Early July 2025 Updates.

  

My late 1st cousin Ada Mary Turner Barber (1921-1973) was a great matriarch to many children, grandchildren, etc. She lived from 1920 to April 29, 1973, in Newport News, Virginia. He married Alfred Braxton Barber (1907-1989) on January 9, 1939, in Norfolk, Virginia. Their children, who are my 2nd cousins, are Trudy Mae Barber (b. 1951), Alfred Braxton Barber Jr. (b. 1952), Fleta Lorraine Barber (b. 1955), Pamela Delores Barber Alston (1959-1994), and Clara Barbara Giles (b. 1963). Trudy Mae Barber was born on March 1, 1951, and she married James Junior Hillard (b. 1952) on February 12, 1971, in Newport News, Virginia. Alfred Braxton Barber Jr. was born on August 26, 1952, and he married Jeanett Delphina Banks in ca. 1974. Fleta Lorraine Barber married Edward Charles Banks on July 27, 1974, in Newport News, Virginia. Edward Charles Banks passed away on Tuesday, July 4, 2000, at Sentara Hampton General Hospital. He attended Menchville High School, and he was a self-employed contractor. He worked for Carrithers Reality. His parents are Mary Banks and Kenneth Harrell. His daughter or my 3rd cousin is Ada Redmon (she is married to Frederick Redmon. One of Ada Redmon's daughter is Olivia Redmon. Ada Redmon was born in 1975), and his sons are Edward C. Banks Jr. (b. 1976) and Michael Banks (b. 1980), from Newport News, Virginia. His granddaughter is Whitney Banks. Pamela Delores Alston married Carlton Levern Alston on April 8, 1989, at Newport News, Virginia. Pamela Delores Alston has many children like Elati Barber (b. 1975), Carleshia Lavonne Alston (1986-2001), John Lamont Ratliff Barber (b. 1980), Natasha Barber, Ronette Barber, and Pamela Barber. Clara Barber Giles married Milton Giles (b. 1960) on February 8, 1981, in Newport News, Virginia. One of their children is Timothy Giles. 

 

To understand black culture and black history fully, you have to understand the black freedom struggle in America and the history of Africa. I am an African American who loves my own black African heritage. My heritage has been in existed long before America was created in 1776. It has a long history. Our story begins in Africa. In the beginning, the first humans came from Africa and traveled to the four corners of the Earth literally. The Maafa lasted for centuries from the end of the Middle Ages in the 1400's to the 1800s. The Maafa or the trans-Atlantic slave trade was about many evil people who kidnapped 10-12 million Africans to send them across the Atlantic and other places of the world. The vast majority of the ancestors of African Americans came from Western and Central Africa. Many of our ancestors came from many ethnic groups like the Bakongo, Igbo, Mandinka, Wolof, Akan, Fon, Yoruba, Makua, etc. Black African slaves were treated as cattle to financially benefit wealthy European oligarchs, and some African traitors (not all African people) were involved in the Maafa too. Most Africans were taken from Senegambia, the Sierra Leon region, the Gold Coast in Ghana, the Bight of Benin, the Bight of Biafra, Congo and Angola, and Mozambique, parts of Tanzania, and Madagascar. The author Olaudah Equiano wrote about the horrific slave ships and the terrible experiences of slaves. The slave revolts existed in Africa, in the slave ships, and in the Americas to oppose the evil of slavery. Many slaves were abused, raped, beaten, family split apart, and cultures eliminated. The Portuguese imperialists started the Maafa, and then other Europeans from the English to even the Swedish had complicity in the slave trade. Black Americans have existed since the early 1500s with people like Estevaico or Esteban. African slaves were sent to Point Comfort or Hampton, Virginia in 1619. During colonial America, there were free and enslaved black people. There were rules in dealing with slaves and racialized slavery became more prominent by the year of 1700. Native Americans suffered genocide and slavery too. Rape of black women by white men were rampant by then. By the 1750s, the population of enslaved people of African descent born in America outnumbered African-born enslaved human beings. Many early slave revolted existed from Virginia to New York state. Many people have grown the abolitionist movement. After the American Revolution War, debates on slavery and equality continued. Some Americans wanted slavery, some wanted equality immediately, and some wanted a gradual approach to end slavery. The contradiction found in America was that the Declaration of Independence mentioned that all men are created equal, but its author, Thomas Jefferson owned over 200 slaves. Black people back then have no true freedom in America. Many black people fought on both sides of the American Revolution to promote freedom like Crispus Attucks and Colonel Tye. George Washington (who was a Freemason and a slave owning racist) later banned additional black people in the Continental Army in 1775. 

