New Discoveries.

  

There is information about my late 3rd cousin Martha E. Artis (1878-1960) that must be shown to the public. She was the daughter of Benjamin Thomas Artis (1852-1936) and Indiana Briggs (1855-1923). Martha E. Artis married Herbert F. Ramey (1878-1966) on December 26, 1901, at Sussex, Virginia when she was 23 years old. Martha E. Artis and Herbert F. Ramey Rainey had many children who are: Willie Rainey (b. 1904), Marea Rainey (b. 1906), Vaton Rainey (b. 1908), Ruth Rainey (b. 1912), Bessie R. Matthews (b. 1914), Mary V. Rainey (b. 1920), and Gladys E. Rainey). One of the daughters of Martha and Herbert Rainey was Bessie Mae Rainey. She married Charles Elmer Matthews (b. 1911) on June 20, 1936, at Petersburg, Virginia. Their children are Shirley Marie Matthews (1936-1990), Charles Matthews (b. 1938), Reginald Matthews (b. 1940), Maria Matthews (b. 1944), and Cynthia Matthews (b. 1947). The daughter of Martha E. Artis and Herbert F. Rainey was my 4th cousin Ruth Caronale Rainey Morgan (1912-1993). She married Leonard O. Morgan (b. 1911) with the child of Richard Lewis Morgan (b. 1929). Her 2nd husband was James Edward Flowers on December 5, 1944 at Petersburg, Virginia. My 5th cousin Richard Lewis Morgan (b. 1929) married Lois Josephine Fountain on February 20, 1960 at Pasquotank, North Carolina. They had a child named Anita Richelle Morgan (b. 1961). She was born in Norfolk, Virginia and married Dale Alan Harris (b. 1958) on August 28, 1981. The marriage ended on July 25, 1988. Martha E. Artis and I are descendants of Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson Bozeman (my 6th great grandparents). Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman had the child named Patsy Williams Crocker (1810-1870). Patsy Williams Crocker had a child named Indian Bozeman Crocker (1831-1896), her child was Benjamin Thomas Artis (1852-1936), and his daughter is Martha E. Artis. 

 

There are many people who changed history. Fred Hampton changed history forever with his activism, courage, and a sense of leadership. He wanted a revolution in society to end the oppressive, capitalist, and imperialistic system harming black people in Chicago and all freedom loving people (of every background) globally. By the late 1960's, the anti-Vietnam War movement was growing, the Civil Rights Movement became more progressive, and the Black Power movement saw millions of supporters in America alone. Fred Hampton was a gifted orator, scholar, athlete, and activist. He used his God-given skills to not only inspire change, but he worked on programs to end gang warfare, to fight poverty, to feed children, to educate the people on political/social consciousness, and be a beacon of hope and light for our community. Jealousy and hatred caused the FBI and the Chicago Police Department to harass many Black Panthers in Chicago, including Fred Hampton. The FBI's COINTELPRO explicitly mentioned that they wanted to spread division and crisis in the black freedom movements in order to stop progressive activism to grow in society (and prevent the rise of what they deemed a "Black Messiah" that would galvanize humanity in a positive direction). Fred Hampton wanted the people, not a single person, to have the power to grow the community. He was a dedicated socialist who was making results real in Chicago. Many wanted him to be part of the Chairman Board of the Black Panthers nationwide. The Chicago police and the FBI used the informant O'Neal to monitor Hampton plus find out where he was living at. The Chicago police murdered Fred Hampton and Mark Clark in cold blood. It would take years for the government to give the Hampton and Clark families economic compensation. Today, we have a long way to go with book bans, voter suppression laws, and other policies that harm democratic rights. Wars are still in existence, and record strikes seeking economic justice are commonplace. Likewise, we are motivated by Fred Hampton's life to desire a solution in a complex world. We are now focused on doing what is right for power ought to be for the people completely. 

