Another First

 An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

MEET THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO RECEIVE A PH.D. IN NEUROSCIENCE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER

by Dana Givens

Image via University of Rochester Alumni

Dr. Monique Mendes has become the first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Rochester. The Jamaican-born, first-generation college graduate says the announcement came as a shock to her, not even realizing she had done so until informed.

“I didn’t know I was the first Black woman, but I’m excited,” said Mendes to Diversity Education. “I feel empowered; I really want other students in the Rochester city schools, just around Rochester that are Black, who are people of color that know that this is possible and that they can pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience.”

Her desire to obtain her degree came after she became apart of the McNair Scholars Program at the University of Florida, a program designed to help undergraduate students from low-income and marginalized backgrounds offering financial assistance in addition to mentorship to help them prepare for their doctoral degree. From there, her interest grew and she became more immersed in studying the complexities of the brain, hoping to establish a career in neuroscience.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/meet-the-first-black-woman-to-receive-a-ph-d-in-neuroscience-from-the-university-of-rochester/

The Youngest Composer for the NY Philharmonic

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

THIS 12-YEAR-OLD IS SET TO BECOME ONE OF THE YOUNGEST COMPOSERS FOR THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

by Dana Givens

Screenshot via PIX 11

Teaching music to children has been said to offer positive growth during their early development. For one Brooklyn girl, her love for music led her to continue her dream toward composing original work while achieving remarkable milestones.

Grace Moore is a young musician who is poised for greatness and achieved a huge milestone this week. WPIX 11 reported that the seventh-grader is one of the youngest composers to enter the New York Philharmonic. Moore is enrolled in the organization’s Very Young Composers program designed to teach participants as young as 8-years-old how to create original scores. The members of the program will also get to see their work performed by professional musicians in the orchestra.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/this-12-year-old-is-set-to-become-one-of-the-youngest-composers-for-the-new-york-philharmonic-orchestra/

Making History @ Annapolis

An excerpt from CBS Baltimore - 

Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber Will Be The First Black Woman To Lead US Naval Academy’s Brigade

By CBS Baltimore Staff

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — For the first time, a Black woman will serve as the U.S. Naval Academy’s brigade commander.

Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber will be the commander for the spring semester, the academy’s commandant said.

Credit: US Naval Academy

The first female brigade commander ever was then-Midshipman Juliane Gallina, who served in 1991.

Barber, a graduate of Lake Forest High School in Illinois, is a mechanical engineering major and aspires to commission as a Marine Corps ground officer.

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/11/09/midshipman-1st-class-sydney-barber-will-be-the-first-black-woman-to-lead-us-naval-academys-brigade/

2 YEAR OLD TAKES OVER DADS MUSIC AGAIN

April 7, 2020

Was April 7, 2020 the day that sealed the fate of America?

By Thom Hartmann

On April 18, Bob Woodward recorded Jared Kushner saying that Trump had taken control away from the doctors and was going to open the country back up. So what might have provoked that? What was happening right around that time?

Trump’s official national emergency declaration came on March 11, and most of the country shut down or at least went partway toward that outcome. The economy crashed and millions of Americans were laid off, but saving lives was, after all, the number one consideration.

Trump put medical doctors on TV daily, the media was freaking out about refrigerated trucks carrying bodies away from New York hospitals, and doctors and nurses were our new national heroes.

And then came April 7, 2020, when the New York Times ran a front-page story with the headline: “Black Americans Face Alarming Rates of Coronavirus Infection in Some States.”

Across the American media landscape, similar headlines appeared at other outlets, and the story was heavily reported on cable news and the network news that night. White American conservatives responded with a collective, “What the hell?!?”

Rush Limbaugh declared soon after that “with the coronavirus, I have been waiting for the racial component. … The coronavirus now hits African Americans harder—harder than illegal aliens, harder than women. It hits African Americans harder than anybody, disproportionate representation.”

