As we enter Thanksgiving in this year, we witness its legacy as complicated. Thanksgiving ceremonies has existed among the human family for millennia, found in a multiplicity of cultural and religious traditions. That is why many of us give praise and thanks to God before eating food or drinking water. In our generation, Thanksgiving is celebrated in America, Canada, Saint Lucia, Libera, Australia, and worldwide. It's a holiday with a long history and whose popularity in America is paramount. On that time, there are parades, football games, family reunions, visits to restaurants, vacations, and other events transpire during that time of the year. Long before the Pilgrims landed in America, special thanksgiving ceremonies have existed during the English Reformation in the reign of Henry VIII. The Reformation started, because the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church promoted indulgences and other false doctrines that Martin Luther and other religious leaders left the Catholic Church to establish their own Protestant movement. To this very day, the Roman Catholic Church wants all Protestants and Baptists to accept the leadership of the Vatican, but there is only head of the church, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Puritans celebrated the Days of Fasting and the Days of Thanksgiving. After the failure of the Jesuit-inspired Gunpowder Plot of 1605, many people had an annual Day of Thanksgiving in 1606. The English settlers at Berkeley Hundred in Charles City County, Virginia, celebrated Thanksgiving as early as 1619. The Thanksgiving that we know about relates to the multiday festival in 1621 in Plymouth Colony. It was promoted by a good harvest. At that time, the Wampanoag Native Americans had a mutual defense treaty with the colonists. Along with the last Patuxent, the Wampanoag had helped the English colonists to get through the winter by giving them food in exchange for an alliance and protection against the rival Narragansett tribe. In the near future, I will describe the long, real history of the 1621 Thanksgiving.
Our political reality has been caused by tons of factors. When America was officially made in 1776, it had the contradiction of claiming to promote equality and justice while legally having slavery and promoting oppressing against Native Americans, black people, Latino people, Asian people, and other minorities. So, two groups of Americans existed filled with those who wanted justice and those who didn't. The political debates among Federalists and Anti-Federalists led to the creation of the Bill of Rights and the rest of the United States Constitution. Later, early parties were formed (like the Whigs, etc.) being evolved into Republicans and Democrats. George Washington ironically didn't want to be part of any political party. Back then in the 19th century, Democrats would be more conservative and the Republicans would be more liberal. Andrew Jackson was a Democrat, but he was a slave owners, a racist, had hatred of Native Americans, and a pro-austerity extremist. Abraham Lincoln was a Republican and changed to be more progressive as time went on. There were soldiers who were black, white, and people of every color in the Union Army who defeated the Confederacy during the American Civil War. By the 20th century, people fought for justice. Republicans had many people who fought corporate corruption, and both parties were in support of WWI. There were conservative Republicans too like Taft and Hebert Hoover. Hoover tried to stop the Great Depression, but he was very unpopular.
FDR was President for four terms and transformed the Democratic Party to embrace more progressive views. FDR formed a coalition of black people, Latinos, some elderly, labor leaders, Roman Catholics, and other minorities to grow the Democratic Party. This era lasted from 1932 to 1968. By the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement had caused Congress to pass new laws in favor of civil rights and voting rights. The conservative movement grew too and had people like Ronald Reagan and the libertarian Barry Goldwater to promote small government and even oppose Medicare. 1968 changed the Democratic Party forever causing many of the white New Deal Democrats to vote for Nixon out of abhorrence of the anti-war protesters, the civil rights policies, and the rebellions of 1968. Also, Lyndon Baines Johnson deserves much of the blame for Nixon being President too, because he was so stubborn to refuse to oppose the unjust Vietnam War. LBJ, Bundy, Harriman, McNamara, and other oligarchs allowed America to be in the Vietnam War for years causing economic and psychological havoc for the American people and the Vietnamese people respectively. The Republicans used the Southern Strategy (promoted by Strom Thurmond and Lee Atwater) by the late 1960s to get more votes among many people in the South or conservative by exploiting social issues in causing division among the American populace. Nixon was an Eisenhower Republican, but his involvement in Watergate and other issues caused him to resign from office. Gerald Ford was a President, and Jimmy Carter was President. Ironically, Jimmy Carter was one of the first major Presidents who called himself a born again Christian. Carter was a Democrat. By the 1980s, the Conservative Revolution grew with Reagan being its new leader. Reagan was President for 2 terms. More polarization happened in the 1980s and 1990s by Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, and other far right activists. Bush Sr. was President and Bill Clinton won. Bill Clinton was President for 2 terms. Many things that Clinton did was right (like investments in health care, education, and using policies to cause massive economic growth) and he made mistakes (like his policies on welfare, the Rwanda genocide situation, committing adultery, etc.). Clinton was a center-left President who was the bridge between the 20th and 21st centuries. Bush Jr. was like Reagan, but his foreign policy disasters and domestic disasters with the Great Recession caused his 2nd term to end in ruination. Barack Obama was President for 2 terms and was a progressive except on foreign policy. Obama was ironic, because he said some of the most conciliatory speeches on race as President, but the Tea Party and MAGA extremists still viewed him as promoting racial strife (which is a lie). Trump won and caused horrendous mayhem in America, Biden won in 2020 causing decreases in poverty and massive investments in America. The MAGA's movement growth and hatred of a woman in power were some of the reasons why Trump has his 2nd term. There is massive political polarization now because some people are more concerned with the status quo than equality and justice for all people.
Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016. It progressed to stage IV before 2020. Back then, many people didn't know that he had it except a small number of non-family members. During treatment, he had multiple surgeries and chemotherapy. He continued to work and completed production of many films like Marshall, Da 5 Bloods, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and others. Chadwick Boseman passed away at his Los Angeles home as a result related to colon cancer on August 28, 2020, with his wife and his family by his side. He was just 43 years old when he passed away. He died intestate, and his estate was governed by California law with the representation of Ledward, his widow. A public memorial service was held on September 4, 2020, in Anderson, South Carolina. Speakers included Boseman's childhood pastor as well as Deanna Brown-Thomas, daughter of James Brown, whom Boseman portrayed in Get on Up. The city announced plans for the creation of a permanent art memorial at the service. Many fellow actors, fellow actresses, and other celebrities paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman on social media following the announcement of his death. They included his Marvel Cinematic Universe co-stars. His alma mater, Howard University, celebrated his life as him experiencing a personal journey from student to superhero. His death was in the same year as other celebrities' passings like Kobe Bryant and Naya Rivera. Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the franchise for which Jackie Robinson played when the team was its former home of Brooklyn, New York, issued statements honoring Boseman (in light of his acclaimed portrayal of the iconic baseball and civil rights activist Jackie Robinson). When Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position in qualifying at the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix, he dedicated his lap to Boseman, as well as his race win the following day. Henry McMaster, the Governor of South Carolina, ordered the Statehouse flags to be lowered to half-staff on August 30, 2020 in honor of Boseman. Ryan Coogler, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, and Michael B. Jordan all played tribute to Boseman (including in the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which was released in 2022. Chadwick Boseman at a young age was an icon of acting being one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
Chadwick Boseman's life document the necessity for all of us to take care of our health, especially black men. Black men in America disproportionately are harmed by colon cancer and prostate cancer. Symptoms of colon cancer (as explained by Dr. Frita McRae Fisher. She is a medical doctor who is quadruple board certified. She has board certifications in nephrology, internal medicine, and obesity medicine) include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, blood in stool, diarrhea, constipation, no symptoms at all early on, etc. Many men are afraid of going to the doctor because of fear, stigma, and ego. Yet, going to the doctor is a necessity among us all of any age. All people among all backgrounds have to know their biometrics in order to find out if they have illnesses or not. Early detection has saved lives for generations. According to a report from the American Cancer Society, black people have the highest rates of colorectal cancer of any racial or ethnic group in America. Incidence rates for black men are 24 percent higher than white men, while death rates for black men are 47 percent higher than white men. The reason for these risk factors are diet, environment, stress, genetics, not enough people getting regular colon cancer screening. That is why many men, especially black men, are tested for colon cancer and prostate cancer as early as their early to mid 40s. In our generation, all people are encouraged to get screened for colon cancer and prostate cancer at the age of 45. Black people, regardless of sex, are more likely to have colon cancer at the age of 50.
We have a great future in track and field. The torch has been passed to many track and field athletes like Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. At the age of 25 years old. She has won gold in many World Championships and one Olympic gold medal in the 4 x 100m women's relay race. In 2026, Jefferson-Wooden created for her one of the greatest years of her career. Jefferson-Wooden opened her season on June 4, when she was second to Julien Alfred in 22.17 seconds in the women's 200 meters at the 2026 Diamond League event in Rome. On June 7, in the Diamond League, Jefferson-Wooden won over 100 meters in 10.84 seconds (+0.8), at the Bauhausgalan in Stockholm, her fastest season opener over the distance. On July 4, she won the 100 meters at the Prefontaine Classic, winning in a photo finish ahead of Sha'Carri Richardson and Adaejah Hodge in 10.78 seconds (+0.0). Choosing to only compete in the 200 meters at the U.S. Outdoor Championships in a season without USA team trials, she won the title in 21.69 seconds ahead of Cambrea Sturgis and Camryn Dickson. On August 23, she won over 100 meters equaling her season’s best time of 10.78 seconds (0.6m/s) to win ahead of Alfred and Richardson in the Diamond League at the 2026 Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Silesia, Poland. On August 27, she ran 10.70 seconds but was edged out in a photo-finish by Alfred in the 100 meters at the Weltklasse Zürich, her first defeat over 100 meters since the 2024 Olympic final after a run of 11 consecutive victories at the distance. On September 12, Jefferson-Wooden won the 100 meters ahead of Alfred at the inaugural World Ultimate Championship in Budapest, running a season's best 10.62 seconds. The following day, she returned to complete the sprint double by winning the 200 meters final, with her time of 21.47 seconds making her the third-fastest woman on the all-time list. Following the race, Jefferson-Wooden expressed shock at her time, stating, "I was thinking 21.6 low, 21.5. I skipped all over 21.5 and went 21.4. I mean I'll take it!" Other track and field did great in 2026 like Julien Aflred, Noah Lyles, Keely Hogkinson, Josh Kerr, Kenneth Bednarek, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, and Masai Russell (who won many races in the 100m hurdles throughout 2026). Mondo Duplantis, Carmryn Roger, Valarie Sion, Chase Jackson ,Kristjan Ceh, Andy Diaz Hernandez, Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Gabby Thomas, Audrey Werro, Alison Dos Santos, Shericka Jackson, and others of other track and field athletes prove once again that the younger generation is growing track and field into another level as we near the half century mark of the 21st century.
