Friday, January 10, 2020

Friday Truths.




One lesson in life is to promote unity with the black family worldwide. Some groups don't do that, we are different. Pan-Africanism believes in the premise of the unity of all African people. Black unity is always important. While others act like that they have a monopoly on the reparations movements (i.e. ADOS movement, which have members that constantly bash black immigrants in an, evil xenophobic way. Yvette Carnell once wore a MAGA hat and agrees with Trump on ending birthright citizenship), and some want to disparage people of the Afro-Caribbean community (like some in the FBA movement does. The xenophobe Tariq left Malcolm X off the FBA shirt, because of Malcolm X's ancestors came from the Caribbean), I don't believe in that agenda. I will believe in the unity of African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Africans, Afro-British people, and all black people worldwide. The fight for reparations via the premise of global black liberation is righteousness. The reparations movement didn't start with Yvette Carnell and Antonio Moore. It started long ago during the 19th century plus before. If anyone doesn't desire global black liberation, then that person is anti-black by definition. Some scholars believe that as high as 60% of African Americans are Igbo. A lot of the slaves from the the Bight of Biafra were forced to come into Virginia. Therefore, there is an Igbo link to my birth state of Virginia. Unifying people have always been the hallmark of Pan-Africanism.

Courage defines her life. She is the proof that the resiliency of humanity is ever real. She is Sister Michaela DePrince, and it was her birthday days ago. She is 25 years old. She is a Sierra Leonean-American ballet dancer. She grew up as an orphan in Sierra Leone until she was adopted by a family. She survived the civil war in her home country. She worked hard to be a professional ballet dancer in America. She was trained in classical ballet at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. She earned her high school diploma. She was in the TV show Dancing With the Stars. By 2012, she graduated from the American Ballet Theater's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York. She worked in the Netherlands. Later, she cited Lauren Anderson, one of the first black American principal ballerinas, as her role model. She was involved in her book entitled, "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina." She used to dance for the Dance Theater of Harlem. She is a goodwill ambassador with the Dutch organization War Child, based in Amsterdam. She is a beautiful black woman on a great path to not only share her gift of dance to the world. She wants real change to earnestly save the lives of human beings. I wish Sister Michaela DePrince more blessings.

There is always a vindictiveness of Big Pharma gaining profits from the suffering of people. Big Pharma agents even admit that many of their drugs masks symptoms, but they don't develop cures. The corporate media lies all of the time. One example is how many in that media promotes lies to advance the Iraq War. We have an increase of suicide rates in America. We have an increase of lung cancer among those who use vapor devices. Cancer rates have certainly grown worldwide. This cancer scourge just doesn't happen among those who smoke constantly or eat poisonous foods. In recent years, the overall life expectancy rate has declined in the USA. That is why knowledge is power. Cutting down the prices of prescription drugs, universal health care, and health education make great sense. People have every right to study information about their organs, family history, and other aspects of health information. Nuclear plants are death traps not only because of radiation chemicals spreading into the water. It can harm the genetics of people for multiple generations. Alcohol deaths have increased from 1999 to 2017, especially among people from 55 to 64. Wisdom is Power, and we ought to use our minds that God gave to warn people plus send the message out.

Yesterday was the Birthday of a retired basketball player. He was one of the greatest players of his generation, and he is Brother Muggsy Bogues. He is now 55 years old. Baltimore, Maryland is the place of his birth. He is also the shortest NBA player in history being 5 ft. 3. He played at Dunbar High School in Baltimore. I have been to Baltimore in real life as many of my paternal relatives have links to Baltimore. He played at Wake Forest University at North Carolina. He won a gold medal for the USA national team in the 1986 FIBA World Championship. By 1987, he played in the NBA. He could dunk the ball. He could block shots in the NBA too. His vertical leap was 44 inches. He played with Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson in the Charlotte Hornets. He coached basketball teams and did amazing work after his NBA career. He has been on TV shows and movies as well. His life teaches us a lesson that someone's height doesn't determines one's character or heart. Muggsy Bogues has shown great heart and courageousness inside and outside the basketball court. He is married to a great woman named Kim Bogues, and the couple has great children as well. I wish Brother Muggsy Bogues more blessings.


What do I think about Lizzo? There is a difference between promoting health information and fighting diseases and using overt disrespect against a black woman because of her size. You can't dehumanize a person under the guise of "dieting" and expect someone to not feel a certain type of way. I find that much of the criticisms of Lizzo are beyond her performance. It is about the tired, disgusting pastime of shaming plus sized people as a means for some to hurt people's feelings. If someone wants to lose weight and be healthier, then that is fine. We don't have a problem with that. If someone wants to critique Lizzo's actions in a basketball stadium in LA, then I see nothing wrong with that. Yet, if someone wants to be slick and disrespect Lizzo's physical appearance and call her a "mammy" stereotype like others have done, then that is wrong, racist, and inappropriate. She a'int some "mammy" stereotype. She is an artist. Many of those criticizing her (like Jilian Michaels and Boyce Watkins) wouldn't dare criticize other artists' weight because of the obvious reason. The solution is to inspire change, show our information about fitness, and reject the tactic of dehumanizing a person at the same time. Body positivity is the way to go.

By Timothy

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