It didn’t take a medical savant, of course, to figure out that would be the case. African Americans die at disproportionately higher rates from everything, from heart disease to strokes to cancer to childbirth.

~~~~~

Tucker Carlson, the only primetime Fox News host who’d previously expressed serious concerns about the death toll, changed his tune the same day, as documented by Media Matters for America.

Now, he said, “we can begin to consider how to improve the lives of the rest, the countless Americans who have been grievously hurt by this, by our response to this. How do we get 17 million of our most vulnerable citizens back to work? That’s our task.”

White people were out of work, and Black people were most of the casualties, outside of the extremely elderly. And those white people need their jobs back!

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/was-april-7-2020-the-day-that-sealed-the-fate-of-america/

The Love - Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Hudson

At 102 years old, my great aunt, born the year of our last great #pandemic, made her way to the ballot box to cast her #vote. If she can do it, you can too! #Vote #VoteEarly #Election2020 pic.twitter.com/3nFCB3c4Ei

— Quentin Youmans (@QuentinYoumans) October 21, 2020

 

Then and Now

 https://www.boredpanda.com/young-celebrities-kids-then-and-now-digital-art-ard-gelinck/

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Blacks Pay More

An excerpt from Complex -

Study Shows Black Americans Are Paying More to Own Homes

BYJOE PRICE

In a new study from MIT, it has been reported that Black Americans are often forced to pay more than any other group of individuals to own a home.

CNN reports that Black homeowners on average pay more in mortgage interest, mortgage insurance, and property taxes than other homeowners. Written by Edward Golding, MIT's executive director of the Golub Center for Finance and Policy, the paper concludes that the vast difference between what Black homeowners and white homeowners pay indicates that it's considerably more difficult for Black homeowners to accumulate wealth through ownership at the same rate as white homeowners. 

The differences between mortgage payments is $743 per year, mortgage insurance premiums $550 per year, and property taxes at $390 per year. Totaling $13,464 "over the life of the line," the gap could result in up to $67,320 in lost retirement savings. 

"The small differences compounding over the life of the mortgage and during home ownership can add up," writes Golding. "Even if it is a few hundred dollars a year here and there, it can amount to another year's salary families would otherwise have." 

https://www.complex.com/life/2020/10/black-americans-pay-more-to-own-homes-study-shows

A Hotel Where Women Reign

 An excerpt from Insider - 

A new hotel in DC features a Ruth Bader Ginsburg portrait made from 20,000 hand-painted tampons — and that's not even the wildest design

By Melissa Wiley

Called Hotel Zena, it features over 60 bold and provocative artworks dedicated to female empowerment and those who have fought for women's rights.

View of the exterior of Hotel Zena,
seen from Thomas Circle in northwest Washington, DC. Hotel Zena

https://www.insider.com/dc-women-rights-hotel-features-ruth-bader-ginsburg-portraity-2020-10#called-hotel-zena-it-features-over-60-bold-and-provocative-artworks-dedicated-to-female-empowerment-and-those-who-have-fought-for-womens-rights-2

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HBCU Virtual College Fair

 An excerpt from the Sacramento Bee - 

Black students in California offered CSU, UC alternatives at HBCU virtual college fair

BY MARCUS D. SMITH

President and CEO Dr. Alan Rowe and his wife, Donna, founded the U-CAN foundation in 1988 when looking to enroll their son in a four-year college or university. They realized the limited resources and programs for Black students and started a foundation that would shape scholars in Sacramento – and California – for the next 40 years.

The HBCU college fair has now expanded throughout the entire state of California.

The United College Action Network (U-CAN) is hosting its 21st Annual Historically Black College and University (HBCU) College Fair online, in accordance with public health regulations.

U-CAN’s goal is to give California’s Black student population the opportunity to attend a four-year university. What started with just five students admitted in 1989 has grown to thousands of students accepted to various HBCUs across the country with their on-the-spot admission annual college fair.

The fair began on Wednesday and will end on Saturday. Registration is free and available every day of the virtual fair online at ucangotocollege.org.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/equity-lab/article246425780.html

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I Hope You Dance

Expelled From 10 Schools - Now Ph.D.

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

THIS BLACK MAN GRADUATED WITH HIS PH.D. AFTER BEING EXPELLED FROM 10 SCHOOLS

by Dana Givens

Image via Tommie Mabry

The pursuit of higher education looks different for each person—with so many barriers standing in the way of obtaining a college degree for many marginalized groups. One man was able to beat all of the odds from his upbringing and is now celebrating earning his Ph.D.

