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Sunday, December 22, 2019

How to Hand Knit a Chunky Blanket

Terrorized at Home

An except from Yahoo News -

Why has the Tulsa Race Massacre been largely forgotten?
By Mike Bebernes

Using ground-penetrating radar, scientists in Tulsa, Okla., recently discovered evidence of mass graves connected to the 1921 race massacre there. Like much of the evidence of the deadly event, the history of what’s been called “the single worst incident of racial violence in American history” has been buried.

In the early 1920s, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, home to most of the city’s black population, was a vibrant neighborhood that was so successful, it was known as "Black Wall Street." All that changed on May 31, 1921. An unproven accusation of an assault of a white woman by a black man caused long-bubbling white resentment to boil over into violence. White mobs flooded into Greenwood, looting homes, burning businesses and killing residents.

By June 1, 35 city blocks had been burned to the ground and thousands were left homeless. The official count tallied 36 deaths, but historians now believe the number could have been as high as 300.

Despite the scale of violence, the Tulsa race massacre has been a largely forgotten part of U.S. history. Many Americans said they first became aware of the incident this year, when the HBO drama “Watchmen” featured a fictionalized reenactment in its premiere episode.

https://news.yahoo.com/why-has-the-tulsa-race-massacre-been-largely-forgotten-164707438.html

Some Eggnog History

An excerpt from HEATED -

The Black History of Eggnog
The spiced drink parallels America’s fraught history with African Americans
By Kayla Stewart

Creamy, aromatic eggnog is a staple in American homes during the winter — we consume an estimated 135 million pounds per year, to be exact. Whether served in mugs at holiday parties or paired with whiskey, rum, or brandy, the beverage inevitably makes an appearance on drink menus around Christmastime.

But how the drink’s popularity spiked, and who increased its visibility on a national stage is, like many things, intertwined with America’s fraught history with African Americans.

https://heated.medium.com/the-black-history-of-eggnog-f79ee01eb278

Lions and Tigers and BEARS!

Beautiful - Crush cover (#Goblin OST) | Reneé Dominique

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Lizzo - Good As Hell (Official Music Video)

Way Beyond Football

An excerpt from the Undefeated -

For black fans in Baltimore, Lamar Jackson’s success ‘resonates way beyond football’
Black excellence, black love, a nappy ‘fro and an MVP-caliber season for the Ravens quarterback
BY LONNAE O'NEAL

For many black NFL fans who thrill to Jackson’s football smarts and physical gifts, the 22-year-old is more than just that dude who can lead the Ravens back to the Super Bowl. He’s part of a wave of 13 black starting quarterbacks who are not only changing the game on the field, but are expanding conceptions of leadership and affirming black excellence to themselves and the nation.

“It resonates way beyond football,” says Antonio “Rod” Womack, a real estate developer, human resources director and today’s host. Jackson’s success “might change the way CEOs decide who’s going to sit on the board.” The lesson here “is really about give us a true shot — without tying one arm behind us — and we can win at any level. At anything.”

https://theundefeated.com/features/for-black-fans-in-baltimore-lamar-jacksons-success-resonates-way-beyond-football/

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Black Beauty

From the New York Times -

Black Women Reign at Beauty Pageants
by Laura M. Holson

Credit...Paras Griffin/Getty Images;
Steven Ferdman/Getty Images; Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA Today Sports,
via Reuters; Paras Griffin/Getty Images

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/10/us/beauty-pageant-winners-black-women.html

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Turning shipping containers into homes for homeless: Meet Jasper

The Stanford Prison Experiment Official Trailer #1 (2015) Ezra Miller Th...

Who Will Win the Black Vote in 2020? | The Daily Show

Lea Michele - Christmas in New York (Official Video)

Rowing to a Better Life

An excerpt from the NY Times -

She Wants to Row to Get From N.Y.C. Into College
That goal, Sebastiana Lopez says, is worth the grind of six days a week leading her crew team. “I know this will help me get there.”
By Juliet Macur

Rainy-day practices are the worst, especially in the cold. As she leads her rowing team, Sebastiana Lopez feels the rain pelting her face, soaking her clothes and working its way into her bones. Her fingers go numb.

