In our generation, we have to realize how serious the Trump indictments are in American history and world history. There has been no President and no elected official in American history that has been accused of anything close to the scale that Donald Trump has been charged with. If Biden wins re-election in 2024, then there is a higher than 70 percent chance of Trump being convicted in just one federal case. Trump faced four indictments (3 federal indictments and one state indictment) along with being charged with 91 counts. This reality is unprecedented. Regardless of what far-right people say, this prosecution is not a "witch hunt" but a defense of our democracy. Biden didn't indict Trump. Trump and others were indicted by the American grand jury system after seeing conclusive evidence of corruption by Trump and his allies. This is because Trump knew the election was not a fraud, and he used illegal tactics including using fake electors in trying to steal the 2020 election. He criticized Mike Pence for refusing to cover up for Trump involving the 2020 election. Donald Trump has been treated with kid gloves and special privileges that other defendants have never been given. He only has one mug shot being publicly released. Trump has threatened witnesses and was in legal trouble for decades from his Trump University scandals to allegations of housing discrimination. We reject the 2021 insurrection against the U.S. Capitol. The reality is that the resentments of the working class have nothing to do with wokeism. Being woke is the belief that every human born on this Earth deserves freedom, justice, and equality without exception. It has to do with the massive economic inequality of income and wealth and other systems of oppression harming human beings. The myth by the moderates and MAGA extremists is that the left and the right have gotten more extreme. The reality is that progressives have hardly moved and the far right is more far right now than even during the days of the Reagan Presidency. There was a time of liberal Republicans during the 1960's. That day is over. For example, thirty years ago, Bill Clinton was a centrist as he passed welfare reform, promoted being tough on crime policies, and compromised with Republicans on many issues. Trump moved the GOP even further right by inciting an insurrection, promoting a Muslim travel ban, and denying that he lost the 2020 election (when Trump knows that view is a total lie). Many people who claim to be left are really center-left or centrists. Even the 1956 Republican Platform (which wanted to protect Social Security, provide asylum for refugees, extend the minimum wage, promote union, have equal pay for equal work regardless of sex, provide federal assistance to low-income communities, etc.) is much more progressive than the 2020 Republican Platform. We should remind people that liberals and progressives caused the Voting Rights Act to pass, created Social Security (that lifted millions of elderly Americans out of poverty), created the Civil Rights Act, gave women the right to vote, promoted environmental laws, created Medicare, helped to end legal segregation, and advanced the movement against police brutality. Far-right conservatives opposed these blessings for decades. Reagan called Medicare a socialist plot to ruin seniors, and JFK gave a speech at Madison Square Garden to support Medicare legislation.
There is much news about our time. The NLRB issued a ruling that will force employers to recognize unions in the workplace if bosses commit unfair labor practices during a union election. The myth promoted is that no one wants to work anymore. The reality is that people don't want to be paid unlivable wages. If we want more jobs to exist in a moral society, people should be paid livable wages with benefits. Wealth inequality is real, and it's a global crisis. People worth less than $10,000 or 53% of the world's adult population hold 1.2% of the world's assets. People worth over $1 million or 1.1% of the world's adult population have 46% of the world's wealth. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is reportedly concerned that if they give a fair deal to writers and actions in America, then that will set a precedent for writers/actors in other territories to ask for fair deals. In 2022 alone, Lowe's spent over $14 billion on stock buybacks. That is enough money to give one of its 301,000 U.S. employees a $47,000 bonus. These buybacks don't create jobs, they don't increase wages, they don't grow the economy, and they make corporate executives richer. People want fairness in society which is why autoworkers have voted to strike if the Big Three carmakers don't agree with a fair deal. We see a resurrection of labor rights strikes in America. They are striking for economic justice while CEOs have record payments. Actors, writers, nurses, hotel housekeepers, journalists, teachers, machinists, and other workers have left their jobs in the past few months. These strikes have to do with everybody, regardless if someone works or not. These striking workers are fighting for more economic fairness and justice in American society. What they do will benefit us in the future, so we have to show solidarity with these courageous heroes. What we learned from Nixon and Trump is that the executive branch of government can never have omnipotent powers. There are checks and balances for a reason as we desire democracy and the rule of law to be superior to authoritarianism and fascism. The GOP Party has been in chaos in them supporting Trump unconditionally in the majority. The recent GOP 2023 Debate mentioned Trump tons of times, but they mention nothing on lowering drug prices and health care costs for Americans.