As a child, Dr. Tommie Mabry was expelled from 10 different schools all before entering high school. Fast forward to December 2019, he was able to celebrate a huge milestone, finally obtaining his Ph.D. after a difficult journey of pursuing his education.

“My mom and dad [have] all my books in their house, they’re proud and they’ve come to all my graduations. Hopefully, if God says the same, they will be there at my Ph.D. graduation in December,” Mabry told Because Of Them We Can. “My mom said she didn’t think I would make it and now [I’m] the only doctor she knows.”

https://www.blackenterprise.com/this-black-man-graduated-with-his-ph-d-after-being-expelled-from-10-schools/

Jac Ross - It's OK To Be Black (Official Lyric Video)

The Million Man March - 25 Years Ago

 From Esquire - 

The Million Man March Inspired a Generation. Here Are Photos From the Historic Event.

On Oct. 16, 1995, Black men from across the country marched on Washington, D.C. 

By The Esquire Editors

Attendees at the Million Man March carried signs and raised their fists in the symbol for Black power.

Oct. 16, 2020 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Million Man March, an event in which Black men from across the country poured into Washington, D.C. as a sign of unity. The event was massive. More than 11,000 buses delivered passengers in the days ahead of the event, according to the New York Times, with planes and trains ferrying even more. Celebrities like Will Smith, Stevie Wonder, and Diddy (then Puff Daddy) attended, along with civil rights icons like Jesse Jackson Jr. and Al Sharpton.

“I lost my mind,” Virgil Killebrew, who attended the march, told USA Today. “It wasn’t the speeches. It was the excitement. ... You felt the truth of all these people saying, ‘Black Power.’”

A wide shot of the National Mall on the day of the March.

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/g34385811/million-man-march-1995-photos/

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The Nation's Most Pressing Problem

 An excerpt from the NY Times - 

END OUR NATIONAL CRISIS The Case Against Donald Trump

BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Mr. Trump stands without any real rivals as the worst American president in modern history. In 2016, his bitter account of the nation’s ailments struck a chord with many voters. But the lesson of the last four years is that he cannot solve the nation’s pressing problems because he is the nation’s most pressing problem.

He is a racist demagogue presiding over an increasingly diverse country; an isolationist in an interconnected world; a showman forever boasting about things he has never done, and promising to do things he never will.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/10/16/opinion/donald-trump-worst-president.html

TOBE NWIGWE | TRY JESUS

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12-year-old genius recruited by Georgia Tech

This NEW Biden-Harris ad featuring 14 Black mayors from across the country is straight fire!! 🔥🔥🔥 #BlackLivesMatter #BidenHarris2020 pic.twitter.com/qMlWUUoCVo

— ✊🏾 ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER ✊🏾 (@flywithkamala) October 10, 2020

 

Architecture in Black

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

MEET THE BLACK WOMAN BEHIND ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S FEW BLACK-OWNED ARCHITECTURE FIRMS

by Dana Givens

Image via Purpose Brands

Architecture is an extremely difficult field to enter, especially for people of color. In a 2018 report from the National Council of Architectural Registration Board, nonwhite architecture professionals are 25% more likely to stop pursuing licensure with a nonwhite professional representing 45% of participants in the Architectural Experience Program. Black women are an even smaller margin when it comes to diversity within the sector. One woman decided to take her savings to start her career in architecture and is now celebrating 30 years in the business.

Deryl McKissack is the owner of McKissack & McKissack, a firm responsible for overseeing construction projects including the Obama Presidential Center, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Lincoln, and several Martin Luther King, Jr. memorials. In an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE, McKissack shares her story about getting into the architecture field and the importance of diversity in the sector.

BE: What inspired you to get into architecture?

McKissack: Architecture was in my blood. I’m the fifth generation in our family to go into the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) business. My great-great-grandfather, a freed slave, was a builder, as was his son, my great-grandfather. His son, my grandfather, was the first Black registered architect in Tennessee. And my father, also a registered architect, would take me and my twin sister to work with him when we were 6, prop us up on his drawing boards and teach us how to draw details, do schedules, use Leroy lettering, make legends, and everything else. By the time we were 13, he was using our drawings.