After the Revolutionary War, many black loyalists moved to Canada. Black Americans continued to fight for equality, set up churches, and created institutions. The North gradually ended slavery and the South continued slavery for decades to come. America enforced the fugitive slave act to stop the spread of freed slaves and continued black people 3/5 of a human which was immoral. Black people like Elizabeth Freeman and Quock Walker had to fight to make the new Massachusetts constitution to call all men born free and equal to gain release from slavery in 1780. Paul Cuffee was a black businessman in Boston. As America expanded, more black leaders stood up like Benjamin Banneker to be a Maryland astronomer, mathematicians, surveyor, author, and farmer to help to survey the future District of Columbia. During the antebellum movement, black people fought slavery and were inspired by the 1804 Haitian Revolution. During this time, black slaves were sexually stalked and raped by white slaveowners, black slaves were shipped, killed, tortured and had their limbs amputated. The cotton gin helped to expand the growth of cotton and slavery in the South. The importation of slaves were later banned. From the Posner rebellion to the Nat Turner rebellion in 1831, slavery was fought against at every step of the way by black heroic human beings. America had compromises to deal with slavery, but it didn't work as the nation refused to eliminate slavery completely. There were leaders like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Tubman, Sojourner Truth, William Still, etc. who spoke out against slavery. Many free black people worked in urban communities and worked diverse jobs. After the Dred Scott decision, the Civil War came about as the Confederacy illegally invaded Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Black American soldiers contributed heavily to the Union victory. After the Civil War, legalized slavery was banned by the 13th Amendment. Reconstruction came causing the first time in American history when black people held high political office in the state and federal government. It was a time of progress with many black people moving westward, forming HBCUs, and gaining some civil rights. Building black owned institutions is always legitimate. The backlash hit by reactionary forces that ended Reconstruction. There was the Populist movement when both white and black workers fought for economic justice, but it ended by the far right movement of reactionaries. This time saw the rise of leaders like W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, etc. After Reconstruction, Jim Crow was at its peak and there was the nadir of race relations. Nadir means a terrible period. This period saw lynchings, no voting rights for many black people in the South, and total white racist riots against black communities from Memphis to St. Louis. Plessy v. Ferguson mandated Jim Crow apartheid. The Klan attack black people and non-black supporters of racial justice. 

Still, black people fought. From 1890 to 1940, million of African Americans were disenfranchised, killed, and brutalized. Thousands of black people were lynched as recorded by Ida B. Wells and other researchers. Jim Crow prevented many black people from owning weapons to defend themselves and their families. So, the early civil rights movement grew with the Niagra Movement and the NAACP with founders like W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells, and other people. The NAACP was created in 1909. This time saw black Americans forming schools, churches, social welfare institutions, banks, African American newspapers, etc. From 1900 to 1970, the 2 Great Migrations existed when African Americans traveled form the South to the North, the Midwest, and the West Coast. They wanted to escape violence and terrorism to get equality, education, and economic stability. By the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance existed with people like Aime Cesaire, Lois Milou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen , Claude McKay, Richard Wright, etc. The South Side of Chicago had its own Chicago Renaissance too. With the growth of organization in groups like the Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association, African Communities League, the Nation of Islam, the NAACP, and A. Philip Rnadolph's Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, African American strength is inspirational. Black owned businesses grew, and black people fought in WWI and in WWII. Madame C. J. Walker formed her business. The New Deal existed in a paradox. Morally, the New Deal was right to promote economic progressive values and investments as I am an economic progressive. People should have economic rights and a strong social safety net. The problem was that many black people were discriminated against to get the total blessings from the New Deal, and many black families were discriminated against back in the 1940s and the 1950s plus beyond in getting adequate housing. Redlining is a reality. Many black people worked in the Roosevelt government like Mary McLeod Bethune, who heroically defended the rights of black people. By the time of the New Deal, more African Americans voted for the Democratic Party. Back in the day, Republicans had more black votes as they were seen as more progressive after Lincoln was President. That would change as more Democrats embraced civil rights by the 1960s. After WWII and during the 2nd Great Migration, the modern Civil Rights Movement existed from 1954 to 1968. Black people gained more non-stereotypical roles in Hollywood. Diverse civil rights activists grew from Malcolm X, Dr. King, Ella Baker, Rosa Park, Claudette Colvin, John Lewis, Septima Clark, and other people. From the Freedom Rides, the 1963 March on Washington, the Memphis Sanitation strikes, black people including the black working class stood on business to defend their rights. Groups like the Black Panther Party, SNCC, and the Nation of Islam grew too representing the diversity of black intellectual thought and action. There has been debates on whether integration worked or not. The truth is more nuisance. Jim Crow apartheid is immoral, because it was about the usage of governmental policies that forced black people to have lax voting rights, restrictions of economic opportunities, and harming basic human freedoms. Desegregation was promoted by us to not assimilate to white racist culture or eliminate our black identity. It was done to eliminate oppression and anti-black discrimination that harmed our black lives. After integration, there was the problem of many black institutions being gone, economic inequality growing, and this is because of many reasons. 

