6 Black Miss Americas Reunite

An excerpt from People - 

6 Black Miss Americas Gather for the First Time and Reflect on Winning: 'Grateful to Be Part of History' 

All of the previous Black Miss Americas were honored at this year's National Urban League Conference's Women of Power Awards

By David Chiu

Six Black Miss Americas reunite for the first time. Photo: Jared Lyons/National Urban League

History was made at this year’s National Urban League Conference’s Women of Power Awards luncheon on Thursday, July 25, when six of the nine Black Miss Americas gathered for the first time as part of a special tribute. 

Held in New Orleans on its 20th anniversary, the Women of Power Awards, hosted by CBS News national correspondent Michelle Miller, honored all the nine Miss America winners. They include Vanessa Williams (1984), Dr. Debbye Turner Bell (1990); Kimberly Aiken Cockerham (1994); Erika Harold (2003); Ericka Dunlap (2004); Caressa Cameron-Jackson (2010) and Nia Franklin (2019).

Williams, the first Black woman to win the Miss America crown four decades ago, wasn’t physically present at the awards ceremony because she is currently in the U.K. for her role in the upcoming stage musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada.

Despite not being present physically, she delivered a video message expressing gratitude for the honor bestowed on her and her Miss America colleagues.

https://people.com/6-black-miss-americas-gather-for-the-first-time-reflect-on-winning-8684660

Gotta Love Vinny

 

Needed this laugh….amazing story 🤣 and it’s so Jersey pic.twitter.com/875KgVGw3a

— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) July 26, 2024

https://x.com/wutangkids/status/1816629877316944026?s=51&t=oAqSVbyKyZJD4ZXw2lq-WQ 

Today is a Gift

 

This line hits different 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/lY1eRsmSMx

— UpSkillYourLife (@UpSkillYourLife) July 26, 2024

https://x.com/upskillyourlife/status/1816730169308028984?s=51&t=oAqSVbyKyZJD4ZXw2lq-W 

How History is Recorded

 

“You don't expect the people who came to invade us to write the truth about us.” ~ Miriam Makeba #WakeUpEverybody✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/fvN7Rfxqj0

— Mzilikazi wa Afrika (@IamMzilikazi) July 27, 2024

https://x.com/iammzilikazi/status/1817105530319421820?s=51&t=oAqSVbyKyZJD4ZXw2lq-WQ

 

Zooming For Kamala

 

If White Women coalesce, organize, and vote for VP, KAMALA HARRIS WINS IN A LANDSLIDE and it’s not even close!!! pic.twitter.com/e2ebuzKT9n

— Brian Baez (@MentallyDivine) July 26, 2024

https://publish.twitter.com/?query=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FMentallyDivine%2Fstatus%2F1816660440664908044&widget=Video 

Beyonce introduces Team USA, from Simone Biles to Noah Lyles | Paris Oly...

https://youtu.be/wa7HpWw7DEk?si=mnLzBLD9aSHA7jpI

Brad is Awarded Performance Of The Night At The Final Concert | The Pian...

https://youtu.be/wPjszYk9-hA?si=_rLejC1mHHg8Dd8D

The Last Black Boarding School

An excerpt from Elle - 

The Last Black Boarding School

Piney Woods—the oldest of four remaining historically Black boarding schools in the United States—provides something rare for its students: a safe space to learn.

By Danielle Prescod

Protecting the legacy of Black education in America is a time-honored form of resistance. Established in 1909, The Piney Woods School is the oldest of just four remaining historically Black boarding schools in the United States. Twenty-one miles outside of Jackson, Mississippi, on 2,000 acres of land, 15 very distinct buildings with signature red roofs break through the uniformity of the lush green landscape. Mississippi’s only amphitheater is the graduation stage for a small class of 21 students who wait to shake hands with faculty before crossing over the threshold to college. The aged stones set firmly in the ground serve as a reminder that this place is established and firmly rooted. This is why a by-the-numbers overview hardly captures the essence of this sacred institution, a physical representation of the enduring importance of education.

Initially, these Black institutions became a bulwark against systemic injustices like segregation or the outright denial of access to education for many Black Americans. Black schools made thinking, imagining, and creating possible. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) like Howard, Spelman, and Morehouse are names that are easily recognized. Their marching bands and sports teams and homecoming celebrations are traditions that span generations. But a Black boarding school? Most people don’t even know they exist. After all, these secondary schools have been significantly less publicized than colleges and universities. But given the crucial development that happens before the age of 18, they are equally as important, if not more so.