My sister and I both went to Howard University on academic scholarships as double-majors in architecture and engineering. But I was more drawn to the practical side of things—how buildings work—and eventually made engineering my major. After I graduated, I went to work at an engineering firm.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/meet-the-black-woman-behind-the-countrys-few-black-owned-architecture-firm/

To Be Young, Gifted & Black 2

 An excerpt from the Root - 

Thanks to This 16-Year-Old Author, Black Girls at Predominantly White Schools Are Telling Their Stories

By Janelle Harris Dixon

Image: LifeSlice Media, Photo: Courtesy of Olivia V.G. Clarke

If you’ve never been Black surrounded by a constant overwhelm of White—at school, your place of work, in your neighborhood—just know there can never be enough memoirs, screenplays, or comedies to exhaust the complex experience. You are ever a racial ambassador, an explainer of non-white culturisms, a human Google for thoughtless questions, a pioneering barrier-breaker of beliefs about what Black people do and don’t do. (Once when I was pseudo-swimming in a friend’s backyard pool, a white woman gasped as I adjusted my bathing suit straps and exclaimed, “I didn’t know Black people got tanned!”)

Sixteen-year-old Olivia V.G. Clarke has lived the experience. A graduating senior at Columbus School for Girls, a predominantly white institution in Columbus, Ohio, she’s spent seven of her formative years navigating racial politics. The idea to write about it hit her when she was walking home with her mom.

“I said, ‘how cool would it be to have a book to help other [Black] girls in predominantly white institutions, who either go to one or graduated or are preparing to go? And just have stories, anecdotes and poems to help them feel supported?”

Black Girl, White School: Thriving, Surviving and No, You Can’t Touch My Hair, a 123-page anthology of poems, essays and reflections from contributors ranging from middle-school age to college students, is the creative dividend of that conversation. To represent a range of experiences, Clarke posted a call for writers on social media, reached out to friends and her parents’ friends, and girls she’d met in school, camps and other activities.

https://theglowup.theroot.com/thanks-to-this-16-year-old-author-black-girls-at-predo-1845323110

From Janitor to Nurse Practitioner

 An excerpt from Goalcast - 

Woman Becomes Nurse Practitioner At The Same Hospital She Used To Clean

By Kawter

Achieving your dreams has no age limit, but sometimes, life gets in the way and we forget just how possible it is. That’s why stories of real life people who overcame all odds to achieve their goals are a strong reminders that we can do it, no matter what.

Such is the story of Jaines Andrades, who in 10 years, went from custodian to nurse practitioner in the very same hospital she used to clean at.

https://www.goalcast.com/2020/10/08/woman-becomes-nurse-practitioner-at-the-same-hospital-she-used-to-clean/

When A 70s/80s Song Comes On

Young, Gifted & Black

 An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

THIS 12-YEAR OLD JUST STARTED HIS 2ND YEAR IN COLLEGE, MAJORING IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

image: BlackBusiness.com

Caleb Anderson, a 12-year old gifted boy from Georgia, has already finished his first year in college and has just started his second year. He is majoring in Aerospace Engineering at Chattahoochee Technical College.

Caleb was just 9-months old when he learned to sign more than 250 words. He eventually learned to speak and read when he turned 11-months old. Aside from the English language, he also learned Spanish, French, and Mandarin.

Caleb’s parents, Claire and Kobi, knew he was special and has been very supportive of him ever since.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/this-12-year-old-just-started-his-2nd-year-in-college-majoring-in-aerospace-engineering/

A Generous Class Act

 An excerpt from ESPN - 

Houston Rockets' Russell Westbrook leaves $8,000 tip for bubble hotel staff, per report

On his way out of the NBA bubble, Rockets star Russell Westbrook left the housekeepers at the Grand Floridian hotel an $8,000 tip, the Dallas Morning News reported.

By Royce Young

On his way out of the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook wanted to show his appreciation for the housekeepers of the Grand Floridian hotel, and he did it with an $8,000 tip, according to the Dallas Morning News.

"They took great care of us," Westbrook told Bleacher Report, confirming the tip. "Took the time and energy to do their job at a high level. That was the right thing. I like to do the right thing."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30056301/houston-rockets-russell-westbrook-leaves-8000-tip-bubble-hotel-staff-per-report

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View this post on Instagram

Things that happen with online school. 🙄😁 #hedgerhumor #humor #lol #lifemoments #webcomic #cartoon #comic #illustration #kids #parenting #parenthood #parentingmemes #school #onlineschool #momlife #elearning

A post shared by Hedger Humor (@adriennehedger) on Sep 21, 2020 at 8:02am PDT

 

Nuggets of Truth

 From Buzzfeed - 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/industry-secrets-reddit

Misty (Solo Jazz Guitar)

A Family Photo at the Door

 An excerpt from the Washington Post - 

I keep a family photo at my front door. It’ll stay there until toxic attitudes toward Black lives go away.

