. The 1970s also saw the birth of the indifferent, anti-conformist casual chic approach to fashion, which consisted of sweaters, T-shirts, jeans and sneakers. One notable fashion designer to emerge into the spotlight during this time was Diane von Fürstenberg, who popularized, among other things, the jersey "wrap dress." von Fürstenberg's wrap dress design, essentially a robe, was among the most popular fashion styles of the 1970s, would also be credited as a symbol of women's liberation. The French designer Yves Saint Laurent and the American designer Halston both observed and embraced the changes that were happening in the society, especially the huge growth of women's rights and the youth counterculture. They successfully adapted their design aesthetics to accommodate the changes that the market was aiming for. Top fashion models in the 1970s were Lauren Hutton, Margaux Hemingway, Beverly Johnson, Gia Carangi, Janice Dickinson, Patti Hansen, Cheryl Tiegs, Jerry Hall, and Iman. By the late 1970s, there was the more relaxed look. Many women wore pantsuits, leisure suits, tracksuits, and sundresses worn with tight T-shirts. There were accessories like scarves, gold jewelry, ankle boots, boas, etc. By 1978, designer jeans were introduced. They were popular with designers creating them (like Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Fiorucci). By the late 1970s, many men wore tracksuits, jumpsuits, and sportwear. Some men wore wristbands, necklaces, and headbands.
The fashion of the 1980s filled with experimentation. The fashion of the early 1980s was a continuation of the fashion of the late 1970s. Throughout the 1980s, hip hop culture, heavy metal music, and films represented a large part of 1980s fashion. However, fashion became more extravagant during the 1980s. The 1980s included teased and colorfully-dyed hair, ripped jeans, neon clothing and many colors and different designs which at first were not accepted. Significant hairstyle trends of the 1980s include the perm, the mullet, the Jheri curl, the hi-top fade, and big hair. Significant clothing trends of the 1980s include shoulder pads, jean jackets, leather pants, leather aviator jackets, jumpsuits, Members Only jackets, skin-tight acid-washed jeans, Izod Lacoste and "preppy" polo shirts, leggings and leg warmers (popularized in the film Flashdance), off-the-shoulder shirts, and cut sweatshirts (popularized in the same film). Miniskirts returned to mainstream fashion in the mid-1980s after a ten-year absence, mostly made of denim material. From that point on, miniskirts and minidresses have remained in mainstream fashion to this day. Makeup on the 1980s was aggressive, shining and colourful. Women emphasized their lips, eyebrows and cheeks with makeup. They used much blush and eyeliner. Additional trends of the 1980s include athletic headbands, Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses (popularized in the film Top Gun), Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses (popularized in the films Risky Business and The Blues Brothers and the TV series Miami Vice), Swatch watches, and the Rubik's Cube (became a popular fad throughout the decade). Girls and women also wore jelly shoes, large crucifix necklaces, and brassieres all inspired by Madonna's "Like a Virgin" music video. Many women wore large hair dos and puffed-up styles like Jackee Harry of the 227 show. Many women wore shoulder pads too. There were glamourous styles shown on shows like Dynasty. There was the further growth of the supermodel culture during the 1980s with people like Brooke Shields, Christie Brinkley, Gia Carangi, Joan Severance, Kim Alexis, Carol Alt, Yasmin Le Bon, Renée Simonsen, Kelly Emberg, Inès de La Fressange, Tatjana Patitz, Elle Macpherson, and Paulina Porizkova. The early 1980s saw a minimalist style with a spaghetti strap dress. Brights colors were shown by the mid to late 1980s. By the end of the 1980s, many African Americans wore African medallions, Malcolm X hats, and four finger rings representative of the growth of hip hop culture. The 1980s saw an increase of name brand consumer brands involving clothes and shoes.
Japanese fashion designers Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo, and Issey Miyake started a new school of fashion during the late 1980s called "Japanese Avant-Garde Fashion", which combined Asian cultural inspiration with mainstream European fashion. The Japanese spirit and culture that they presented to Europeans caused a fashion revolution in Europe which continued to spread worldwide. Large framed sunglasses and glasses were worn by men and women. Involving shoes, Converse were popular in the first half of the 1980s including Adidas. Then, Air Jordan 1 took over the shoe game forever. The Air Jordan 1 was released in the royal blue color way to the public in 1985 and was an immediate success, still retaining its value in the fashion world today. Air Jordan was produced by Nike, Inc. being part of the Michael Jordan brand. Nike paid the NBA a fine for the show to be not completely white. Air Jordan is the most revolutionary tennis shoe in human history. Soon, other manufacturers introduced premium athletic shoes. Hip hop culture in the 1980s promoted Adidas sneakers, Jordan, Reebok, New Balance, Kangol hats, and other forms of necklaces and chains. MC Hammer, Run DMC, Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and other artists of the 1980s shown diverse fashion styles. Fila, Puma, Avia, and other brands were very common back then. Hip Hop fashion represent both fashion from the streets of urban community and high-end luxury fashion. Harlem designer and shop-owner Dapper Dan embodied this concept by redesigning luxury products and making them available to those who would not typically associate themselves with it. Dapper Dan was most famous for deconstructing a Louis Vuitton garment and turning it into his signature jacket. He reconstructed garments for many music icons and celebrities in the 1980s before getting shut down by lawyers in the early 1990s. This interest in luxury apparel expanded past Dapper Dan - American fashion brands Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Nautica were expanding rapidly and embraced by hip-hop culture as an indicator of status. The Pan African colors of green, yellow, red, black, and green were popular among African Americans plus kente cloth. Many suburban teens wore preppy fashion. Many of them worn Brook Brothers suits, Polo Ralph Lauren shirts, Izod Lacoste, etc. There were ponytails, large hair, mullets, jerri curls, and high top fade worn. Artistic expression was the fashion of the 1980s.
The 1990s had massive economic prosperity in many parts of the world. Fashion back then included a minimalist style and design. The 1990s rejected a lot of the bright colors of the 1980s including jeans, jerseys, and more simplistic styles. The early 1990s had hi top fade being expressed by African Americans. There were the shorter haircuts for men. There were flannel shirts being shown in grunge culture. There were slap bracelets, sideburns, and an anti-fashion style. There were baggy jeans, cargo shorts, and baseball caps worn backward. Jordans dominated the decades in tennis shoe fashion along with Reebox, New Balance, etc. There were oversized sweatshirts, loose fitting teens, and clothes with logos on them. By the mid to late 1990s, more people wore tattoos and piercings. Even as late as the 1980s, very few people wore tattoos and piercings in the mainstream which was popularized by Allen Iverson, many rock bands, Dennis Rodman, and other pop stars. That changed in the 1990s when more people wore belly button piercings, and Dennis Rodman dyed his hair in many colors. Many men wore tribal style arm bands. The 1990s saw the growth of supermodels dominating the fashion industry. These models included people of every color and background increasingly like Nadja Auermann, Tyra Banks, Christie Brinkley, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford, Karen Elson, Linda Evangelista, Yasmeen Ghauri, Bridget Hall, Shalom Harlow, Eva Herzigova, Michele Hicks, Kirsty Hume, Milla Jovovich, Yasmin Le Bon, Audrey Marnay, Kristen McMenamy, Kate Moss, Karen Mulder, Carolyn Murphy, Nadège, Erin O'Connor, Kirsten Owen, Tatjana Patitz, Maggie Rizer, Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour, Tatiana Sorokko, Stella Tennant, Christy Turlington, Amber Valletta, Guinevere Van Seenus, Alek Wek, and Amy Wesson. Even in the fashion industry, there was massive racism, so Naomi Campbell to her credit publicly and privately fought racism in fashion culture.