The benefits of attending Piney Woods are also why a lot of Black students opt for HBCUs—namely, they are a safe space. Aside from that, rigorous academic and behavioral standards help to mold students into the best versions of themselves. Black institutions can teach the banned material. They are not going to sugarcoat the history of the slave trade or mince words about white supremacy. They are the anti-PragerU, the school learning materials designed to hijack history with rewrites that combat critical race theory. That’s part of the reason that Piney Woods students Taimya and Takira Adams, a graduating senior and rising junior respectively, ended up at the school. Taimya, the class of 2024’s valedictorian, requested that her mother send her to Piney Woods after several incidents at her predominately white school made her question the material she was being taught. “In fifth grade, I had an English teacher insinuate that slaves chose to be slaves—that they would rather be slaves than be free or go out and work on their own,” she says. As the daughter of a political advocate and outreach coordinator, Taimya knew that what she was hearing was wrong, but she did not possess the deft language to express what she wanted to say. Instead, she asked to go to a different kind of school, one that her aunt had attended and always talked about, one where there were Black kids and Black teachers. So she enrolled at Piney Woods. Now, she says, “I feel like I’m going to go out into the world knowing who I am, where I come from, and the history of my people in this country.”

https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a61146049/piney-woods-boarding-school-legacy/

How About Adding a Layover?

An excerpt from Afar.com - 

6 Places You Can Visit for (Almost) Free on a Stopover Flight

Airline stopover programs provide a great, affordable way to extend your trip and visit an additional destination. Here’s how to see two countries for the price of one. 

By Bailey Berg

Heading to Europe? Why not stop in Lisbon, Portugal,
en route to your final destination when flying with TAP Air Portugal?
Photo by Diego Garcia/Unsplash

Often, when you’re traveling from one country to another on a connecting flight, the time spent in the connecting hub feels a bit like being lost in a no-man’s-land of travel—neither here, nor there. However, a growing number of airlines are working to reshape travelers’ relationships with extra-long layovers.

In recent years, more carriers have started offering airline stopover programs that encourage travelers to explore additional destinations along their journey, spending between 24 hours and 10 days (depending on the program) in a locale without incurring additional airfare charges. It’s a more extended break in the itinerary than a layover, which generally refers to a relatively short stop between connecting flights. Stopovers are typically free to schedule and often include complimentary or heavily discounted hotel stays and on-ground transit. It’s an opportunity for the airline to direct more tourism dollars to a capital city or flagship country and offer travelers the opportunity to visit multiple destinations for (more or less) the price of one.

Here are six of the best airline stopover programs to help extend your vacation.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Take a detour to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
in Abu Dhabi.Photo by Katerina Kerdi/Unsplash

Those transiting through Abu Dhabi can opt to stay in the capital of the United Arab Emirates for a spell with Etihad Airways’ stopover program.

Travelers transiting through Etihad’s home base can choose a complimentary one- or two-night stay at various three-, four-, and even five-star hotels across the capital city. Some of the luxury options include the Shangri La Qaryat Al Beri, Bab Al Qasr, and the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Residences Emirates Pearl. You can find the full spread of hotel options on Etihad’s stopover page.

Other perks of the program include up to 30 percent off dining at select restaurants (many of which are within the hotels offered through the program) and free tickets to attractions like the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, and Saadiyat Island. There is also a free shuttle service that connects travelers to the various sites.

The program is only available to those who book directly through Etihad’s website. To be eligible, you must book at least three days before you arrive in the Persian Gulf city. Other stipulations include a handful of blackout periods (including November 3 through 8, December 5 through 8, and December 23 through January 2), and the offer is only valid in one direction (so you can’t score a free stay on both your away and return tickets).

Reykjavík, Iceland

Spending some time in the utterly charming city of Reykjavík, Iceland.
Photo by Annie Spratt/Unsplash

Icelandair is credited as the pioneer of the free airline stopover; it has been offering some iteration of the program since the early 1960s, which greatly helped increase tourism to the land of fire and ice.

The current program allows travelers to book a stopover in Reykjavík, Iceland, for one to seven days at no additional cost. All you have to do is select the “Stopover in Iceland” option and input how many days you’d like to stay when booking your ticket. It’s particularly useful for flights between the United States and mainland Europe.