Opinion by Michele L. Norris

I keep a framed family photo next to my front door, positioned on a table, so you see it as soon as you enter. It captures a moment of joy while on vacation. We’re leaning on each other, smiling wide. Family Strong.

I keep that picture by the entry in case police ever enter my home, they know that the people in that photo belong in the house where they live.

That paragraph you just read is a litmus test. Some of you will read these words and wonder, “Why would she ever do that?”

But some of you will read this and nod your head in recognition. Or perhaps conclude, “Maybe I should do that, too.”

Those of us in that second category are not worried about police entering our home because we’re engaged in criminal behavior. We worry — actually, we know, that we could be seen as criminals or intruders in our own homes even if we consistently and even obsessively live by the rules. A steady stream of raids-gone-wrong buttresses those fears and yet it goes far beyond all that.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-keep-a-family-photo-at-my-front-door-itll-stay-there-until-toxic-attitudes-toward-black-lives-go-away/2020/09/28/0e9027fe-01bb-11eb-a2db-417cddf4816a_story.html

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Swearing Birds

An excerpt from CNN - 

Parrots in wildlife park moved after swearing at visitors

By Rob Picheta

London (CNN) — Five parrots have been removed from public view at a British wildlife park after they started swearing at customers.

The foul-mouthed birds were split up after they launched a number of different expletives at visitors and staff just days after being donated to Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in eastern England.

"It just went ballistic, they were all swearing," the venue's chief executive Steve Nichols told CNN Travel on Tuesday. "We were a little concerned about the children."

"I get called a fat t**t every time I walk past," Nichols complained.

The African grey parrots -- named Eric, Jade, Elsie, Tyson and Billy -- were given to the park from five different owners within the same week, and shared a quarantining facility together before being placed on display.

But staff immediately noticed that the birds shared a propensity to fly off the handle.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/swearing-parrots-moved-park-scli-gbr-intl/index.html 

9/21/20

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Is Racism the Reason?

 An excerpt from Deadspin - 

Racism is Why Your Favorite Team Might Have Drafted a Sorry White Quarterback

By Carron J. Phillips

This is not a story about Black quarterbacks.

It’s a story about how your favorite team may have a mediocre, on his best day, white quarterback because your general manager drafted him over the really good Black quarterback you could have had.

Life is all about decisions.

When Deshaun Watson signed his four-year, $177.54 million deal on Saturday, with over $111 million guaranteed, it meant that, for now, no one in the NFL will make more than him over the next four years.

That led to Field Yates dropping these staggering numbers in this tweet.

The highest-paid QB in the NFL on average money per new year:
1. Patrick Mahomes: $45M
2. Deshaun Watson: $39M
3. Russell Wilson: $35M
4. Ben Roethlisberger: $34M
T-5. Aaron Rodgers: $33.5M
T-5. Jared Goff: $33.5M

Due to be paid soon QBs include: Lamar Jackson & Dak Prescott.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 5, 2020

Of the six highest-paid quarterbacks on average money per year, the top three are all Black, and the list doesn’t even include the large paydays that Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott are headed for.

But this isn’t about the Haves. It’s about the Have Nots.

Here’s a look at some of the franchises that blew it all because they wanted basic white guys to lead their teams instead of the Black quarterbacks that are rolling in the dough.

https://deadspin.com/racism-is-why-your-favorite-team-might-have-drafted-a-s-1844970698

Black-Owned Bulletproof Vests

 From Black Enterprise - 

BLACK-OWNED LINE OF BULLETPROOF VESTS FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN SEES 400% INCREASE IN SALES

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

Thyk Skynn, a Black-owned line of fashionable bulletproof vests for men, women, and children, has seen a nearly 400 percent increase in sales over the past few weeks as Americans continue to grow concerned about their protection from police shootings and other random acts of violence.

Mike Tyree, the founder and CEO of Thyk Skynn, was a police officer in the city of Atlanta for 9 years. He says he left his career and decided to start the business to give innocent people a safe way to peacefully protect themselves.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-owned-line-of-bulletproof-vests-for-adults-and-children-sees-400-increase-in-sales/

For more information about Thyk Skynn, visit www.thykskynn.com or follow the brand on Instagram @ThykSkynn

Young, Black, and Rich

From Women's Health Magazine - 

'Black Girl Sunscreen' Founder Shontay Lundy Became A Self-Made Millionaire By Taking Risks.  But she doesn’t do 7 a.m. meetings.

BY SHONTAY LUNDY, AS TOLD TO ALEXIS JONES