 

The Black Lives Matter movement has been around for 10 years now. It has been a movement that wants black liberation for all black people being firmly against police brutality. It has its supporters and critics. Many conservatives criticize BLM on cultural and social issues claiming it ignores the value of black fathers and attacks the nuclear family (proponents of BLM deny this charge). Many progressives criticize BLM on strategic and political issues claiming that it is too decentralized and was a victim of co-option by the Democratic Party establishment including capitalist corporations in general. So, the truth is more nuisance. The Black Lives Matter movement was right to advocate against police brutality and being for the freedom of all black people. The issue is that BLM, as time went on, became too decentralized in not forming a firm, long lasting infrastructure to stand up against oppression, its omission of the importance of black fathers (citing villages is fine but praising black mothers and black fathers equally is also revolutionary), and many members (not all members) being co-opted by neo-liberal establishment forces (as we shall show later on). The vast majority of Black Lives Matters members are not frauds. They are sincere people in the BLM movement who believe that they are being good people in standing up against oppression, racism, and injustice. We saw massive protests made by black people and non-black people legitimately fighting against police brutality, racism, economic exploitation, bigotry, and all forms of oppression in Norfolk, in NYC, in Philadelphia, in Dallas, in London, in Berlin, in Los Angeles, in Seattle, in Richmond, in Miami, in Pittsburgh, etc. That is inspirational and that act should be commended. Many conservatives are wrong to say that the BLM movement collectively want riots to destroy America when police terror is the definition of a terrorist riot. BLM is right to condemn Trump as an authoritarian fascist (who said to threaten to come down on the media and promote anti-democratic policies overtly). Trump still believes in the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. The vast majority of anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests have been peaceful. Likewise, critique (like disagreeing with one founder saying that she is a Marxist activist. Karl Marx was a racist, anti-Semitic, and religious bigot who shouldn't be honored as a hero. Marx explicitly written that he wants religion to be abolished in society which is anti-democratic as people have the right to believe in religion or not in a free and open society) is necessary in any human analysis of social movements as no human is immune from legitimate critique (without ad hominem attacks). Therefore, I wanted to show what Black Lives Matter did right and show critiques in order to put the historic movement into context. That is just poignant and fair. 

 

One of the first major persecutions of Christian happened during the time of the Roman Emperor Nero. Nero was one of the evilest Emperors in the history of the Roman Empire (by even having Britannicus poisoned). Nero was the great great grandson of the former emperor Augustus (who lived during the birth of Jesus Christ). Nero saw the Great Fire of Rome that took place on the night of July 18 to 19th, 64. Many sources from Eusebius, Lactantius, Tertullian, and other sources mentioned that Nero persecuted Christians. The historian Tacitus wrote about Nero torturing and executing Christians after the fire of 64 A.D. Innocent Christians were falsely blamed for the fire in Rome when sources prove that it is most likely Nero who burned Rome heavily. According to Tacitus, many Christians were forced to be torn to pieces by dogs and wild animals. By this time, the Apostles of Simon Peter and Paul were preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles in Greece, Italy, etc. Peter lived to be 70 years old, and traditions said that Peter was killed by crucifixion being placed upside down. Paul was from the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin. Paul preached the Gospel in Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Syria, the Middle East, and possibly beyond (some believe that Paul preached as far as France, Germany, and Great Britain). Paul was beheaded in Rome by 69 A.D. on the road that goes into Ostia called Via Ostiensis. Many of Paul's friends were executed by ca. 70 A.D. who were Aristarchus, Epaphras, Prisca, Aquila, Andronicus, and Junia. 

 

By the early 300's A.D, many early Christians suffered great persecutions too. Euplius was a great Christian who was beheaded in the city of Catana in Sicily because he wouldn't reject his faith in Jesus Christ. He was sent to a judge and a criminal court. Calvisianus, the Proconsul wanted Euplius to give up his faith, and he refused. Euplius had Gospel books with him. Euplius was later executed after being tortured for a time. A widow named Julitta of Iconia was beheaded by 304 A.D. in Tarsus, Cilicia (in Turkey). She was kidnapped by Alexander, the Proconsul. By 750 A.D., Albert of Gaul starved to death in prison because he opposed masses for the dead, purgatory, imposition of hands, making the sign of the cross, banning priests from being married, and other false doctrines. His friend Clement of Scotland was burned by the Catholic Church in the same year for opposing and rejecting Roman Catholic superstitions. 