One of the most influential group of models during the early 1990s was the Big Five, whose fame and social power allegedly surpassed that of many movie stars. The Big Five consisted of supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Tatjana Patitz. Whether booked as individuals or as an elite group, each supermodel gained worldwide success and had great influence on the fashion industry. Naomi Campbell was the first black woman to grace the cover of French Vogue, Time, and American Vogue's September issue. Cindy Crawford was the highest paid model on the planet in 1995 per Forbes. Christy Turlington was known for being a reliable model who garnered over 500 covers during her career and most notably, signed a contract with Maybelline for an annual fee of $800,000 for twelve days' work. Linda Evangelista was known as the industry's "chameleon" for her ability to suit a multitude of styles. Evangelista also infamously coined the phrase, "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day." Tatjana Patitz, the last of the Big Five, continues to be regarded as one of the "original supermodels" and even after her retirement, she remains in demand periodically by such designer houses as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Chanel. Later in the decade, Tatjana was replaced in the Big Five by supermodel Claudia Schiffer, who is one of the most successful supermodels in the world, holding the record for the most magazine covers according to The Guinness Book of World Records. Kate Moss was a young model in the 1990s. She was exploited by people to promote the controversial movement of "heroin chic" which was criticized for promoting eating disorders. Tyson Beckford, Tim Boyce and Marcus Schenkenberg were popular models in the 1990s too. Lisa Lopes promoted neon colors on clothes. Many people wore cowboy boots, slouch shocks, Keds, etc. From 1991 on, sports bras, hoodies, shortalls, leotards and bodysuits worn as tops with jeans, a sweatshirt over a turtleneck with jeans rolled up to show off their slouch socks were popular with young girls, teens, college girls, and young women in the UK and Europe. Tyra Banks is a fashion icon who was very popular in the 1990s with a new school, hip hop influenced expression. She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and she was a professional actress too. Janet Jackson promoted massive fashion styles in the 1990s too.
By the mid to late 1990s, influences from Asia and from the 1970s were in the 1990s. Many men wore graphic print T-shirt, athletic clothing, Champion clothes, and baseball jackets. Hip Hop culture was popular too with Fubu and other styles that focused on colors, matching images, and being comfortable. Track suits, Baja Jackets, and the 8 ball jacket were promoted in hip-hop culture. Michael Hoban promoted hip hop fashion too. Southern hip-hop provided a platform for fashion designers and musical artists to collaborate forming an influential subculture of anti-fashion and alternative fashion designs, especially the popular recycled clothing worn by Arrested Development and Goodie Mob. The 1990s saw a massive sportswear culture with NY Yankees logo sweaters, khaki cargo pants, and hoodies. DMX promoted the ski goggles during the late 1990s. Women's hairstyles by the early 1990s had a big, curly style (that was shown in the 1980s). By the end of the 1990s, there were more pixie cuts, short hair, and bangs. Many women wore ponytails. Men wore cornrows, fades, mullets, curtained hair, Ceasars, and some men dyed their hair. Many men wore a conservative hair cut in the 1990s too. Women wore diverse makeup by the 1990s.
Fashion in the 20th century was a game changer. It saw the most diverse, interesting, and exciting fashion in human history. The fashion of the early 20th century was lightyears different than the fashion of the latter 20th century. The 20th century saw unprecedented amounts of scientific discoveries, scopes of warfare, new modes of communication, and wide-ranging art and entertainment. Population growth in the 20th century was monumental being from 1.6 billion people to about 6.2 billion people by the end of the century. Just in 100 years, the 20th century saw World I, World II, the Spanish flu pandemic, the creation of nuclear weapons, the modern-day Civil Rights Movement, the Internet, space travel, and digital computing. That relates to the massive changes of fashion from Victorian clothes of the early 20th century to more designs and logos on clothing by the 1990s. During this time, we saw the rise of more fashion designers, supermodels, and other icons of fashion culture. We have Naomi Campbell making history and Dapper Dan representing hip hop culture involving fashion designs too. We saw unique, revolutionary shoes like Jordan, Adidas, Reebok, and New Balance changing how people express their individuality too.
Dana Howard is my 4th cousin, and she was born in Fairfax, Virginia on January 19, 1981. Her parents are Roy Lee Howard (b. 1944) and Yetta Stratton (b. 1951). Her sister is Danielle Howard. Yetta Straton's parents were Thomas Edward Stratton (1914-1992) and Essie Mae Ames (1924-2006). The parents of my 2nd cousin Thomas Edward Stratton were Alfred Stratton (1894-1951) and Virginia (Jennie) Burton (1883-1968). The parents of Virginia (Jennie) Burton were James Burton (1848-1931) and Ann Eliza Brickhouse (1857-1921). The parents of my 2nd great-grandaunt were Johnson Brickhouse (b. 1826) and Julia Perkins (b. 1835). So, Dana Howard and I share the same 3rd great grandparents of Johnson Brickhouse and Julia Perkins. My 2nd paternal cousin Ardelia Upshur (1897-1986) was married to Roman J. Barnes (b. 1896) on December 3, 1920, at Northampton, County, Virginia. Their son is James Wendall Barnes (b. 1922). James Wendall Barnes married Elsia Kenner on January 11, 1942, in Wilmington, Delaware. The Delaware Marriage Records confirmed this too. Their child is James Wendall Barnes Jr. (b. 1943). Later, Ardella Upshur married Monieth Roots (1891-1966) on March 22, 1943, in Delaware. My 3rd cousin was Naomi Upshur Francis (1929-2019), and she was born in Hare Valley, Virginia on November 18, 1929. Her parents are Jesse and Nellie Upshur. She was educated in the Northampton County school system and married Curtis Hoover Francis of Nassawadox, Virginia. They were married on February 28, 1948, at their home church, New Allen A.M.E. Church in Franktown, Virginia. They have three children whose names are: G. Giane Brown (who is married to Michael Brown) of Irvington, New Jersey, Curtis H. Francis Jr. (who is married to Sheila) of Willingboro, New Jersey, and Donald L. Francis (who is married to Cheryl) of Manassas, Virginia. She has 8 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many family members plus friends. Naomi Upshur Francis volunteered at the local Hospice care, helping the homeless, worked with her husband in religious activities, and mentored plus prayed with young women at her. She was the guiding light of wisdom and strength. Her brother is the late Dr. Bernard Lee Upshur of Florida.
By Timothy
Friday, October 18, 2024
Less than 20 Days Before the End of the Election.
Vice President Kamala Harris gave a speech in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She is outlining her plans to promote tax cuts for the middle class, investments to grow housing, and to stop price gouging (as she has done before). Harris believes in promoting dignity and understanding involving American human lives. She said that she wants to put middle class and working class first as she doesn't forget where she came from. She contrasts her plans with her plans for Trump. She said that his agenda is allied with Project 2025. Harris said that Trump will cut Social Security and Medicare, make it easier for companies to deny overtime pay for workers, and imposes a 20 percent tax on everyday items (that economists say will cost Americans tons of money). Trump wants to abolish the ACA without a plan to replace it. Trump said that he has no plan for health care but only "concepts."
Vice President Kamala Harris came to FOX News. The interview was contentious, but Kamala Harris pushed back to say that she is the candidate of change. The FOX News interviewer Bret Baier interrupted her many times. Kamala Harris said that Trump wants to lock up people who disagree with him, and she said that this is a democracy (dissent should be embraced in any country). Baier asked Kamala Harris on many questions on immigration issues. Kamala Harris said that the immigration system is broken and a wide-ranging solution is necessary to solve the crisis. There must be policies to comprehensive immigration solutions. She wants border security and compassion sent to migrants. Harris said that General Mark Milley considered Trump a fascist to the core. The interview seems like more like a debate than a regular interview as the vast majority of the journalists in FOX News are conservative MAGA supporters.