I'm Shontay Lundy, the founder of Black Girl Sunscreen, and I'm a millionaire—a title I never considered possible for myself.

I was born in the small town of Newburgh, New York. Today, it's one of those places that people from the city migrate to because you get more for your dollar. And it's undergoing gentrification. But when I was a kid in the 1980s, there was a lot of drug use and limited job opportunities in my hometown. If you were really doing something for yourself, you were taking the metro to Manhattan to work a better-paying 9-to-5.

I grew up having to work for whatever I wanted. I was raised part-time by my grandparents (my parents were both in the military). Eventually, I became the oldest of six kids, though the only child between the two of my parents. My mom and dad divorced and had children with their new spouses after they both came out of the service. Our age gaps span from a year and a half to 13 years.

Now, when I think about the meaning of leadership as a company founder, I realize this experience really groomed me from a young age to lead by example. I wasn't afraid to be the first or take risks.

I got my first real job running a paper route at 15 years old. I took pride in it. I'd get up at 4 a.m. every day and make sure the paper arrived at my customers' homes dry and secure. This job paid for things my parents or grandparents couldn't afford—like a landline for my room. But it wasn't part of my career goals.

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a33758806/millionaire-shontay-lundy-black-girl-sunscreen/

Black Boys | Official Trailer | Peacock

Dog Goes to School

rudy goes to doggy school every day on a bus and he loves it
(jukin copyright management) pic.twitter.com/SuIO0I6XMT

— Humor And Animals (@humorandanimals) September 10, 2020

 

A Powerful Message

 From David Brooks - 

“It occurred to me that there were two sets of virtues, the résumé virtues and the eulogy virtues. The résumé virtues are the skills you bring to the marketplace. The eulogy virtues are the ones that are talked about at your funeral — whether you were kind, brave, honest or faithful. Were you capable of deep love? We all know that the eulogy virtues are more important than the résumé ones. But our culture and our educational systems spend more time teaching the skills and strategies you need for career success than the qualities you need to radiate that sort of inner light. Many of us are clearer on how to build an external career than on how to build inner character.”

― David Brooks, The Road to Character

BREAKING NEWS: The@MiamiDolphins players will stay inside for both national anthems. They express their discontentment with what they call “fluff and empty gestures” by the @NFL pic.twitter.com/ghUktHhPt9

— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) September 10, 2020

 

funny monkey telling secrets @memes

When Hispanic Families visit you at the Hospital. �� #TeamLeJuan

A SIMPLE explanation of the Simple Hybrid Model.

Chadwick Boseman

 https://hypebeast.com/2020/9/marvel-chadwick-boseman-official-tribute-art-black-panther-2-potential-recasting

Doc

Famous Recipes

 From the Food Network - 

Copy That! Secret Restaurant Recipes

Make your favorite chain restaurant dishes at home with these copycat recipes, created by Food Network Magazine.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/copy-that-secret-restaurant-recipes

A Class Act

This is the first message Chadwick Boseman sent to my son in 2017. He had already been diagnosed with colon cancer, unknown to anyone. Amazing. 🙏🏾💜✊🏾😭 pic.twitter.com/2Tb4V2O8bN

— Brian Hammond (@_Bro_Hamm_) August 29, 2020

Hanging Tree Guitars

 From the Bitter Southerner - 

Freeman Vines: Hanging Tree Guitars

https://bsgeneralstore.com/products/hanging-tree-guitars?utm_source=The+Bitter+News&utm_campaign=d78a45fc20-2020_09_01_HOUSE_THAT_CARVING_BUILT&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8269ec3593-d78a45fc20-92175213&goal=0_8269ec3593-d78a45fc20-92175213&mc_cid=d78a45fc20&mc_eid=0b6dd8ed2d

How to Vote in Every State

 From Slate - 

The Best Way to Vote in Every State

An extremely comprehensive guide to making sure your ballot gets counted, no matter where in America you live.

By MOLLY OLMSTEAD and MARK JOSEPH STERN

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/2020-voting-guide.html

The Marines Have a Problem

 An excerpt from the NY Times - 

The Few, the Proud, the White: The Marine Corps Balks at Promoting Generals of Color

A respected, combat-tested Black colonel has been passed over three times for promotion to brigadier general. What does his fate say about the Corps?

By Helene Cooper

WASHINGTON — All things being equal, Col. Anthony Henderson has the military background that the Marine Corps says it prizes in a general: multiple combat tours, leadership experience and the respect of those he commanded and most who commanded him.

Yet three times he has been passed over for brigadier general, a prominent one-star rank that would put Colonel Henderson on the path to the top tier of Marine Corps leadership. Last year, the Navy secretary, Richard V. Spencer, even added a handwritten recommendation to Colonel Henderson’s candidacy: “Eminently qualified Marine we need now as BG,” he wrote.

But never in its history has the Marine Corps had anyone other than a white man in its most senior leadership posts. Colonel Henderson is Black.