After the growth of automation, the Vietnam War, stagflation, and the loss of many manufacturing jobs, many large corporations promoted neoliberal economic policies that harmed communities in America. There was the forces of oligarchy and the system of oppression using working class people (especially black people) as scapegoats for pollution, economic problems, and other issues. Some people wanted more token comfort instead of true black liberation. Many people left poor areas without concern to help the poorest of black people. Also, many black people then and now have fought to give back to poorer black communities too. So, we don't need Jim Crow apartheid or the other extreme of total black assimilation to white validation. We don't need validation to white racist Eurocentric standards. We need to accept what God created us to be being black (as black is Beautiful), help our people, and create more institutions that we control to benefit our black community collectively. So, we have the right to live where we want in a free and open society, but we also have every right to form our own black institutions and grow our black culture (that we control) to help our people. That is not evil. It's good. For example, Greek Americans, Jewish people, Irish Americans, Latino Americans, Italian Americans, Arabic Americans, Polish Americans, Asian Americans, etc. have their own museums, cultural celebrations, businesses, film production groups, and other institutions which they have the right to do. So, we have the God given right to promote our black culture and our black institutions without apology. Also, we won't hate our neighbor. All humans should be treated with dignity and respect as all human beings are created equal in the image of God. We, as black people, are the first people of the human race. The sacrifice of us black people in America laid a foundation for other people to have their rights today. That is what the sellouts don't understand as they worship white racist people like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (who were involved in the enslavement and genocide of black people and Native Americans. The sellouts readily make an idol of a flag in like the USA flag instead of honoring truth. I noticed that these sellouts hate Africa, dehumanize and scapegoat black single mothers for every problem in the black community, view black people as one monolith to be criticized in a derogatory fashion, abhor the greatness of the global black African Diaspora, and abhor the concept of Blackness too. The continent of Africa gave birth to humanity, and I do love Africa as an African American). Many folks have been brainwashed to embrace the MAGA cult like The Cartier Family. A sellout is a traitor who is untrustworthy like Anton Daniels, Jason Whitlock (both of them are sexists too. Jason Whitlock was sick to call Joy Taylor a sexist, colorist slur about her skin hue and body, but he claims to be a Christian. Whitlock said that he knows what he is capable of when describing Joy Taylor which is very creepy in Whitlock's part. White racists like Nick Fuentes called Whitlock a token when Whitlock agreed with many of his views. That shows that white racists hate black people because we are black irrespective of our ideological views), etc. who doesn't believe in the existence of systematic racism when structural racism has been proven by dozens of mainstream sociological studies. Why would anyone trust a person who don't have the dignity to stand up for the freedom of their own people or honor their own people? You can't. That is why it is important to promote black liberation, because we are entitled to our freedom by birthright. Representing our black identity and our Blackness is purely righteous and sacrosanct. Black people are glorious in our power, resiliency, and strength. 