Woodward reported on part of his new book called War. He wrote that Kamala Harris worked on foreign policy involving Ukraine and Putin when she was Vice President. Woodward said that Trump uses his mouth (without a cogent team) to describe his foreign policy positions. Woodward writes that Trump is worse than Nixon as Trump agitated an insurrection against the United States government, wants total immunity from prosecution, and promotes draconian policies (from a Muslim ban to giving police immunity from prosecution. He even is considering using the military to deal with peaceful dissenters of his policies).
This traitor Lord Jamar was on FOX News to say the lie that Kamala Harris is not qualified to be President. Vice President Kamala Harris was a California Attorney General, was a woman who was Senator, and was filled with massive political experience to be President of the United States. Harris supported an infrastructure law getting rid of lead from bad pipes. Harris has gone out of her way to promote a plan to help black men like dealing with prostate cancer, investing in apprenticeships, going about to invest in education, etc. These policies benefit black men and black women. All of this Brand Nubian stuff goes out of the window when an ignorant person Jamar goes about to support a fascist who is Trump (Trump stated that he wants a Muslim ban and desires to ruin our democratic rights). Trump has shown increasingly erratic behavior. Jamar is the same guy who said that the Earth is flat, the anti-Semitic lie that only 500,000 Jewish people died in the Holocaust, and women hip hop artists aren't representative of real hip hop. Trump wants to give tax breaks to the super-rich, but Kamala Harris wants to help working-class families. Jamar should follow the Brand Nubian's song of Don't Let It Go to Your Head.
A Georgia judge rejected multiple new state election laws as bureaucratic overreach. Many Republicans want to pass such laws to gain power, as our election system in America is very strong. New documents from Special Counsel Jack Smith about a Trump legal case are available. The documents will be released today. The documents will be about 1600 pages. One Hamas leader, who has been called the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel, has been killed by Israeli military forces. Vice President Kamala Harris wants to end the war in Gaza with security in Israel and self-determination and dignity for the Palestinian people. Kamala Harris has increased his travels to go to Wisconsin and other battleground states. Trump is the person who said that the January 6th insurrection in 2021 was a day of love. It wasn't a day of love, but a day of bigotry, racism, terrorism, and treason. On that day, many law enforcement were killed, the property was destroyed, and racist slurs were given to law enforcement by insurrectionist terrorists.
By Timothy
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
The End of the Election Season.
Vice President Kamala Harris had a town hall meeting in Detroit with the controversial host Charlamange. Kamala Harris said that Trump wants to suppress peaceful protesters who disagree with his agenda. She defends her record on immigration issues. She said that she wanted to do something about redlining and disparities against the black community after a person asked Kamala Harris if she endorsed reparations for black Americans. Kamala Harris said that Trump referred to the military as suckers and losers. Harris said that she wants to name call, and Trump has a weakness in pleasing dictators to seek their favors, to demean America's service people, and Trump refuses to stand up for the American Constitution. Kamala Harris said that Trump is unfit to run for the Presidency. Kamala Harris said that the Biden/Harris administration cut child poverty in half. Kamala Harris is doing a media blitz to go on many media outlets including FOX News later on.
Trump had a bizarre town hall where he swayed to music for 39 minutes straight. This situation has many people questioning Trump's mental acuity. Yet, far-right conservatives are silent on Trump's behavior. General Mark Milley said that Trump is very dangerous to this country and that Trump is a fascist. Milley went as far as calling Trump the most dangerous person in America today. Trump's Former Defense Secretary said that he fears that Trump would use the military to be used against U.S. citizens. In contrast, we know what the Biden/Harris administration did for America. During this term, Black Americans gained 2.5 million jobs, the black unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in decades, black child poverty dropped by nearly half, black wealth rose by 60 percent since the pandemic, and black businesses grew at the fastest rate in 30 years.
A suspect was arrested after reports of threats toward FEMA operations in North Carolina. The person arrested was from North Carolina, and he was accused of threatening to harm FEMA employees responding to Hurricane Helene (according to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office). The person's name was William Jacob Parsons. The threats have caused some FEMA offices to close. There has been Trump spreading lies and misinformation about the responses to recent storms. Many FEMA teams are helping disaster survivors who are applying for assistance in rural North Carolina. They are working at secure disaster recovery centers in counties where federal workers are receiving threats. The misinformation has increased rapidly when victims of Helene and Milton need real investments and assistance to build up their own lives. It is important to be clear that disaster relief shouldn't be a partisan issue. Everyone deserves just assistance if they need it in our society.
Trump wants the military to deal with progressive dissent with his fascist policies. He calls for internment camps to deport migrants. He wants to sue people who disagree with him. Trump made the "enemy within" remarks to promote his authoritarian agenda, but some people disgracefully support Donald Trump. Trump is not using coded language. He is using overtly fascist language. For example, Trump wanted to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to arrest and expel undocumented immigrants. Trump wants people who disagree with him to be handled, if necessary, by the National Guard. Many super-wealthy people align with Trump's agenda like Elon Musk, who is the world's richest person. Trump is deranged in his attacks on socialism, the left, and all protests against the policies of the oligarchy. The problem is that we are very close to a total fascist dictatorship if that fascist wins the 2024 election. Some Democrats even support American imperialism and the neoliberalism agenda of the super-rich. I don't agree with the White House deploying 100 troops to Israel to operate a missile system targeting Iran. That is why people must talk about wages, layoffs, inflation, and health care to make sure that the pro-democracy side will win the election.
Georgia sets the 1st day record for in-person, early voting with over 250,000 votes being in existence today in Georgia alone. This is why voting matters. If voting didn't matter, why are Republicans trying to pass laws to suppress the vote, make it difficult for people to vote, and one law bans people giving people water in a voting line. The Biden/Harris administration has provided student loan debt relief to millions of Americans, caused millions of jobs to exist via the Infrastructure Act, given billions of dollars to black farmers in aid, signed the Emmitt Till Anti-Lynching bill into law, and lowered prescription drugs for seniors (plus border crossings are at record lows). One person who is an agent is Jill Stein. These are things that people must know about her. Jill Stein was at a dinner with the dictator Vladimir Putin to support his propaganda outlet Russia Today. Jill Stein joined MAGA extremist Michael Flynn in a dinner with Putin in Moscow. Jill Stein met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Stein claims to be anti-war, but she owns stock and weapons companies that have made billions in wars in Gaza and Ukraine. She and her husband have millions of dollars in investments in fossil fuels and other anti-environmental holdings. Many Republicans and MAGA Trump donors fund her campaign, but Jill Stein refuses to send that money back to them.
By Timothy
Sunday, October 13, 2024
October Developments of the World.
From the passing away of the Apostle John in ca. 100 A.D. to the rise of Constantine in ca. 312 A.D., Christianity has grown and matured massively. Christians existed from a few dozens people to thousands of followers by the early 4th century. During the duration of that time, many people have changed their lives, martyrs have existed (being murdered by the Roman Empire and other anti-Christians), and heresies rose up too. Many of these heresies embraced pagan philosophies like Gnosticism, Ebionism, and other movements. Many of these heresies deny the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, embrace an extreme legalism, and bash anything physical in the Universe (when many things in the Universe being physical are good like trees, the soil, and sheep moving around in farms worldwide). From 100 A.D., the influences of Peter, James, and Paul created the powerbase of early Christianity, headed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Say what you want about Paul, but Paul wrote one of the revolutionary verses in human history stating that under Christ, there is no slave or free, no male or female, but we are all one under Jesus Christ. Nazarenes were Jewish Christians, but they weren't heretics. They followed Mosaic law. We shouldn't be required to follow Mosaic Law for salvation, but the New Testament is clear not to judge anyone who follows Mosaic Law or not as found in Colossians. By the 300s, some in the Church wanted a unitary ruler when even Cyprian said that no man shall be a bishop of bishops. Later, as part of the imperfections of humanity, superstitions and heresies were promoted to promote the foundation of the origin of the modern-day Catholic Church. There was the rise of monastic life too. Constantine's union of church and state was a mistake, because the church is an independent institution with its own power and doctrines that shouldn't be exploited to promote the whims of the state. From 312 to 606 A.D., Christianity saw many developments, but the believers remained in existence too.