Unlike some other destinations, Icelandair’s program doesn’t offer free or discounted accommodation or transportation, so be sure to factor travel within the country into your costs. However, it is possible to book some tours (like an abbreviated Golden Circle tour, where guests can visit Gullfoss waterfall and the Geysir geothermal area, two of Iceland’s most famous natural wonders) directly through the airline.

https://www.afar.com/magazine/a-guide-to-airline-stopover-programs

Classic Bill Withers

An excerpt from AmericanSongwriter.com - 

3 Eternal Songs by Bill Withers that Have Stood the Test of Time

by Jacob Uitti

Bill Withers was the essence of simplicity. His songs were tight, compact, and illustrious. Like a little box that opened up into a world of color and poetry, his songs knew how to implore and explode all at the same time. And along the way, the Slab Fork, West Virginia-born songwriter and smooth-voiced performer released several songs that have since stood the test of time.

Withers, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 81, composed songs people still put on today in order to feel something. Whether that’s joy, pain, sorrow, or the concept of community, what he did for music listeners will continue to last well into the future. Here below, we wanted to dive into three songs he wrote that remain iconic. Indeed, here below are a trio of eternal songs by the artist.

https://youtu.be/bEeaS6fuUoA?si=IO-hWyXxHokbDoqo

https://youtu.be/fOZ-MySzAac?si=5S_6fG-Ftuhcai-T

https://youtu.be/CICIOJqEb5c?si=E8_ZXoKJC04UQci-

Do you agree with these choices? Where's "Grandma's Hands?" Check out the link to the article and see why these were chosen.

https://americansongwriter.com/3-eternal-songs-by-bill-withers/

Why Flying Is So Terrible Even As Airlines Spend Billions | Big Business

https://youtu.be/MhhJuDap4CU?si=dP1S8kFTfqLSuoSN

CIA Honors Harriet Tubman As Model Spy With Statue

https://youtu.be/hdIo56gyTnM?si=VSJS-41bBvpTbp2H

CIA's First Black Spymaster

An excerpt from NBC News - 

George Hocker broke through barriers as one of the CIA’s first Black spymasters

After witnessing Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Hocker decided he wasn't "going to let discrimination define me, and I was going to be a Black spy for my country.”

By Dan De Luce

George Hocker, left, with Robert Gates, former director of the CIA
and secretary of defense.CIA Archive

When George Hocker underwent a grueling training course to become a CIA spy, much of America was still segregated. That meant Hocker, as a Black man, could not go to restaurants in Virginia to meet with agency instructors playing the part of foreign informants.

Different exercises had to be developed for Hocker. “I had to have car meetings, whereas my classmates could go and have a nice meal in a restaurant,” he said.

Out of a class of 75, Hocker was the only Black person. He passed the course and went on to blaze a trail as one of the Central Intelligence Agency’s first Black clandestine officers, the first to open a CIA station abroad and the first to lead a branch inside the Directorate of Operations.

Hocker’s pioneering experience at the spy agency — along with a small number of other African Americans who joined in the 1960s — has been largely overlooked until recently, partly due to the secrecy that requires most CIA officers to serve in anonymity.

But the agency recently installed an exhibit dedicated to Hocker at its museum at CIA headquarters, and interviewed him on its official podcast. And he is now writing a memoir, saying he wants to pass on the lessons he learned as a “Black spymaster” about resilience and determination.

n an interview with NBC News, Hocker, 84, described the discrimination he faced throughout his career and his sometimes harrowing missions overseas.

After starting out in the CIA’s records department in 1957 while a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Hocker was later promoted to be an analyst at the CIA. But he was apprehensive about signing up for the spy training course.

Seeing no African American role models at the agency, he planned to leave for the Labor Department to work as economist.

“I had pretty much decided that this was not a place where I wanted to try to make a career,” he said.

Then Hocker attended the historic 1963 March on Washington, where he stood only 100 yards away as Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. He was deeply affected by what he saw and heard that day, including seeing Black and white Americans walking together peacefully, in common cause.

Hocker said it was “a defining moment for me, and I decided that I wasn’t going to let bigotry and discrimination define me, and that I was going to be a Black spy for my country.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/george-hocker-cia-first-black-spy-spymasters-rcna160148

Military Trick to Cool Down in Minutes

An excerpt from Upworthy - 

Here’s a military trick that can help you cool down in minutes, even in scorching heat

It's cheap, fast and effective.

Tod Perry

With temperatures rising worldwide, it's essential to know how to stay cool by reducing your body heat. It’s important to keep hydrated and wear breathable clothing, but if you want to cool off quickly, the military has a trick to reduce body temperature in minutes.