 

Prostate health is one of the most important parts of health involving men. It's an accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle driven mechanical switch between function of the body. Anatomically, the prostate is found below the bladder, with the urethra passing through it. It is described in anatomy as consisting of lobes and in microanatomy by zone. It is surrounded by an elastic, fibromuscular capsule and contains glandular tissue, as well as connective tissue. It is the size of a walnut. Many commercials and activists have promoted awareness about prostate cancer, because it's a serious problem among men (especially black men). There are many zones of the prostate like the peripheral zone, the central zone, the transition zone, and the anterior fibro-muscular zone (or stroma). The prostate receives blood through the inferior vesical artery, internal pudendal artery, and middle rectal arteries. These vessels enter the prostate on its outer posterior surface where it meets the bladder, and travel forward to the apex of the prostate. Both the inferior vesical and the middle rectal arteries often arise together directly from the internal iliac arteries. On entering the bladder, the inferior vesical artery splits into a urethral branch, supplying the urethral prostate; and a capsular branch, which travels around the capsule and has smaller branches which perforate into the prostate. The veins of the prostate form a network – the prostatic venous plexus, primarily around its front and outer surface. This network also receives blood from the deep dorsal vein of the penis, and is connected via branches to the vesical plexus and internal pudendal veins. Veins drain into the vesical and then internal iliac veins. There is lymphatic drainage of the prostate too. The prostate is made up of glandular and connective tissue. 

Tall column-shaped cells form the lining (the epithelium) of the glands. These form one layer or may be pseudostratified. The epithelium is highly variable and areas of low cuboidal or flat cells can also be present, with transitional epithelium in the outer regions of the longer ducts. The glands are formed as many follicles, which drain into canals and subsequently 12–20 main ducts, these in turn drain into the urethra as it passes through the prostate. There are also a small number of flat cells, which sit next to the basement membranes of glands, and act as stem cells. The connective tissue of the prostate is made up of fibrous tissue and smooth muscle. The fibrous tissue separates the gland into lobules. It also sits between the glands and is composed of randomly orientated smooth-muscle bundles that are continuous with the bladder. About 20,000 protein coding genes are expressed in human cells and almost 75% of these genes are expressed in the normal prostate. About 150 of these genes are more specifically expressed in the prostate, with about 20 genes being highly prostate specific. The corresponding specific proteins are expressed in the glandular and secretory cells of the prostatic gland and have functions that are important for the characteristics of semen, including prostate-specific proteins, such as the prostate specific antigen (PSA), and the Prostatic acid phosphatase.

The inflammation of the prostate can happen called prostatitis. An enlarged prostate is called prostatomegaly, with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) being the most common cause. BPH refers to an enlargement of the prostate due to an increase in the number of cells that make up the prostate (hyperplasia) from a cause that is not a malignancy. It is very common in older men. This means that a person uses the bathroom often. There is prostate cancer being one of the most common cancers in older men in the UK, America, Northern Europe, and Australia. It is a major contributor to the death of elderly men worldwide. A person doesn't have to have symptoms to get it. When it does occur, the symptoms can be urinary frequency, urgency, hesitation and other symptoms associated with BPH. Uncommonly, such cancers may cause weight loss, retention of urine, or symptoms such as back pain due to metastatic lesions that have spread outside of the prostate. There are many tests to find prostate cancer. 