An important message in closing is that unity in the Black African Diaspora is important. That means that we have the same African roots regardless if we are African American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-European, Afro-Latino, etc. We have the same worth and value as any other human being. When you honor and love what God made you to be, treat people right, and support righteousness (in word and indeed), then blessings come about. I am a Black American, and I decided not to identify as FBA, Freedmen, Aboriginals, or ADOS for many reasons because I don't make an idol of America and my ancestors were victims of slavery from Africa not born slaves (there is a difference). My people came from Africa being descendants of the first humans on Earth, being black people. We have to confront evil. Recently, a white cowardly racist murdered three innocent black people (who are 2 black men and one black woman) in Jacksonville, Florida. That murderer is evil and hate crimes have increased in America in the past 10+ years. We have to promote our unity as Brothers and Sisters. There are tons of places now where African Americans, Africans, Jamaicans, Haitians, Afro-Latinos, etc. celebrate black culture with love and mutual appreciation. One example of this unity is when Sha'carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson congratulated each other when they won their respective races of the 100m and the 200m during the 2023 World Track and Field Championship. Many ADOS and FBA members, who spew xenophobic rhetoric, ally with Donald Trump (because they share Trump's views on isolationism, xenophobia, and bigotry). Afrophobia must be rejected as Africa has diverse, beautiful cultures that have inspired the world for millennia. Therefore, it is important to advance black unity globally as we are a great people.
The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington took place in Washington, D.C. Organizers of the march included Martin Luther King III, his wife and Drum Major Institue President Arndrea Waters King, daughter Yolanda (or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s granddaughter), and National Action Network leader Rev. Al Sharpton. We see a right-wing backlash so vicious that far-right MAGA extremists want to revert to the 1950's instead of going forward in the 21st century. Jealous people in Georgia desire to target Fulton DA Fani Willis because she is fulfilling her duty to make sure that Trump and 18 other indicted people face accountability. The 60th anniversary is a continuation, not a commemoration. Many of the speakers in the rally spoke up for justice and equality for all people in the human race. They spoke out against gun violence, against racism, against sexism, and against anti-Semitsm. It's our duty to not only speak up against evil. We have to be active in constructive actions in helping society to grow. We have to expose liars like Ramaswamy who called Presley and Kendi as the "Modern KKK." The KKK murdered people, raped people, and burned down black churches to the ground. This stuff from Ramaswamy shows his racism and ignorance of history. Constructive actions must be done by us. These actions can be going on in city councils, working in the school system, registering people to vote, running for office, volunteering, mentoring kids, defending democratic rights, building up communities, working in STEM to help humanity, and being a light of wisdom for people. Each of us has a gift, and it is very important to be inspired by our audacious ancestors in making sure that the Dream in the future will develop into total fruition.
The 2023 World Track and Field Championship has been historic in many ways. In the men's 800m, Marco Arop of Canada won, Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya won silver, and Ben Pattison won bronze from the UK. In the men's 4 X 100m relay, America won gold with Christain Coleman, Fred Kerley, Brandon Carnes, Noah Lyles, and J.T. Smith, Italy won silver, and Jamaica won bronze. As for the men's pole vault, Armand Duplantis won gold from Sweden, Ej Obiena won silver from the Philippines, and bronze was given to Kurtis Marschall from Australia and Chris Nilsen from America. The men's triple jump was won gold by Hugues Fabrice Zango from Burkina Faso, Lazaro Martinez from Cuba for silver, and the bronze medal was given to Cristian Napoles from Cuba. The men's decathlon was won by Pierce LePage from Canada, silver was given to Damian Warner from Canada, and bronze was given to Lindon Victor from Grenada. The women's 400m hurdles were won by Femke Bol of the Netherlands in gold, Shamier Little won silver from America, and Rushell Clayton won bronze from Jamaica. The women's triple jump was won by Yulimar Rojas from Venezuela, Maryna Bekh-Romanchuck won silver from Ukraine, and Leyanis Perez-Hernandez won bronze from Cuba. In the 800m race, Mary Moraa of Kenya won gold, Keely Hodgkinson of the UK won silver, and Athing Mu won bronze. In the 4 X 100m historic women's race, America won gold with Tamari Davis, Twanisha Terry, Gabrielle Thomas, Sha'Carri Rihcardson, Tamara Clark, and Melissa Jefferson. Their time was among the top 4 fastest times in 4 X 100m relay history. Jamaica won silver, and Great Britain won bronze. In the women's 4 X 400m relay race, the Netherlands won gold with Eveline Saalberg, Lieke Klaver, Cathelijhn Peeters, Femke Bol, and Lisanne de Witte. Jamaica won silver, and Great Britain won bronze. In the 4 X 400m relay men's team, America won gold with Quincy Hall, Vernon Norwood, Justin Robinson, Rai Benjamin, Trevor Bassitt, Matthew Bolling, and Christopher Bailey. France won silver, and Great Britain won bronze.
My 2nd cousin Elise Odell Peeples Watson Whitehead is a descendant of Charles and Fannie Peeples. Her parents were Vernell Franklin Peeples (1912-1987) and Bettie Wilkerson (1918-2003). Elsie's children with Eddie Morris Watson (b. 1945) are Eddie Morris Watson Jr. (b. 1966) and Patrina Evette Watson (b. 1967). Patrina Evette Watson's children are DeAndre Watson (b. 1985), Shamika Latrice Watson (b. 1986. She has many children like Victory, etc.), and Quita Watson. My 3rd cousin Eddie Morris Watson Jr. married Mary Elizabeth Harrell on December 7, 1960, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Their marriage ended on February 16, 2010, in Suffolk, Virginia.
By Timothy
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