According to a CBS report, research shows that submerging your forearms and biceps in ice-cold water can help prevent overheating. That’s why the military uses arm immersion tables when training in hot weather or stationed in places where the heat is unbearable and it's impossible to get to an air-conditioned room.

"It's low-tech, it's inexpensive, it's easy to implement," Lt. Col. Dave DeGroot, who runs the Army Heat Center at Fort Moore, told CBS. "It's a bucket of water." Arm immersion tables are long, narrow troughs filled with ice-cold water that stand on four legs.

To cool down, soldiers place their hands, arms, and wrists in the cold water for 3 to 5 minutes. Then, they raise their arms above their heads. This allows cooled blood to circulate throughout the body, lowering its temperature. It also allows the water to drip down their arms, cooling their core from the outside.

Arm immersion! Participating and observing every POI helps effectively plan, resource and implement training. #RockSteady #Brave&Bold #ItWasCold!!!! #GAHeat pic.twitter.com/QrCyQ6i8PL

— Dysha Harrison (@BarcliffDysha) June 17, 2022

https://www.upworthy.com/heres-a-military-trick-that-can-help-you-cool-down-in-minutes-even-in-scorching-heat 

One Stop Shopping: Groceries & Ammunition in Vending Machines

An excerpt from Newsweek - 

Ammunition Vending Machines Appear in Grocery Stores

By Alia Shoaib

A vending machine stocked with ammunition
produced by company American Rounds.
American Rounds

Vending machines stocked with ammunition have been installed in several grocery stores across the United States.

The machines are made by American Rounds and allow customers over the age of 21 to buy ammunition with the same ease as using an ATM, the company says.

"Our automated ammo dispensers are accessible 24/7, ensuring that you can buy ammunition on your own schedule, free from the constraints of store hours and long lines," American Rounds says on its website.

The company says that their vending machines have "built-in AI technology, card scanning capability and facial recognition software."

The software can verify the buyer's identity and determine whether the machine matches the identification scanned, according to American Rounds.

The CEO of American Rounds, Grant Magers, told Newsweek that there are eight machines installed or in the process of being installed across four states.

https://www.newsweek.com/ammunition-vending-machines-grocery-stores-1921976

Southern Sandwiches

An excerpt from Southern Living - 

11 “Weird” Southern Sandwiches We’ll Never Stop Making

We'll put almost anything between two pieces of soft bread and mayonnaise.

By Kaitlyn Yarborough

1. Southern Tomato Sandwich

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

There are those who get it, and the ones who are just too scared to try. The basic formula of a Southern tomato sandwich is soft white bread, mayonnaise, tomatoes, salt, and pepper sprinkled on generously. Typically, the juicy summer delicacy is eaten over the kitchen sink. Warning: You won't get the same sort of joyful flavor from a grocery store tomato, which typically lacks some of the juiciness and sweetness.

2. Pineapple Sandwich

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This is usually one of those foods people don't admit they eat and love, but plenty of Southerners know of this sweet sandwich. With just three ingredients—mayonnaise, pineapple, and sandwich bread—it's simple but surprisingly tasty. Some people tweak the combo a bit. It's not odd to see people add cheese, evoking the same flavor as the classic pineapple casserole. Others have been known to add ham, and there's even rumors of a few adding a fried egg.

3. Funeral Sandwiches

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

Some might know these ham-and-cheese sliders as "party sandwiches," but Southern folks also gave them another name: "funeral sandwiches." A few simple ingredients—a Hawaiian roll, deli-style ham, mustard, and cheese—combine to create a ham sandwich that is so much greater than the sum of its parts. These are customarily served anywhere from funerals to potlucks to tailgates to parties.

https://www.southernliving.com/weird-southern-sandwiches-7556056

The First African-American Woman Neurosurgeon Graduate at Johns Hopkins

An excerpt from Face2FaceAfrica - 

Ghanaian becomes first African-American woman to graduate from Johns Hopkins neurosurgery program 

BY Dollita Okine, 

Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah makes history. Photo Credit: X, Anna/Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah

Born in Ghana, Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah is now the first African-American woman to graduate from the seven-year neurosurgery program at Johns Hopkins in the United States.

She made headlines in 2017 when she became the first African-American female resident in the program’s 30-year history. Only two to five residents are accepted into the esteemed program, which is ranked second in the nation. Neurosurgeon and author Dr. Ben Carson is one of its most renowned alumni.