The 1930s involving fashion grew from glamour to practical uses of clothing. This time saw swing, the beginning of World War II. Black people, white people, and all people in the world were as conscious as possible in displaying diverse fashion styles. Dance and Hollywood styles of clothing were common back then. Travis Banton, Walter Plunekt, and Adrian designed clothes for people. Back then, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, and other old-school Hollywood actors and actresses wore dresses, suits, and hats. Dresses were shimmering with colors including gowns. Many gowns had belts, shoulder straps, bows, and necklaces. Some dresses embraced the classicism style. Madame Gres cultivated that imagery on clothing. An early bra called the brassiere was used by many women decades ago too. Classicism was bout embracing the ancient Roman style in a 20th century fashion. Classicism had embroidery, tendrils, and a cape too. Many women had sports clothes, beach wear with belts, and hats too. Many men wore cloth caps, suits, and sportswear too. Some wore striped shirts and knit vests. This represented a casual look. There were a plus four suit being very complicated filled with a dress shirt, tie, light jacket, and a big suit. The controversial Edward VII loved fashion too. By the 1930s, there was an elegant style of dress for men. Many men wore top hats, canes, and suits for dinner, dating, performances, and other activities. Many women wore suits and top hats like the famous Marlene Dietrich, who was in the 1930 film of Morocco. There was the lounge suit, the white suit, the reefer jacket, and the dinner jacket suit. In Berlin, clothing was diverse as Berlin in the 1930s saw their own fashion and sexual revolution. By the 1930s, chorus line of women of every color existed.
By the 1940s, there were dresses with feathers and logos of animals on them. Elsa Schiaparelli loved to be different to view fashion as art. She promoted the divided skirt. By the 1940s, World War II existed, so men and women wore military-style clothes and a blue-collar-type fashion style. Many women were in factories, so many women wore overalls and coveralls. During WWII, women in America in ca. 400,000 joined the U.S. Army and almost 500,000 women in the UK joined the British armed forces. Women wore skirts, hats, and buttoned suits in the military. Rosie the Riveter with her clothes represented the women in America who worked to create products used in WWII from plane parts to bombs. Some women wore a khaki tunic and skirt in the military. A lot of black and gray suits were worn by men in everyday life. Many men wore many jackets too. Hollywood promoted a conservative style of clothing in movies. Items were in ration back then, so many clothes were used in different ways. Josephine Baker wore many suits as she helped to defeat the Nazis in France. Longer skirts were long by women in Paris and in other places too. By the end of the 1940s, there was a new optimism in society as WWII ended.
During the 1950s, many Americans moved into the suburbs. There was the New Look promoted by designer Christian Dior. Luxury fabric, unicolor dresses, and wedding dresses were shown to the world. Christian Dior wanted simplistic to be the order of the day in expressing certain fashion styles. Dior loved to promote the silhouettes. New accessories with lace and veil were found in wedding dresses. Cocktail dresses were around with flower designs, black designs, and with scandal shoes. There were couture gowns too. By this time, Christobal Balenciaga changed fashion into many ways. He moved into Paris and promoted new garments. Feminine feathered coats were worn by women. Handbags and the bikini existed by the 1950s. There were sunglasses and more people were on the beach at vacation. Air travel increased, and people went to resort areas to relax from the day to day events of work. Men wore stripped suits, conservative hats, and dress shoes. The teenager culture was modernized by the 1950s with jackets, string ties, and certain haircuts. The teenager was a recent concept. Back in the day, once you hit 16, you either went to work or join the military. By the 1950's, more teenagers (boys and girls) wore plaid T-shirts, flattop haircuts, jeans, wide skirts, and boots. There were Sidney Poitier, James Dean, Dorothy Dandridge, Marlon Brando, and other people who showed youth culture in films and television back in the 1950s. There was the sports style with equestrian clothes, flur jackets, and skating shoes. Many cheerleaders were commonplace by the 1950s.
The early 1960s in terms of culture and fashion was a continuation of the late 1950s. There were more conservative dress and clothing. By the mid 1960s, things would change. There were polka dot dresses worn by women. Handbags were elaborate. Women wore their hair shorter, and men grew breads more. Many people didn't know that back in the day, it was taboo for a man to grow long beards. The London model Twiggy used the mod short haircut, the mini skirt, and the suits in opposition to the more conservative fashion styles of the 1950s. There were minicoats and bright colored skirts. By the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement, and the Sexual Revolution changed fashion and culture forever. By the late 1960s, experimentation in fashion was in vogue. Colored hair, sunglasses, raincoats, and stripped dresses were in existence. Designer Biba inspired much of the changing fashion trends of the time too. Many men wore pop clothing with stripped suits, colored ties, and trailblazers. There were cardin jerseys and unique ties. More men wore their hair longer. There were Afros shown by black men and black women more often by the mid to late 1960s. There were bell bottoms worn by men and women. With the Black Panthers and James Brown's son of I Am Black and Proud, Afrocentric fashion themes were displayed heavily in the 1960s with people like Diana Ross and Muhammad Ali being creative in their style of clothing. Yves St. Laurent has been an icon of fashion for long decades since that time.
There are new discoveries about my 3rd great-granduncle Benjamin Hurst-Turner (b. 1874). Her parents were Morefield Hurst-Turner (1827-1918) and Milly Woodson Bozeman (1830-1910). Benjamin Turner was a farmer who lived in Southampton County, Virginia. She married Cora B. Sykes on January 4, 1903, at Southampton County. The person who performed the ceremony was Sam Freeman. The couple had many children who were Libbie Turner (b. 1903), Irma Turner (b. 1905), Roberta Turner (b. 1908), Blanche Turner (b 1910), Alice Turner (1911-2001), and William Turner (b. 1918). My 1st cousin Alice Turner married Joe Bill Artis (b. 1912). Alice Turner and Joe Bill Artis had many children who were Mary Magdalene Artis (b. 1935), James T. Artis (1938-2003), Ruben L. Artis (b. 1940), Erma Lee Artis (b. 1942-1990), Donald Eugene Artis (1943-1973), and Joanna Artis (1945-2014). My 2nd cousin Elma Artis lived from 1942 to 1990. She was born on February 19, 1942 at Elizabeth City, Virginia. She married Alton Lee James (b. 1933) on November 13, 1964 at Newport News, Virginia. Their child is Elroy Artis of Hampton, Virginia (his biological father is Bobby Paul Ballett). Erma Artis James worked in Hampton and worked for the Lawson Seafood Company for three years. Elroy Artis married Sheila Mayphene Sheppard on January 28, 1995 at Hampton, Virginia. Their child is Jermail Askew.
My 2nd cousin Mary Angline Artis married Jesse Lee Wright Sr. (1932-2021) on March 2, 1955, in Franklin, North Carolina. Their children are Jesse Lee Wright Jr. (b. 1955), Juanita Wright (b. 1956), and James Wright. The 7 grandchildren of Mary and Jesse Lee Wright Sr. are: James L. Wright (Tamika), Kevin D. Wright (Cherie), Candace N. Wright, James J. Wright Sr. (LaToya), Eric M. Wright, Jessica M. Wright, Shayla D. Wright. The 11 great-grandchildren of Mary and Jesse Lee Wright Sr. are: Alexandria Wright, Tyler Wright, Logan Smith, Kiana Wright, Jaleah Wright, Layla Wright, James J. Wright Jr ((3j), London Wright, Janiyah Wright, and Dimitris (Dj). My 2nd cousin James T. Artis married Dorislee Phyllis Lynch (1952-2010) and their children are James T. Artis Jr. and Dorian L. Lynch. My 2nd cousin Ruben L. Artis (1940-1981) married Juanita Elizabeth Jones (b. 1942) on June 11, 1960 at Newport News, Virginia. Their children are Diana Artis (b. 1962), Reuben Artis Jr. (b. 1964), Teresa Michelle Artis (b. 1965), Ronald Artis, Alicia Artis, and Shirell Artis.
