Friday, February 27, 2009

Black Facts (Black History Finale)

Hello Family. I enjoyed and learned some things myself about the rich history of Black People in America. These Black facts were taken from a site by the same name, Black Facts. Enjoy this as we come to the end of another Black History Month.
Selected Black Facts for February 27
1.
1988 - Debi Thomas 1st Black to win winter Olympic medal
Figure skater Debi Thomas becomes the first African American to win a medal (bronze) at the winter Olympic Games.

2.
1964 - Anna Julia Cooper passes
Anna Julia Cooper, champion for the rights of black women, dies at the age of 105.

3.
1902 - Marian Anderson born
2/27/1902: On this day Marian Anderson, who will become a world-renowned opera singer and the first African American soloist to perform at hte White House , is born in Philadelphia, PA.

4.
1883 - Hand Stamp Patented
Walter B. Purvis patented hand stamp.

5.
1872 - Charlotte Ray graduates from Howard Law School.
Charlotte Ray graduates from Howard Law School. She is the first African American lawyer in the U.S.

6.
1869 - Congress Adopts 15th Amendmant
Congress adopted the 15th constitutional amendment, making it illegal for the US or any single government to deny or abridge the right to vote "on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude."

7.
1869 - John W. Menard speaks in Congress
John W. Menard spoke in Congress in defense of his claim to a contested seat in Louisiana's Second Congressional District. Congress decided against both claimants. Congressman James A. Garfield of the examining committee said "it was too early to admit a Negro to the U.S. Congress." Menard was the first Black...

8.
1844 - Independence Day for Domincan Republic
Independence Day for Dominican Republic

9.
1833 - First American-born woman to give public lectures
On this day in 1833, Maria W. Steward delivered one of the four speeches which confirmed her place in history as the first American-born woman to give public lectures. Stewards lectures focused on encouraging African-Americans to attain education, political rights, and public recognition for their achievements. Her spe...

10.
1788 - *Probable date of Prince Hall's birth
Prince Hall, Revolutionary War Veteran and founder of African Masonic Lodges, *may* have been born on this date. Though his accomplishments are well celebrated, little is known of Prince Hall's early life. Until next time, take care.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Root, Black History Continued

Hello Family, Please click on the title of this post in order view this excellent video. It is about 6, or 7 minutes so make sure you have the time before you view this. I have to thank my good friend Mrs. Worthy for this article and I hope you enjoy it. It's very good, it is entitled The Root. You may also view this by clicking The Root in our family links to the left.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Black History Continued: Black First in Politics

Hello Family. I fell across this info and thought it interesting. Hope you enjoy.The first Black to serve a full term as a U.S. senator was Blanche Kelso Bruce of Mississippi, who entered Congress on March 5, 1875.
The first Black elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote was Edward W. Brooke (Republican, Mass.), who won the general election on November 8 1966.
The first Black in the House of Representatives was Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina, who was seated on December 12, 1870.
The first Black congressman from the North and the first Black congressman in the modern era was Oscar DePriest, who was elected to the 71st Congress from Illinois' First Congressional District (Chicago) in November, 1928. He was sworn in on April 15, 1929.
The first Black Democrat elected to Congress was Authur Mitchell, who defeated DePriest on November 7, 1934.
The youngest Black congressman was John R. Lynch of Mississippi, who was elected to the House in 1873 at the age of 26.
The first Black to head a congressional committee was Blanche K. Bruce, who was made chairman of a select committee on Mississippi River levees in the Forty-fifth Congress (1877-79).
The first Black to head a standing committee of Congress was Rep. William L. Dawson of Chicago, who was named chairman of the House Expenditures Committee on January 18, 1949. Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was named chairman of the powerful House Education and Labor Committee in 1961.
The first Black to preside over a national political convention was John R. Lynch, who was elected temporary chairman of the Republican convention in June, 1884.
The first Black keynoter of a national political convention was Republican Congressman John Roy Lynch, speaking to the Republican National Convention in 1884. On the first day of that convention, he was also elected as a National Convention Chairman. In addition, he served as the Chairman of the Mississippi Republican National Committee for most of the 1880s and was a delegate to 5 successive Republican National Conventions.
The first Black to be a keynoter at a Democratic National Convention was Barbara Jordan in 1976. This was significant because of where she was making the address; that is, at the National Convention for the Democratic Party, which had for the first century and a half of its existence been the party first of slavery, then black codes and then Jim Crow segregation.
The first Black nominated for president at a major national convention was Rev. Channing E. Phillips of Washington, D.C., who was a favorite-son candidate of the District of Columbia and received 67 1/2 votes on the first ballot (August 28, 1968).
I'll try to find more, Even I was astounded. Until next time.