Yet Lopez, 17, a high school senior, calls this the best thing she has ever done for herself.

As an eighth grader, she had signed up for this test of toughness at Row New York, a nonprofit that teaches city students how to row and gives them academic support and college counseling. Now, more than four years later, her routine includes pushing through her grueling sport’s trying moments.

“I can handle the hard days,” Lopez said. “I make myself do it because I really want to go to college and I know this will help me get there.”

She tries not to cry, but fails, and says, “I do want a better life for my family.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/sports/she-wants-to-row-to-get-from-nyc-into-college.html


Buffet's Advice

An excerpt from Inc. -

Warren Buffett Told a Teenager His Secret to Success 15 Years Ago. It's Still the Best Advice You'll Hear Today
It may be time to find some new friends.
By Marcel Schwantes

Fifteen years ago, while taking questions from shareholders and fans at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, the billionaire Buffett was asked by a teenager what advice he would give a young person in order to become successful.

Buffett's response was a bullseye, whatever your age or stage of life. The Oracle of Omaha replied:

It's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction.

The people you choose to be around truly do matter for career progression. When you choose to surround yourself with better and smarter individuals and learn from their success habits, you absorb their knowledge and become better and smarter yourself.

https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/warren-buffett-told-a-teenager-his-secret-to-success-15-years-ago-its-still-best-advice-youll-hear-today.html

On To Something?

An excerpt from CNN -

What this sunny, religious town in California teaches us about living longer
By Sandee LaMotte

Spanish for "beautiful hill," Loma Linda, California is nestled between mountain peaks in the middle of the San Bernardino Valley. The city is known as an epicenter of health and wellness, with more than 900 physicians on the campus of Loma Linda University and Medical Center.

But that's not Loma Linda's only wellness claim to fame. This city of 21,000 is one of the five original blue zones, regions in the world where people live longest and are the healthiest. In fact, the people in this community tend to live eight to 10 years longer than the average American.

Experts say that's because Loma Linda has one of the highest concentrations of Seventh-day Adventists in the world. The religion mandates a healthy lifestyle and a life of service to the church and community, which contributes to their longevity.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/25/health/longevity-blue-zone-wellness/index.html

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Stevie Wonder Carpool Karaoke

Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke (Apartment Sessions)

Prelude from Bach Cello Suite No.1 - Kevin Olusola

Wintergatan - Marble Machine (music instrument using 2000 marbles)

"Drive" (as orig. performed by Black Coffee/Guetta)- 2019 Hilton College...

Ta-Nehisi Coates Makes the Case for Slavery Reparations | Oprah's Book C...

A View from Germany’s Bastei Bridge

Coffee Around the World

Does It Matter? Should It Matter?

An excerpt from the Undefeated -

What does it mean that the best HBCU quarterback is white?
Florida A&M and Ryan Stanley say they don’t see color in the historically black program
By Martenzie Johnson

BALTIMORE — When I first approach Ryan Stanley in the lobby of the Marriott hotel near the city’s waterfront here, the Florida A&M senior quarterback reaches out to shake my hand.

But seeing as I only consider myself professional in age only, I quickly dismiss his handshake and instead extend my arm at a 90-degree angle, hoping — or expecting — Stanley to catch onto the context clues. He does, our palms clasp like a chin strap buckle and we both bring each other in for a hug. The dap takes less than two seconds. We move over to a table in the back of the hotel lobby and commence our interview.

If this story were about almost any other quarterback at a historically black college or university (HBCU), our brief salutation would not be noteworthy. But Stanley, a tall and slender 22-year-old, is a white man playing a predominantly white position at a predominantly black school. And, well, that is noteworthy for a plethora of reasons, no matter how much Stanley — or his teammates and coaches — tries to downplay it.

https://theundefeated.com/features/what-does-it-mean-that-the-best-hbcu-quarterback-is-white/

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Kerry Washington | American Son | Official Trailer | Netflix