“Tony Henderson has done everything you could do in the Marines except get a hand salute from Jesus Christ himself,” said Milton D. Whitfield Sr., a former Marine gunnery sergeant who served for 21 years.

Proud and fierce in their identity, the Marines have a singular race problem that critics say is rooted in decades of resistance to change. As the nation reels this summer from protests challenging centuries-long perceptions of race, the Marines — who have long cultivated a reputation as the United States’ strongest fighting force — remain an institution where a handful of white men rule over 185,000 white, African-American, Hispanic and Asian men and women.

“It took an act of Congress last year to get them to integrate by gender at the platoon level,” said Representative Anthony G. Brown, Democrat of Maryland and a former Army helicopter pilot. “And now they continue to hold onto that 1950s vision of who Marines are.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/us/politics/marines-race-general.html

Mama Said

An excerpt from Bored Panda - 

Indian Mom Goes Viral After Son Convinces Her To Put Her Worldly Wisdom On Signs And Share It On IG (30 Pics) 

By Jonas Grinevičius and Ilona Baliūnaitė

The world really needs more heartwarming people like Poonam Sapra and her son Pranav. Especially in 2020. Together, the mother-son duo from India runs the ‘Mother With Sign’ Instagram page. They post photos of Poonam holding up signs with wholesome, relatable, and humorous motherly advice for living a good, healthy, and happy life.

They started the page 8 months ago and, since then, they’ve gained a whopping 108k followers. What’s more, they even got the attention of the Humans of Bombay IG account that has over 1.1 million avid fans. Poonam and Pranav’s content is nearly universal because the world’s filled with moms who constantly give out helpful advice.

https://www.boredpanda.com/mother-with-sign-poonam-sapra/

 

Trevor on Race in America - Between the Scenes | The Daily Show

Black Jeopardy with Chadwick Boseman - SNL

Chadwick Boseman: Being The Hero In Your Own Story | The Daily Show

Just A Minute

 “I only have a minute.

Sixty seconds in it.

Forced upon me, I did not choose it,

But I know that I must use it.

Give account if I abuse it.

Suffer, if I lose it.

Only a tiny little minute,

But eternity is in it.”

- Dr. Benjamin E. Mays

Family says home's appraised value soared after they removed all traces ...

"I Wish I Dried Up"

 An excerpt from Upworthy - 

It's Black Breastfeeding Week. Wondering why? One gut-wrenching poem says it all.

"I wish I dried up..."

By Annie Reneau

It's Black Breastfeeding Week, a week set aside in the U.S. to celebrate and encourage Black breastfeeding parents.

Some may wonder why such a week is necessary. After all, that's a pretty narrow niche, isn't it? Aren't Black moms included in all breastfeeding awareness and education campaigns? Is there something special about Black people breastfeeding?

The answer is yes, there is something unique about Black breastfeeding. Several somethings, actually, but one reason for Black Breastfeeding Week is summed up in a gut-wrenching poem by feminist author Hess Love.

"I wish I dried up

I wish every drop of my milk slipped passed those pink lips and nourished the ground

Where the bones lay

Of my babies

Starved while I feed their murderer

I wish I dried up

So the missus babies would dry up too

And be brittle

So I could crumble them to dust

Return them to the ground

Where all children of my bosom lay equal"

- Hess Love

https://www.upworthy.com/its-black-breastfeeding-week-if-you-wonder-why-this-gut-punching-poem-offers-one-reason

Best Books by Black Authors

 From Cosmopolitan - 

The Best Books by Black Authors to Add to Your Bookshelf Right Now

Not an anti-racist reading list.

by PAULINA JAYNE ISAAC

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/books/g33625689/best-books-black-authors/

Meals Served With Love, No Prices

 From Black Enterprise -

BLACK-OWNED FAMILY-STYLE RESTAURANT IN ALABAMA HAS NO PRICES AND FEEDS ANYONE WHO IS HUNGRY

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

The founders of Drexell & Honeybee’s, a Black-owned family-style restaurant in Brewton, Alabama, are gaining national attention because they serve meals with no prices. The donation-only restaurant does not use cash registers and also feeds everyone – including those who don’t have anything to pay.

Every lunchtime from Tuesday to Thursday, husband and wife team, Freddie and Lisa Thomas-McMillan, are busy serving hungry people with soul food and Southern dishes from their daily-changing menu such as fried chicken, cornbread, and collard greens.

Everyone who comes to the restaurant doesn’t have to worry about the payment because they can leave a handful of coins, a generous donation, or even just a thank-you note. The owners then use 100% of the donations for the operational costs of feeding the hungry so they don’t really profit from it.

Still, the McMillans continue serving people from all walks of life in exchange of the joy that they get from all of it. They say there’s real joy whenever people leave their restaurant “with a full stomach, a full heart, and the understanding that you are loved and worthy of love.”