MS Now was once MSNBC until 2026. It is a cable news channel owned by Versant. It has documentaries, new coverage, and opinion journalism. It has a youthful spirit. Its studios are in Versant's world headquarters at 229 West 43rd Street, New York City. It has a bureau in Washington, D.C., co-located with that of former parent division NBC News. Technical operations are handled from CNBC's studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. As a cable news channel, it is ranked second in ratings, well behind FOX News and ahead of CNN. As of July 2026, The Rachel Maddow Show on MS Now was the 7th-ranked news program by number of viewers; the top 6 were all on FOX News. It was created in 1996 as a joint venture between NBC News and Microsoft. MS Now has given voice to many perspectives, especially black, brown, and other people of color. You noticed that their shows mention things on race, class, and other social issues that are rarely shown in the corporate media, except sometimes on CNN. By the late 2000s, the network had commentators like Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, David Gregory, Ed Schultz, Tamron Hall, and Rachel Maddow. By 2010, MSNBC surpassed CNN in primetime and overall viewership for the first time since 20001. By the 2020s, it expanded its news coverage with a newer generation of hosts like Antonia Hylton, Ari Melber, Alicia Menendez, Ayman Mohyeldin, Luke Russert, Symone Sanders-Townsend, and other human beings. MS NOW has been through issues. The recent 2026 Together in Texas event exempflied their advocacy for voting rights, equality, and social justice causes in general.
My late distant cousin, Rev. Jesse Johnson Jr., lived from February 24, 1958 in Nassawadox, Virginia (on the Eastern Shore), and he passed away on Saturday, March 28, 2015, at Calvary Hospice Hospital in Bronx, New York City. He earned his education in the public schools of Northampton County, Virginia. He was a CNA at Northampton-Accomack Memorial Hospital, Heritage Hall, and Arcadia Nursing Home for over 20 years. He was a Behavioral Health Associate at Bellevue Hospital for the past seven years. During his early life, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He became Reverend at St. Mary's Baptist Church, where he tendered for 6 years. During his time as pastor, he created children's time and praise and worship service. He gave his sermons, and Going to Job's House was one of his memorable sermons. He loved the Lord. He loved his family as a husband, father, and grandfather. He never missed a birthday, a holiday, or other events. He loved to fish and was a fan of the Chicago Bears. He had many family and friends. His wife Michele Johnson-Jamesville, VA, his three kids, Jesse (Latoya) Johnson-Virginia Beach, VA; Demetrius (Erica) Johnson-Accomack, VA, Jessica (Ali) Ganyuma-Goochland, VA. Eight grandkids, Jada, Jamon, Jamilah, Darion, Devon, Baraka, Jalia, and Ali, Jr. Two step grandkids-LaMari and Markeith. Two brothers-Melvin (Pam) Presha-New Castle, DE; Anthony Johnson-Salisbury, MD; two sisters: Faith Johnson- Nassawadox, VA; Jacqueline Borden- Hare Valley, VA; one step-sister, Blanche (Robert) James- Atlanta, GA. He had one aunt, Golie Collins-Exmore, VA; and one uncle, Billie Johnson- Nassawadox, VA. Four brothers-in-law and six sisters-in-law and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Rev. Jesse Johnson Jr. is related to me by being related to the Brickhouse, Johnson, and Collins families. His parents were Jesse Phresha and Fannie Lavinia Johnson (1933-1995). The parents of Fannie Lavinia Johnson were George Johnson (b. 1893) and Lavenia Hargrave (1900-1948). The parents of my 2nd cousin George Johnson were George Johnson (1866-1940) and Florence Brickhouse (b. 1870). The parents of my first cousin Florence Brickhouse were Benjamin Brickhouse III (b. 1838) and Mary Perkins. The parents of my 3rd great-granduncle Benjamin Brickhouse III were my 4th great grandparents Benjamin Brickhouse II and Eliza Collins (b. 1805).
By Timothy