The Post Civil Rights era existed in 1968 after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was unjustly assassinated. While more black people gained many political and social gains since 1968 (like Douglas Wilder, President Barack Obama, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey who are mostly upper middle class and wealthy black people), but economic inequality has grown in many cases. Many working-class black communities still suffered the War on Drugs, police brutality, gentrification, and other evils via capitalistic exploitation, reactionary political policies, and racial oppression. Some black people in many cases moved into the middle class, and many poor black people suffer hardships. In other words, we black people have come a long way after many millennia of our human existence, but we have a long way to go in creating black liberation and true freedom and independence. In 2008, we saw Barack Obama to be the first elected African American President in Untied States history, and we saw the growth a new anti-police brutality/anti-racism movement after Trayvon Martin and Ferguson. We see a new Great Migration when black Americans migrated from the North, Midwest, and the West to the South to Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and even Maryland to get more economic opportunities in now desegregated southern cities. Now, many Southern cities have better race relations then many cities in the North, Midwest, and West Coast in an ironic fashion. From Beyonce's Formation celebrated to honor the Black Panthers' 60th anniversary to new forms of black expression (from podcast, new STEM development, growing black comic book conventions, independent black films and TV shows, other forms of black media, etc.), the 21st century expression of Blackness is diverse and authentic. During the 21st century, many black people are legitimately opposed to imperialism, colonialism, racism, sexism, xenophobia, anti-black propaganda, colorism, featurism, ableism, ageism, lookism, and other evils still plaguing our world. I will tell you a secret. Watch what people do beyond what people say. In other words, if someone behaves in a disrespectful way, then don't emulate that behavior. Respect people who respect you. The real person is defined by their actions beyond a person's proclamations. Following morality is always justified. Develop a plan in life, follow your purpose, achieve your goals, be honest, improve yourself over time, stand up for yourself, defend your dignity as a human being (which means establish your boundaries), follow legitimate principles, treat people right (that means showing empathy and compassion to the suffering. A lot of people don't realize how blessed they are), exercise, eat healthy foods, show humor if you have a sense of humor (as we are not machines. Even God has a sense of humor in my view), grow emotional and social skills, develop your mind, embrace what is your identity, never hate on people, have discipline, if you are in a relationship never cheat or commit adultery (only cowards cheat or commit adultery), get advice when necessary, express your gifts, ignore the haters, and love truth always. Following those previous advice will cause tons of blessings in your life guaranteed. Also, I do believe in Black Unity, reparations for African Americans, and Black Love (for all of the days of my life and forever, I will always be attracted to and love black women). Now, we see 2020 with the eve of George Floyd protests. 

 

The 2010 Haitian Earthquake has been one of the most disasters in human history. First, it is important to give acknowledgement of history. Haiti was originated inhabited by Native Americans. Later, evil French imperialists kidnapped and send black Africans into Haiti to fund the Western imperialistic system. By 1804, courageous black Haitians defeated French forces making Haiti the first black Republic of the North Hemisphere. That was historic. Racists wanted vengeance. The racist Thomas Jefferson hated the success of the Haitian Revolution. So, European powers used embargoes against Haiti, and even some U.S. imperialistic forces occupied Haiti for a time during the 20th century. Haiti has been through up and downs like dictators ruling Haiti and Haitians making great contributions in music, athletics, scholarship, medicine, and other forms of civilization. The 2010 Haiti Earthquake reminded people that Haiti still suffers complications. Today, rival gangs dominate Haiti in a dangerous cycle. In other to find solutions, we have to evaluate the 2010 Haiti Earthquake and its complex aftermath. 

 

As one of the most hardworking actresses of the 21st century, Viola Davis has powerful, unique African American story. From being part of some of the greatest movies in history and being part of controversial television shows, Viola Davis loves to challenge convictions. She is one of the greatest actresses of all time being winning of the EGOT. An EGOT is rare among actors and actresses as only the top percent of the most talented actors and actresses earn that title in history. EGOT stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Therefore, Viola Davis won at least one of those awards in each category making her an expert in film and theater. She is more than an actress. She is a mother, a husband, and a film producer. She helped to refute the lie and the myth of colorism to present to the world that dark skinned black women have every God given right to show their complex personalities, their beauty, and their humanity without apology. Viola Davis has been ranked night on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century in The New York Times by 2020. She also received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2025. 