The 2024 Presidential election started after President Biden won the election on November 2020. The Trump team sued states in trying to steal the election, but they failed by the Supreme Court. Trump agitated a mob on the United States on January 6, 2021 in trying to oppose the Congress certify the rightful victory for Biden. This mob beat police officers, stole property, waved Neo-Nazi and neo Confederate flags, and more National Guard troops had to come into the place to stop the mob. Mike Pence was almost killed by the insurrectionists. Trump was impeached twice by early 2021, and President Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021. Kamala Harris was inaugurated as Vice President on the same day too being the first black and Indian American President in American history. At first, President Biden wanted to run for office again in 2024. By 2022, many Presidential candidates rise up. That year saw new decisions by the Supreme Court too like Roe being abolished. The RNC decides that Milwaukee will be the shite of the 2024 Republican National Convention. The FBI investigated Mar-a-Lago involving a criminal investigation of Donald Trump. The 2022 midterm election allowed the Democrats to win the U.S. Senate and the House to gain a slight control of the United States House of Representatives. By early 2023, the Democratic National Committee move the primary calender up from other dates. By February 2023, Niki Haley ran for President on the Republican ticket. Later, Vivek Ramaswamy ran for President too. By March 30, 2023, Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for his hush money scandal with Stormy Daniels. The neoliberal, centrist No Labels organization explored options to promote a unity ticket in the presidential election, but they failed thankfully. Tim Scott ran for President too as a Republican from South Carolina. He is a Senator. Robert Kennedy Jr. once ran for President on April 19, 2023 too. 2023 saw the Presidential race grow in intensity. By October 2023, Cornell West ran for President as an Independent. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israeli changed the 2024 Presidential race forever. Many Muslim Americans want Biden to drop out of the race over his handling of the Israel/Hamas war. This is part of the #Abandon Biden movement. By early 2023, Trump won the primaries in the Republican races. Biden won the Democratic primaries too. After Super Tuesday on March 4, 2024, Trump and Biden won their primary votes. Nikki Haley endorsed Trump. By the early Summer of 2024, Biden is encouraged by members of his own party to leave the race before of his age and performance on the first Presidential debate.
The July 1, 2024 Supreme Court decision allow Trump to absolute immunity for acts he committed as President and no immunity for unofficial acts. It was a 6-3 decision being one of the worst decisions of the Supreme Court. By this time, Trump is a convicted felon and found liable for raping a woman. Raul Grjalva and Seath Moulton want Biden to withdraw from the race. The Democratic elites want Biden gone. The Republican National Convention took place in July of 2024 at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. J.D. Vance is the new Vice Presidential GOP candidate. Biden tested positive for COVID-19 by July 17, 2024. By July 21, 2024, President Joe Biden withdrew from the race supporting Vice President Kamala Harris to have the Democratic candidacy. Vice President Kamala Harris announced her candidacy for President. This comes after the first assassination attempt against Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. Kamala Harris had immediate support and picked Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz as his vice presidential running mate. Many Uncommitted delegates from 8 states support Palestinians not Harris. The August 2024 Democratic National Convention took place in Chicago, Illinois with power and inspiration. By this time, the race between Harris and Trump remain close, especially in battleground states. People have debated the role of men, including black men in their views of Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris thoroughly defeated Donald Trump in the 2nd Presidential debate on September 10, 2024. By September 2024, Trump has a 2nd assassination attempt. Early voting has started by September. Walz defeated Vance on October 1, 2024 by default as Vance told lies in a slick fashion. After that, Hurricane Helene and Milton damaged the Southeast, Trump lies about Haitian immigrants, and Trump increases his bigoted rhetoric against immigrants. Trump wants concentration camps to deport all undocumented workers. Trump also slandered Detroit too.
The hip-hop artist Lord Jamar recently supported Trump and promoted the lie that Trump is not a racist. Not only is Jamar a liar, but he is a traitor to black people. He is the worst type of traitor by hypocritically claiming to be for black people but allying with the anti-black fascist Donald Trump. Let's look at the facts. Trump said that the Central Park Five should have the death penalty, even after DNA evidence proved their innocence. Trump said that a Mexican American judge can't judge a case fairly because of his Mexican heritage. That is racism. Trump slandered the city of Detroit recently in October of 2024. Trump called many black women politicians as having low IQ. Trump made sexist remarks against Kamala Harris for months, and Trump said that there were good people on both sides in the events of Charlottesville, Virginia back in 2017. The other side included Nazis and far-right terrorists. Jamar hypocritically criticizes Dj Vlad for his antics (which is true as Vlad is a deceptive person), but he supports Trump and sugarcoats his antics. Lord Jamar wants to be part of the house of Trump so badly, because he loves his master, Donald Trump. He is worse than Jesse Lee Peterson (as Peterson never claims to be pro-black). Jamar said that Kamala Harris isn't black. The truth is that Kamala Harris is Black and Indian American, and she called herself black and African American plenty of times.
Vice President Kamala Harris is not perfect, but she is not Trump. Trump was found liable legally of raping a woman, but Kamala Harris was a prosecutor who targeted corrupt Wall Street interests and sexual predators. Trump wants camps to house migrants (he wants to end birthright citizenship and he wants a Muslim ban), but Kamala Harris wants billions of dollars in federal investments to build new housing in America. Trump has promoted divisive rhetoric for decades, and Kamala Harris promotes unity and justice. Jamar talks about Tupac and collard greens, but Kamala's misspoken words are nowhere near Trump agitating an insurrection against the USA government on January 6, 2021 (Trump called terrorists and traitors on that day patriots and wants to pardon these criminals). Republicans in Alabama are being sued by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice and the rest of the Justice Department for having a program that is aimed at removing voters form its election roles. Many GOP members are trying to suppress the vote now. So, Lord Jamar is a Hotep (as many Hoteps are allied with the MAGA cult) who made sexist remarks for years. Jamar said the lie that only 500,000 Jewish people died in the Holocaust in 2020. That is offensive as six million Jewish people died in the Shoah. This is the same person who said that women hip-hop artists are not part of real hip-hop. He has to nerve to call Sha-Rock an anomaly when Sequence, Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and other women hip hop artists have made contributions in hip hop since the 1970s. This liar Jamar said that Harris did nothing specific to black people. Amber Rose lied and said that eating cats is part of Haitian culture. Amber Rose is a sick person like Jamar is too. Harris funded HBCUs, helped to cut poverty in half, talked to black men as men to promote her views, and went about promoting infrastructure development in our nation. Black unemployment is much lower now than in Trump's Presidency. She has detailed policy positions on her campaign site too. That is the truth. Kamala Harris is proposing a new plan for Medicare to cover the costs of health care aides for seniors. Yet, Trump has no plan whatsoever on dealing with national health care issues. Trump stands for fascism and bigotry, and Kamala Harris stands for democracy. It is as simple as that.