Prostate cancer that is only present in the prostate is often treated with either surgical removal of the prostate or with radiotherapy or by the insertion of small radioactive particles of iodine-125 or palladium-103, called brachytherapy. Cancer that has spread to other parts of the body is usually treated also with hormone therapy, to deprive a tumor of sex hormones (androgens) that stimulate proliferation. This is often done through the use of GnRH analogues or agents (such as bicalutamide) that block the receptors that androgens act on; occasionally, surgical removal of the testes may be done instead. Cancer that does not respond to hormonal treatment, or that progresses after treatment, might be treated with chemotherapy such as docetaxel. Radiotherapy may also be used to help with pain associated with bony lesions. Prostate cancer is a serious illness. Life expectancy can be less than 10 years if a person had many medical conditions with it. Some have their prostate removed if a person has prostate cancer. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, African American men are estimated to be about 1.6 times more likely than other men to get prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it. the prostate is a small gland that deals with hormones and semen production plus it helps to manage urine flow.  When prostate cancer appears in black people, it tends to be more aggressive and progress faster. For example, a 2020 study Trusted Source assessed whether active surveillance is a safe and effective option for African American males with low-risk prostate cancer. That is why regular checks and active surveillance can be helpful. Obesity, lower socioeconomic situations, racist bias in health care, and delayed care contribute to many black Americans to have a higher risk of having prostate cancer. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that all males between 55-69 years. Trusted Source should consider PSA screening and have regular prostate exams. Although prostate cancer is rare in males under 45 years, a 2020 article. Trusted Source indicates that Black males at high risk should consider prostate screening at around this age. These screening tests can raise any clinical suspicion of prostate cancer. A prostate biopsy is almost always needed to confirm the diagnosis. Anyone should tell a doctor about any family history of prostate cancer. 

 

The Normandy landings started by a long process of debates and negotiations among America, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. These three nations had to work together in order for the invasion on D-Day to commence. First, the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. The Soviet Leader Jospeh Stalin wanted the Allied Powers to create a second front in western Europe in order to ease the burden of fighting the Nazis and to defeat the Nazis faster. FDR was eager to open a second front soon, but Churchill wanted it delayed because everyone knew that he hated Communism and distrusted Stalin because of Stalin's ideological views. By late May of 1942, the Soviet Union and the United States made a joint announcement that, "...full understanding was reached with regard to the urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942." However, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill persuaded U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to postpone the promised invasion as, even with U.S. help, the Allies did not have adequate forces for such an activity. Instead of an immediate return to France, the western Allies staged offensives in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, where British troops were already stationed. By mid-1943, the campaign in North Africa had been won. The Allies then launched the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and subsequently invaded the Italian mainland in September the same year. By then, Soviet forces were on the offensive and had won a major victory at the Battle of Stalingrad. The decision to undertake a cross-channel invasion within the next year was taken at the Trident Conference in Washington in May 1943. Initial planning was constrained by the number of available landing craft, most of which were already committed in the Mediterranean and Pacific. At the Tehran Conference in November 1943, Roosevelt and Churchill promised Stalin that they would open the long-delayed second front in May 1944.

The Allies considered four sites for the landings: Brittany, the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy, and the Pas-de-Calais. As Brittany and Cotentin are peninsulas, it would have been possible for the Germans to cut off the Allied advance at a relatively narrow isthmus, so these sites were rejected. With the Pas-de-Calais being the closest point in continental Europe to Britain, the Germans considered it to be the most likely initial landing zone, so it was the most heavily fortified region. But it offered few opportunities for expansion, as the area is bounded by numerous rivers and canals, whereas landings on a broad front in Normandy would permit simultaneous threats against the port of Cherbourg, coastal ports further west in Brittany, and an overland attack towards Paris and eventually into Germany. Normandy was hence chosen as the landing site. The most serious drawback of the Normandy coast—the lack of port facilities—would be overcome through the development of artificial Mulberry harbors. A series of modified tanks, nicknamed Hobart's Funnies, dealt with specific requirements expected for the Normandy Campaign such as mine clearing, demolishing bunkers, and mobile bridging. At first, the Allies planned to launch the invasion on May 1, 1944. The initial draft was accepted at the Quebec Conference in August 1943. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. General Bernard Montgomery was named commander of the 21st Army Group, which comprised all land forces involved in the invasion. On December 31, 1943, Eisenhower and Montgomery first saw the plan, which proposed amphibious landings by three divisions with two more divisions in support. The two generals insisted that the scale of the initial invasion be expanded to five divisions, with airborne descents by three additional divisions, to allow operations on a wider front and to hasten the capture of Cherbourg. The need to acquire or produce extra landing craft for the expanded operation meant that the invasion had to be delayed to June. Eventually, thirty-nine Allied divisions would be committed to the Battle of Normandy: twenty-two American, twelve British, three Canadian, one Polish, and one French, totaling over a million troops. 

 

By Timothy