 

We live in a new time in our history. I was born 20 years after the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and 15 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I am an Older or what people call a Geriatric Millennial now. We should always defend our rights and have reflections of the past and present. In that sense, we can use activism and other cogent, progressive action to make a better future. Time moves very rapidly at times. I remember 1992 just like yesterday when I did a project in my city's local library. By 1994, I first used the Internet when it was in its infancy. This journey to find out the real truth started in 1997 when I was 14 years. Since 1997, I never looked back and learned about political issues, spiritual matters, inventions, real history, heroes, and the dynamic nature of human ingenuity. I first heard about the Atlantis story in 1998. After 9/11, my understanding of the world accelerated. People who are like us (who are more than 40 years old) saw the Reagan Presidency, the OKC Bombing, the Million Man March, 9/11, The Iraq War, Jena Six, the invention of the i-Phone, the first African American President being elected, COVID-19, and new threats of authoritarianism in 2025. After all of this time, I still have my core convictions. Nothing is new under the sun. That is why we have to advocate our purposes in life and stand up for justice. Many of our political views change from time to time because of age and life experience. I am no exception, but I am more progressive than years back. I believe in equality, I believe in voting rights, I believe in confronting climate change, I believe in God, I believe in loving my black African heritage, and I believe in promoting democracy. If there is no freedom, then we must confront society in making sure that liberty is enacted for all people.  Life deals with irony at times. Next year, America turns 250 years old. We want America to live up to the ideals that our ancestors lived and died for. Also, we desire that principle of liberty and justice for all to spread globally. No one can be an advocate for truth unless that person promotes justice for all people.

 

In the sport of hockey, there are many items of equipment. There are hockey sticks, a ball, and stadiums worldwide that deals with hockey. In hockey, people wear stakes, a helmet with a face mask or visor, gloves, elbow pads, shoulder pads, and shin guards. Many may wear a mouthguard and protective cub depending on the level of play. Other people wear a neck guard, jerseys, hockey socks, and other items like a hockey bag. Hockey rules have differences and similarities between Ice hockey rules and field Hockey rules. In Ice Hockey, the main object is to score more goals than the opposing team by shooting a puck into their net using a hockey stick. In ice hockey, each team has six players. There is one goaltender and five stakers (forwards and defensive). There is a game structure when each game is played in three periods, typically lasting 20 minutes each. If the game is tied, it may go into overtime. The rink is divided into three zone. They are the offensive zone, defensive zone, and the neutral zone. Players must be aware of offside rules, which prevents them from entering the offensive zone before the puck. There are penalties too for infractions. After a penalty, a player is sent to the penalty box, leaving their team shorthanded. 

There are field hockey rules. The objective in field hockey is to score by hitting a ball into the opponent's goals using a curved stick. Field hockey usually is played with 11 players on each other, including a goalkeeper. The game can also be played in smaller format like a 5-a-side. The game is played on a rectangular field, and players can only use their sticks to control the ball. Only goalkeepers can use their bodies to stop the ball. Goals can only be scored from within the shooting circle, which is a semi-circle in front of the goal. Fouls can result in free hits, penalty corners, or penalty strokes, depending on the severity and location of the infraction. 

 

In our generation in 2025, we see a rise of younger country music artists expressing themselves in a higher level. Back in the day, most of the mainstream country music artists were either middle aged or older. Today, we live in a completely different world that is more digitalized and more focused on the widespread nature of the Internet. In a way, it is like a youth movement. Breland is a country music artist from New Jersey. He moved into Atlanta after graduating from Georgetown University. He has been a songwriter for years. He released the song of My Truck in late 2019. He works in the hip hop/country hybrid movement too. He has released songs like Cross Country and Natural too. There is an artist named Marcus King who is very young making many country music songs. He is a songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and singer. He has been inspired by rock and roll music too. The Well is a title of a song from Marcus King. Many people know about the acclaimed country music artist Rhiannon Giddens. She is open about talking about race and other issues in her music. She earned the MacArthur Genius Grant award. She co-founded the Grammy Award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, and she has been nominated for six additional Grammys for her work as a country folk soloist and collaborator. Wayfaring Stranger is one song from her. Gabe Lee is a country music artist too. He sings music that talks about the diversity of the components of human life. He was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. One of his songs is Eveline. He is inspired by alternative rock and classic rock. He is inspirated by Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, and Creedance Clearwater Revival. Esther Rose is a singer and songwriter plus a country music pop musician. She performed and recorded music in New Orleans. She loves to show traditional country arrangements. Many of her songs are How Many Times, etc. She is inspired by Hank Williams Sr. and Joni Mitchell plus the many writers and musicians from the New Orleans neighborhood. 

By Timothy