The growth of air taxi cab technology has increased in the 2020s. This is part of the AAM or Advanced Air Mobility. – air transportation systems that utilize advanced technologies such as vertical takeoffs, autonomous capabilities, or fully-electric systems – for short to mid range on-demand flights. Many AAM vehicles are designed for Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) or Vertical Takeoff and Landings (VTOL); electric VTOL aircraft are also prominent, known as eVTOLs. Another noteworthy term for the air taxi market is Urban Air Mobility (UAM), which is a sub-category of AAM focused on applications in urban settings. The concept of air taxis existed as early as the 1910s to 1950s. This concept goes back as early as 1917 with Glenn Curtiss’ prototype, the auto-plane. Furthermore, during the 1920s to the late 1950s, various inventors created their own prototypes. Such inventors included Henry Ford, Waldo Waterman, and Moulton “Molt” Taylor. However, each of these projects faced challenges which included crashes, lack of funding, or technical difficulties. During the 2010s to the present day, there was the “reemergence” of catering to “on-demand aviation services” that focus on goods delivery and passenger mobility such as the ability of booking a helicopter through a smartphone. BLADE, SkyRyde, and UberCopter are just some examples of companies that are offering passenger mobility helicopter services. Additionally, NASA and the United States Air Force initiated a focus to improve safety and scalability of UAM systems through the launch of the AAM National Campaign and Agility Prime. NASA showed this initiative by signing agreements with 17 companies to test UAM vehicles and systems. On the other hand, the U.S. Air Force's Agility Prime program demonstrates a focus on scalability through exploring vertical flight opportunities for military applications.
Companies such as Uber claim air taxis and other VTOL aircraft will enable rapid and reliable transportation. Uber plans to develop new skyports, which may provide multidimensional routes opposed to traditional routes taken by current forms of transportation. To achieve efficiency, the current proposed plan is to use the top decks of parking structures and current existing helipads to create multiple skyports for the future. EVTOL developer TCab Tech raised 20 million dollars in its first round of funding. The company has received more than 200 provisional orders for its E20 model, in which Chinese media has reported that the E20 will COST $970,000 per unit. Other companies, such as the German consultancy Roland Berger, have predicted about 3,000 flying taxis will be in operation by 2025 with as many as 98,000 by 2050.
In addition, Joby Aviation plans to be in operation in New York by 2025. They plan to offer electric air taxi transport from JFK airport to downtown Manhattan. Joby Aviation also plans to offer booking on demand, similar to rideshare apps. Furthermore, in 2025, Joby and Delta airlines hope to launch eVTOL flights in New York and Los Angeles. Additionally, United and Archer Aviation plan to do the same in Chicago. This shift towards urban air mobility is supported by Delta Airlines statistics that is estimating about 1,000 people a day would choose eVTOLS instead of automobiles to travel to and from the airport. Today, there is the flying taxi being developed in the UAE. Toyota is to invest in the 500 million in the flying taxi start up called Joby. The Joby aviation flying taxi can reach 200 mph. During a trial, the Joby can travel from Manhattan to JFK airport from one hour to just seven minutes.
By Timothy
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Friday, October 11, 2024
End of the Week News.
There are new discoveries about my 3rd great-granduncle Benjamin Hurst-Turner (b. 1874). Her parents were Morefield Hurst-Turner (1827-1918) and Milly Woodson Bozeman (1830-1910). Benjamin Turner was a farmer who lived in Southampton County, Virginia. She married Cora B. Sykes on January 4, 1903, at Southampton County. The person who performed the ceremony was Sam Freeman. The couple had many children who were Libbie Turner (b. 1903), Irma Turner (b. 1905), Roberta Turner (b. 1908), Blanche Turner (b 1910), Alice Turner (1911-2001), and William Turner (b. 1918). My 1st cousin Alice Turner married Joe Bill Artis (b. 1912). Alice Turner and Joe Bill Artis had many children who were Mary Magdaline Artis (b. 1935), James T. Artis (1938-2003), Ruben L. Artis (b. 1940), Elma Lee Artis (b. 1942), Donald Eugene Artis (1943-1973), and Joanna Artis (1945-2014).
My 2nd cousin Mary Angline Artis married Jesse Lee Wright Sr. (1932-2021) on March 2, 1955, in Franklin, North Carolina. Their children are Jesse Lee Wright Jr. (b. 1955), Juanita Wright (b. 1956), and James Wright. The 7 grandchildren of Mary and Jesse Lee Wright Sr. are: James L. Wright (Tamika), Kevin D. Wright (Cherie), Candace N. Wright, James J. Wright Sr. (LaToya), Eric M. Wright, Jessica M. Wright, Shayla D. Wright. The 11 great-grandchildren of Mary and Jesse Lee Wright Sr. are: Alexandria Wright, Tyler Wright, Logan Smith, Kiana Wright, Jaleah Wright, Layla Wright, James J. Wright Jr ((3j), London Wright, Janiyah Wright, and Dimitris (Dj). My 2nd cousin James T. Artis married Dorislee Phyllis Lynch (1952-2010) and their children are James T. Artis Jr. and Dorian L. Lynch.
There is a lot of political news going on now. Trump has a proposal to end his 2017 tax law and increase tariffs. This will cause a tax cut of $26,320 for the richest Americans and a tax increase of at least 1,790 for the middle class. As Hurricane Milton entered Florida, Governor DeSantis of Florida rejected 11 billion dollars in federal aid meant to address climate change and infrastructure. He banned the phrase "climate change" from Florida laws. Many Republicans have this mentality that no money should be spent by the federal government to help humanity but record tax cuts for the super-wealthy are integral to their agenda. That is plainly contradictory. Disaster relief should never be politicized by anyone. FTC Chair Lina Khan has done a great job defending working-class people's rights. People are fighting against the monopolization in the meat industry. It has gotten so bad that even McDonald's is suing major meatpackers for conspiring to artificially inflate beef prices. Antitrust policies are increasing their power in society not just in the 1920s.
Bob Woodward has a new book about Trump called "War." Woodward used many sources, including firsthand accounts and other sources. It is an honest account about behind scenes events and comments about political issues. Woodward wrote that Trump had many phone calls with Vladimir Putin. Woodward wrote that Trump sent Putin many COVID testing machines. Woodward said that Trump had as many as 7 phone calls with Putin after Trump was President. Bob Woodward mentioned that Biden called Putin evil. The book shows President Joe Biden being angry at Benjamin Netanyahu for his policies in Gaza. The book has Biden cursing Netanyahu out as lying and not caring about Hamas but himself. I don't agree with the profanity, but I agree with Biden that Netanyahu cares about Netanyahu. Benjamin Netanyahu is a pro-Trump far-right extremist who seeks no 2-state solution but propping up his own ego for political purposes. Trump campaign leaders deny the allegations made by Woodward, but Woodward is known for having firm sources and accurate information,
Donald Trump's comments about Detroit should surprise no one. Trump said that America could be like Detroit if Kamala Harris is elected President of the United States of America. Trump omits that Detroit has an economic rebound for many years also. Also, he is using coded language as Detroit has many black people living in it, so he wants to assign negative stereotypes to Detroit. He is sick and wrong. Detroit is one of America's great cities that brought Motown, cars, and other culturally powerful institutions in the world that we respect to this day. Some people forget that inflation started rising with Trump, largely due to his mishandling of the pandemic that harmed the economy. Now, the inflation rate is lower now than when Trump left office. Real wages have grown faster than inflation for 17 straight months. Also, many conservative governors turn down federal funding that could materially improve the people in their states. Many governors have denied Medicaid funding, infrastructure, emergency funds, etc. in a sick way. Ron DeSantis denied a billion dollars in federal funding from the Biden administration to update infrastructure and roads in the Tampa Bay region for political reasons.
By Timothy
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Wednesday, October 09, 2024
Hurricane Milton and other News.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 5 storm. Authorities want people in the path of the storm to evacuate. That is why tons of cars are bumper-to-bumper trying to escape the Tampa area. This is caused by climate change and warming waters worldwide. The storm will hit on Wednesday night. The Tampa Mayor said that people who want to ride out the storm in the Tampa area may die. It is that serious. People will see which areas of Florida will get the mighty storm surge. Milton may be a once-in-a-century storm. Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (she is the same person who claims to be a believer in God but curses people out unnecessary, dehumanizes a black woman, and promotes outrageous lies) is politicizing the storm by making up the lie that the storm is being created for a purpose while denying the existence of climate change. Officials are pleading with Floridians to evacuate. Highways in the state are clogged up and some gas stations are running low on fuel as residents respect the serious warnings. This storm comes just two weeks after Hurricane Helene came into Florida.