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-owned-family-style-restaurant-in-alabama-has-no-prices-and-feeds-anyone-who-is-hungry/

https://www.drexellandhoneybees.com/

Pharrell Williams - Entrepreneur (Official Video) ft. JAY-Z

Stick with this.  It has a POWERFUL MESSAGE!

How I Deal With Kids Playing in My Driveway | The Saga of My Driveway Ra...

Club Cardinal - Launch Video

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/stanford-university-students-flock-to-virtual-campus-180975675/

BLM Poster Not Welcome Here

An excerpt from Upworthy - 

Texas teacher placed on leave after parents complained about her virtual 'Black Lives Matter' poster

By Tod Perry

Via Change.org

Taylor Lifka, a 25-year-old English teacher at Roma High School in Roma, Texas, wanted to create an inclusive environment for her online classes this school year.

So she created a virtual background with posters that read: "Black Lives Matter," "Amiga, tu lucha es mi lucha," (Your struggle is my struggle) and "Diverse, Inclusive, Accepting, Welcoming, Safe Space for Everyone" in rainbow colors.

Before the first day of school, she asked her incoming students to put their names and preferred pronouns in the chat box on the digital chalkboard. Then, she posted a screenshot of her classroom on her social media.

Some parents complained about the inclusive posters to the principal.

"My assistant principal told me, 'Please take the posters down.' I guess once that happened, I knew that it might be a rocky road, but considering being put on leave? I never really thought that that was going to be their first step," Lifka told The Texas Tribune.

https://www.upworthy.com/texas-teacher-placed-leave-after-parents-complained-about-her-black-lives-matter-poster

Comply or Die

"Comply or die. That is the only thing we're able to tell our young Black sons."@MariaTaylor shared what her father, who was in the FBI, told her brother about interacting with police. pic.twitter.com/VDJukqNSWr

— ESPN (@espn) August 28, 2020

Why Did the Police Shoot Jacob Blake? | The Daily Social Distancing Show

Summer Headstones

I just got pulled over and for the first time i watched a white women record my whole traffic stop . pic.twitter.com/BolkS8K9rj

— The Mad King (@Kingkeraun) August 3, 2020

White Privilege Explained

What is white privilege?

We asked @JohnAmaechi, psychologist, best-selling author and former NBA basketball player to explain it for us.

👉 https://t.co/t7LIENTnPn pic.twitter.com/mQrYX6Y0N1

— BBC Bitesize (@bbcbitesize) August 5, 2020

You Can't Stop Us | Nike

President Barack Obama eulogy at John Lewis funeral

Freedom Riders - PBS

https://www.pbs.org/video/american-experience-freedom-riders-preview/

Our Marching Orders

From the New York Times - 

When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide. - John Lewis 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/opinion/john-lewis-civil-rights-america.html

Lloyd & Jimmy | Yellowstone | Paramount Network

Amazon's Ex-Wife Makes Big Donation to HBCUs

An excerpt from CNN - 

These historically Black universities just got their biggest ever financial gifts all thanks to one generous donor

By Alicia Lee

(CNN)Four historically Black colleges and universities announced that they have each received the largest single donation in their long-standing history.

The generous donor?

MacKenzie Scott, formerly Bezos.

Howard University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Hampton University and Tuskegee University all announced on Tuesday that they had been gifted record donations.

Howard, which received $40 million, Hampton, $30 million, and Tuskegee, $20 million, revealed that their donations had come from Scott, the author and philanthropist who divorced from Amazon's Jeff Bezos last year.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/29/us/hbcus-largest-donation-history-mackenzie-scott-trnd/index.html

White Christians Mostly Silent

An excerpt from NPR - 

American Christianity Must Reckon With Legacy Of White Supremacy, Author Says

Heard on Fresh Air with Terry Gross

In his new book, White Too Long, Jones examines the legacy of white supremacy among Southern Baptists and other Christian denominations.

Jones says the Southern Baptist Convention tends to focus on each individual's interior relationship with God — and "essentially screens out questions of social justice."

"I cannot remember a single sermon calling attention to racial inequality, racial injustice [or] the struggle for civil rights," he says.

As the U.S. begins to grapple more seriously with issues of racism and white supremacy, Jones says the time has come for churches to be more in vocal about social justice.

"There's so much work still to be done," he says. "White Christians have been largely silent ... and have hardly begun these conversations."

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/30/896712611/american-christianity-must-reckon-with-legacy-of-white-supremacy-author-says?ft=nprml&f=1001

Hate is Real

The man in this video who dealt with all the hate is @robblissgr https://t.co/8kx4fmhCgO

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) July 30, 2020

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie

From Bon Appetit - 

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/salted-pbandj-ice-cream-pie