Abu-Bonsrah commemorated her achievements on X on June 21, with the caption, “12 years @HopkinsMedicine came to an end last weekend, surrounded by family. Surreal that I’m done @HopkinsNsurg! #olderandwiser #latenightreflections.”

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/ghanaian-becomes-first-african-american-woman-to-graduate-from-johns-hopkins-neurosurgery-program

How "You're Right" Decreases Stress

An excerpt from INC. - 

With 2 Words, Keanu Reeves Taught a Powerful Lesson on How to Decrease Stress. The answer is surprisingly simple.

Expert Opinion By Kelly Main, Writer and adviser @thekellymain

Keanu Reeves. Illustration: Inc; Photo: Getty Images

Stress is all around us, and for many of us, it is all-consuming. 

Slowly, it is sapping our energy, diminishing our productivity, and, of course, eating away not just at our happiness but our very ability to be happy. With 77 percent of people in the U.S. reportedly feeling burnt out, according to Deloitte, and anxiety becoming increasingly commonplace, stress is a devil most of us know. 

It's certainly one that I know too well -- despite my best efforts to pretend I don't. Sick of being stressed out, I went to the other side of the world, where I found an unexpected cure to burnout. Yet putting what I learned into practice proved no easy feat. Every which way we look, there is something going on and something to be stressed about. 

There are the wars plaguing the world, upcoming elections, mass layoffs, and fears of an impending economic collapse. If that weren't enough, there are crumbling relationships, deteriorating mental health, the bills that need to be paid, and the energy you don't have to deal with it all. 

At one point or another, or in one way or another, we've all been there. 

While we might be hard-pressed to get everyone to agree when families still can't get along, we can all agree we would benefit from less stress. With one short quote and two powerful key words Keanu Reeves taught a masterclass on how to decrease your stress levels, and with that, increase your happiness:

"I'm at a stage in my life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right -- have fun."

"You're right" is the key word -- even if the person is, in fact, incorrect. While it might be one of the hardest things for us to say -- especially when we know we are right -- it is one of the fastest ways to decrease stress and anxiety. And it's not simply a brush-off that can quickly decrease your own stress -- it could also reduce the stress of those around you. 

Effectively using this simple, two-word anxiety reducer comes down to two things that help you uncover the cost-benefit of buying into the discussion. 

Water the flowers, not the weeds 

In other words, the things to which we give our energy grow. And so it's key to learn how to allocate your energy appropriately so that you focus on the things you want -- not the things you don't. 

https://www.inc.com/kelly-main/with-2-words-keanu-reeves-taught-a-powerful-lesson-on-how-to-decrease-stress.html

Rather on Netflix

 

An Olympic Legend Masters Jazz

An excerpt from the Washington Post -

He’s 77, an Olympic legend and just made a hip-hop jazz album

In Mexico City in 1968, Bob Beamon soared to one of the Games’ most enduring records. Now he has started a new life as a percussionist. 

By Les Carpenter

NEW YORK — The B.O.N.E. Squad is the kind of jazz band that makes your knees quiver and feet convulse. Hip-hop jazz they call it, filled with funk and groove and soul. To some in New York, the B.O.N.E. Squad is a local institution, with a standing gig as the opening act for a theater in the Bronx.

But on this January night, the B.O.N.E. Squad is in a packed Manhattan music hall called The Cutting Room to play songs from its latest album with its newest member: a tall, lean 77-year-old Olympic legend who is standing behind a set of bongo and conga drums. Stix Bones, the band’s leader and main drummer, introduces him

“The man himself,” he yells into a microphone. “Bob Beamon!”

And Beamon, who for nearly six decades has held the Olympic long jump record, starts slapping his palms across the congas. Bop-a-bop-a-bop. The beat builds fast, until it feels as though the whole room is filled with the sound of Bob Beamon playing congas. People in the crowd start to shout.

Beamon peers at them through round glasses that appear to change color in the light and look almost like a pair of Olympic rings. A small smile slides across his lips. Watching him, it would be impossible to imagine that less than a year earlier he could barely play, that he had never been trained and had to relearn many of the basics. Getting to this night, with this band, took months of agonizing work.

The B.O.N.E. Squad’s album cover is a black-and-white photograph of a brick apartment building that looks much like the 40 Projects in South Jamaica, Queens, where Beamon grew up. It bears two names: Stix Bones and Bob Beamon.

“I’m big time now,” Beamon said.

The album is called “Olimpik Soul.” The first song — an exaltation of saxophone, bass and drums — is called “Leap.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/interactive/2024/bob-beamon-olympic-long-jump-record-jazz-drums/