Thirty-six states have early voting. Vice President Kamala Harris will have a 60 Minutes interview on Monday night. Harris will use different media outlets to promote her campaign and express her political views. She is using digital avenues like podcasts to promote her goals for America. Donald Trump is not doing the 60 Minutes interview. There is a double standard. Some in the corporate media give passes to Trump regarding his policies because of the perception that Trump is being Trump. Kamala Harris has given overt policy positions on issues from economics to housing. However, some in the corporate media still promote the false narrative that Kamala Harris lacks details (when she has shown tons of statistics and information on what she will do for America). Trump has spewed racist, sexist, and xenophobic rhetoric for a while being supported by Thiel and Elon Musk.
Days ago, was the first-year anniversary of the invasion of Israel by Hamas. There can be no sugarcoating of what took place. Hamas did an anti-Semitic modern-day pogrom against Jewish people in Israel. Hamas murdered civilians, raped women, attacked civilian locations like a music concert (of the Nova Festival), and held hostages. These acts constitute war crimes, and they have no justification period. Many people in Iran celebrated Hamas' actions which is sick and disgusting. The growth of anti-Semitism is real in the world. We recognize that racial, gender, and religious bigotry have no place in the Universe. Likewise, Netanyahu responded in a fashion that went beyond legitimate self-defense in my view. This isn't just my view.
It is found in the reports of international organizations documenting how churches, mosques, hospitals, homes, etc. have been attacked by Israeli military forces resulting in over 40,000 Palestinian people, who are dead. So, the Israeli hostages should be all freed, and this occupation in the West Bank and Gaza should end. This war should end. Netanyahu is a person that I knew during the 1990s as a child and teenager. Even back then, I knew of his ways. It is important to note that anti-Semitism should be condemned, and legitimate critique of Israeli governmental policy is not anti-Semitism too. So, there should be peace, and fair-minded Jewish and Arabic people in the Middle East must work together to make sure that there is a real solution to this complicated crisis.
Recently Cissy Houston passed away at the age of 91 years old. She was one major matriarch of the Houston family. She was the mother and relative of legendary singers. First, she was the mother of the late Whitney Houston. Whitney was her baby. She is the grandmother of Bobbi Kristina Brown, the niece of Dionne Warwick, the cousin of iconic opera singer Leontyne Price (who is living being 97 years old), etc. Cissy Houston at her core was a singer who wanted to promote her vocal skills in gospel music, R&B, and soul music. Many knew her of being a backup singer to Dionne Warwick, Roy Hamilton, Elvis, Aretha Franklin, and Chaka Khan. She won a Grammy and other awards. Her family surrounded her before she transitioned to the afterlife. Cissy Houston had hospice care after experiencing Alzheimer's disease. Cissy Houston loves her family, including her grandchildren. We will never forget her legacy and contributions to musical expression.
Rest in Power Sister Cissy Houston.
By Timothy
Monday, October 07, 2024
Nearing the end of the 2024 Election.
During this holiday season at the end of 2024, we will always remember to have our eyes on the prize. That prize is democracy and justice for all. When J.D. Vance can't even admit that Trump lost the 2020 election (during the 2024 Vice Presidential debate), you know she has a problem. We know the distinctions between Trump and Biden. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Trump delayed 20 billion dollars of aid, allowing Puerto Rico to be without power for 181 days. Biden and Harris have presented a powerful response to the victims of the Helene Hurricane disaster in the southeast. While CEO pay has skyrocketed since 1978 at 1,085 percent, the federal minimum wage is still $7.25 for the past 15 years. No human adult in America can fully survive on $7.25 dollars an hour. We have some MAGA cultists believing that the minimum wage should be 0 which is ludicrous and cruel. Some people care more for giant corporations than the people. Conversely, we care about the interests, lives, dignity, and humanity of the people fully. The trickle-down economics falsehood promoted by Reagan and many conservatives should be rejected from a moral and ideological perspective. Former Trump administration leader (who is now against Trump's agenda) Olivia Troye said that she was a Homeland Security advisor in the Trump White House. She saw firsthand how Donald Trump politicized disaster relief, left devastated Americans waiting for help, and leaders from across the nation were calling her office desiring action from Trump. She said that the Biden-Harris administration is stepping up in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene with decisive leadership and a swift, effective response. People have every right to fight back peacefully and constructively against the agenda of oligarchy, massive inequality, giant monopolies, and all injustices against the people. One human being named Lina Khan is doing a great job as FTC chair to enforce anti-trust laws and defend the interests of the working people. Vice President Kamala Harris has a known history of taking shady landlords to court over being accused of price-fixing schemes.
By the 300's A.D, Christianity been through massive changes. By 300 A.D., the first Christians are reported in Greater Khorasan; an estimated 10% of the world's population is now Christian; parts of the Bible are available in 10 different languages. In 301 A.D, Armenia is the first kingdom in history to adopt Christianity as the state religion. From 303 to 312 A.D., there was the Diocletian Massacre of Christianity including the burning of Scriptures. Diocletian was one of the most anti-Christian Roman Emperors of all time. In 303, the emperors Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius issued a series of edicts rescinding Christians' legal rights and demanding that they comply with traditional religious practices. Later edicts targeted the clergy and demanded universal sacrifice, ordering all inhabitants to sacrifice to the gods. The persecution varied in intensity across the empire—weakest in Gaul and Britain, where only the first edict was applied, and strongest in the Eastern provinces. Persecutory laws were nullified by different emperors (Galerius with the Edict of Serdica in 311) at different times, but Constantine and Licinius' Edict of Milan in 313 has traditionally marked the end of the persecution. The persecution failed to check the rise of the Church. By 324, Constantine was the sole ruler of the empire, and Christianity had become his favored religion. Although the persecution resulted in death, torture, imprisonment, or dislocation for many Christians, most of the empire's Christians avoided punishment. By 303, there was the person of Saint George, bishop of Pettau Victorinus who existed in 304, and Bishop of Rome Marcellinus repented of his previous defection and had martyrdom with many companions. The 306 Synod of Elvira did the wrong thing to ban relations between Christians and Jewish people. In 310, Maxentius deported Bishop Eusebius and Heraclius to Sicily. In 312, Lucian of Antioch, or the founder of the School of Antioch was martyred. In 312, Constantine claimed to have a vision. He said that he while gazing into the sun he saw a cross with the words by this sign conquer. He was inspired by the issuing of the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. That Edict means that Constantine and Licinius end persecution and establish toleration of Christianity. After this time, the modern-day Catholic Church as we know it would be born. No words in the OT and NT support calling a grown man Holy Father, the belief in purgatory, the Rosary, the forbidden of clergy like Bishops to get married, the union of church and state, sprinkling or baptizing babies, calling Mary the Mother of God, and venerating statues in a religious setting. We know that the scriptures mention the Deity of Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, baptism (which is done by immersion), communion, the priesthood of all believers, the separation of church and state (as Jesus Christ said that his Kingdom is not of this world as found in the New Testament), and salvation (being by grace through faith). Let us be clear on the truth.
By the 1900's, fashion changed with more industrialization and international trade. For men, there were top hats with old-school suits and canes worn. Many men wore ties and bow ties with suits of black, blue, and many colors. A new stiff suits were found by the late 1900s decade. Men working sports or just being outdoors wore golf shirts, baseball caps, sweaters, and jackets too. There were leather shoes and socks by this time. Women had silk dresses and other clothing. Corsets had the S-shape design. Many corsets had a narrow waste. Back in that time, the world was much more conservative than today in the 2020s, so clothing reflected more conservative, respectability politics style of wardrobe. Many women wore silk satin and long sleeves. Some women wore light colors, spangles, rhinestones, and lace. Long evening dresses were commonplace. Children back then wore elaborate clothing too. Women wore feather caps, stripped silhouettes with buttons on them, and ankle boots. Many women wore sportswear to do arching, golf, and other activities.
By 1910, there was a backlash against the more traditional styles. The 1910s in Western fashion encompasses styles from 1910 to 1919. Western fashion in this period carries influences from oriental and neoclassical inspirations as well as the subsequent effects of World War I. Over the decade, Women's fashion experienced a shift towards shorter hemlines and dropped waistlines in addition to the more practical garments necessitated by the war. In men's fashion, evening wear largely continued to adhere to previous conventions while trends in informal outerwear continued to evolve. During the period, shifts in fashion made way for styles associated with the Jazz Age of the 1920s. Many people in the 1910s wore more confortable clothing. The German concert singer and wife of an architect Ann Muthesius wanted women to wear clothing to reflect individuality not confirmed to what Paris fashion leaders wanted people to do. Many women wore more free and loose clothing with pins and diverse color schemes. During WWI, men and women wore uniform-style clothing, leather shoes, and hats. Many women wore coveralls. Button wool suits in a dress form were worn by women too. This was the era of the new woman when women fought for their human rights. Paul Poiret was a designer during that time involved in fashion. The Orientalism style dominated this ear too with turbans, pearls, fur, robes, and dresses with elaborate designs.
The 1920s saw an explosion of massive fashion style. There was the Jazz Age and the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920s. Therefore, diversity was part of the whole ethos. Shoulder straps were worn by women. Many modern fashion styles were created by the famous designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971). She released her fragrance of Chanel No. 5 back in 1921. The flapper look took off during the 1920s. This look from women was not conservative. It was daring with short hair, short caps, shirts, suits, minimized dresses, shoes, and simplicity. Cardigan suits were being commonplace. Jean Patou invented the knit sweater. Elaborate hems caused clothing to be more stable. Shoes were modernized. The Roaring Twenties involved freedom of expression similar to the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s. Nothing is new under the sun. Men also wore suits, shirts, and umbrellas. Women wore rompers at the beach.
There are always moments in our history that will change our lives. The 2024 Presidential election has changed our lives in many ways. This is the finale of the 2024 American Presidential election after long months of debates, tragedies, and events that are part of world history. Nothing will be the same again. In four years, President Biden has left the Presidential race, Trump experienced 2 assassination attempts, Kamala Harris raised record money involving her Presidential campaign, and we see a move to fight for our democracy. Our ancestors shed blood for our freedom. We stand on the shoulder of giants who stood up against slave traders, against Confederate traitors, against Nazis, and against Jim Crow leaders. We are against discrimination and oppression of any sort for we believe wholeheartedly in the august principle of the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule states that you love your neighbor as yourself.
The country music of the 21st century will go through many changes. By the 2000s, we saw the war on terrorism, especially in dealing with the Iraq War. So, country music had a group of people who wanted to support the Iraq War and the war on terror in general with certain songs. The late Toby Keith made such music. Yet, the truth is that you can love America and critique political policy legitimately at the same time. Both concepts are not mutually exclusive. Also, there was a branch of country music that loved to be influenced by pop, rock, R&B, and hip hop music. A country music artist that represents that side of the coin is Kacey Musgraves. Musgraves is a pioneer who is steadfast in her views, unapologetic, and desires country music to be a beacon to appeal to everyone. That is what real music is a part of. Music is meant for all people. 21st century country music has grown internationally too.
Meta Fuller wrote poetry too like the poem Departure (relating to the call for freedom for black people). Her poem "Departure" was included in the 1991 collection Now is Your Time! The African American Struggle for Freedom. Warrick Fuller loves to make contributions to the theater. She was a designer, director, and actress. One of her focuses was stage lighting, which was not considered a true art form until the late 1920s; moreover, lighting design was dominated by men. Fuller was able to design for both African American and white theater companies, which was unheard of at the time. In 1918, she joined theater organizations in Boston, Massachusetts. She was known for her paintings of "living pictures" as well as the creation of props, scenery, and masks. The Answer was an African American stage production where Fuller designed costumes while also performing a small role. She became active in the Civic League Players (CLS) in the late 1920s and was the only African-American in the organization. With the CLS, Fuller worked on over thirty shows in all different areas of production and taught workshops. In 1928, she was taking theater classes at Wellesley College and Columbia University that focused on pageantry, lighting, and playwriting. After becoming less active in the CLS, Fuller joined a Black theater company called the Allied Arts Theatre Group (AATG) where she worked as a head designer, director, and board member. She was involved with the AATG until the founder died in 1936. Even with her commitments to being an artist and working in theater, Fuller wrote at least six plays under the pseudonym, Danny Deaver. There is an excerpt of stage directions in her production titled, A Call After Midnight.
In 1907, Warrick married Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, a prominent physician and psychiatrist, known for his work with Alzheimer's disease. Born in Liberia, Dr. Fuller was one of the first black psychiatrists in the United States. The couple settled on Warren Road in Framingham, Massachusetts where they were one of the first black families to join the community. She continued to create works of art, against the stigma that she should settle down and become a housewife once she and her husband had three children one of which, her son Perry, went on to become a sculptor as well. Prominent African American people visited their house, as did the Prince of Siam. Within the community, Warrick Fuller helped establish and was involved in the lighting of productions put on by the Framingham Dramatic Society. She was an active member of the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church where she directed and costumed their plays and pageants. She loved to create traditional biblical scenes inspired by her religion. She said that art was her divine calling. She loved to create wonderful, great works of art. Warrick Fuller passed away on March 13, 1968 at Cardinal Cushing Hospital in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller's legacy is extensive in being a genius who loves the beautiful gift of art. Her intellect and courage refuted false, stereotypical sexist, and racist notions. She was ahead of her time to create sculptures that reflected the greatness of black people too. In real life, I have painted images before, and I sculpted images when I was in high school. Meta Fuller carried herself with regal dignity. Her work has been shown in America and in many countries of the world too. She was one of the leading black woman sculptors of America in her generation. She studied with experts like Auguste Rodin in Paris, France. The Danforth Museum has a large collection of Fuller's sculptures, including many unfinished works from her home studio. Her work was featured in 1988 in a traveling exhibition at the Crocker Art Museum, along with artists Aaron Douglas, Palmer C. Hayden, and James Van Der Zee. Also, her work was featured in a traveling exhibition called "Three Generations of African American Women Sculptors: A Study in Paradox," in Georgia in 1998. Fuller's work was included in the 2015 exhibition of We Speak: Black Artists in Philadelphia, 1920s-1970s at the Woodmere Art Museum.
The country music of the 1980s and the 1990s set up a major foundation for the country music of the 21st century. That time saw old-school country artists expressing their talents like Dolly Parton and George Strait. New school artists came on the scene like The Judds, Alan Jackson Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, and Shania Twain with their unique set of style and charisma. These artists appeared to a wide spectrum of human beings, sold out stadiums (with thousands of people going into their concerts), and had a pop star popularity. Among rock, country, hip hop, and R&B music, these genres readily have folks who try not to go into the pop label. On the other hand, there is no growth among any musical genre without breaking the mold and expanding into many places of the world. Country music by the end of the 20th century evolved to allow the younger generation to establish their own standards of artistic expression found in people like Jewel, Lorrie Morgan, LeAnn Rimes, Mindy McCready, and Long Ryders. By the 21st century, we saw country music both have patriotic themes and more hip hop, pop, and rock themes merged into one.
By Timothy
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