Valentine's Day Wishes

Hello Family. I know we have some old fashion romantics out there. I received this from more than one source...Happy Valentines Day ! Enjoy, until next time.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Thank You for All The Birthday Love

Hello Family. I am just thanking you all for making my birthday a big deal. I could jump for joy. I got cards and ecards from everywhere. I had to go home early from work, a nasty cold. But this made my day. Thanks again, God Bless you.

Monday, February 9, 2009

George Washington Carver / Black History

Hello Family, I've continued this series on Black history with the story of George Washington Carver from The Idea Finder. I hope you enjoy this story:
George Washington Carver devoted his life to research projects connected primarily with southern agriculture. The products he derived from the peanut and the soybean revolutionized the economy of the South by liberating it from an excessive dependence on cotton. Carver developed crop-rotation methods for conserving nutrients in soil and discovered hundreds of new uses for crops such as the peanut, which created new markets for farmers.He didn't just keep the best for himself; he gave it away freely for the benefit of mankind. Not only did he achieve his goal as the world's greatest agriculturist, but also he achieved the equality and respect of all.
George was born of slave parents on July 12, 1864 in Diamond Grove, Missouri a sickly child at birth he would remain frail for most of his childhood. One night a band of raiders attacked his family and stole George and his mother. Days later, George was found unharmed by neighbors and was traded back to his owners in exchange for a race horse. Because of his frailty, George was not suited for work in the fields but he did possess a great interest in plants and was very eager to learn more about them. Here on the farm is where George first fell in love with plants and Mother Nature. He had his own little garden in the nearby woods where he would talk to the plants. He soon earned the nickname, The Plant Doctor, and was producing his own medicines right on the farm.
George's formal education started when he was twelve. He had, however, tried to get into schools in the past but was denied on the basis of race. No black school was available locally so he was forced to move. He said Good-bye to his adopted parents, Susan and Moses Carter, and headed to Newton County in southwest Missouri. Here is where the path of his education began. He studied in a one-room schoolhouse and worked on a farm to pay for it. He ended up, shortly after, moving with another family to Fort Scott in Kansas. Though denied admission to Highland University because of his race, Carver gained acceptance to Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, in 1890. He became well respected for his artistic talent (in later days his art would be included in the spectacular World's Colombian Exposition Art Exhibit.) Carver's interests, however, lay more in science and he transferred from Simpson to Iowa Agricultural College (which is now known as Iowa State University.) He distinguished himself so much that upon graduation in 1894 he was offered a position on the school's faculty, the first Black accorded the honor. Carver was allowed great freedom in working in agriculture and botany in the University's greenhouses.
In 1895, Carver co-authored a series of papers on the prevention and cures for fungus diseases affecting cherry plants. In 1896 he received his master's degree in agriculture and in 1897 discovered two fungus that would be named after him. Later that year Booker T. Washington, founder of the Tuskegee Institute, convinced Carver to come south and serve as the school's director of agriculture.
At Tuskegee, Carver developed his crop rotation method, which alternated nitrate producing legumes-such as peanuts and peas-with cotton, which depletes soil of its nutrients. Following Carver's lead, southern farmers soon began planting peanuts one year and cotton the next. While many of the peanuts were used to feed livestock, large surpluses quickly developed. Carver then developed 325 different uses for the extra peanuts-from cooking oil to printers ink. When he discovered that the sweet potato and the pecan also enriched depleted soils, Carver found almost 20 uses for these crops, including synthetic rubber and material for paving highways.The farmers were ecstatic with the tremendous quality of cotton and tobacco they grew later but quickly grew angry because the amount of peanuts they harvested was too plentiful and began to rot in overflowing warehouses. Within a week, Carver had experimented with and devised dozens of uses for the peanut, including milk and cheese. In later years he would produce more than 300 products that could be developed from the lowly peanut, including ink, facial cream, shampoo and soap.Suddenly, the same farmers who cursed him now found that a new industry had sprung up that could use their surplus peanuts. Next, Carver looked at ways of utilizing the sweet potato and was able to develop more than 115 products from it including flour, starch and synthetic rubber (the United States Army utilized many of his products during World War I.) He reminds me of Family.(There's more facts at The Great Idea Finder). Until next time, Joy to the reader!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Who was Crispus Attucks? Black History

Hello Family. I got this excerpt article from Africans in America. Crispus was African on his Father's side and Native American(Indian) on his Mother's side. Here's the story:
In 1770, Crispus Attucks, a black man, became the first casualty of the American Revolution when he was shot and killed in what became known as the Boston Massacre. Although Attucks was credited as the leader and instigator of the event, debate raged for over as century as to whether he was a hero and a patriot, or a rabble-rousing villain. In the murder trial of the soldiers who fired the fatal shots, John Adams, serving as a lawyer for the crown, reviled the "mad behavior" of Attucks, "whose very looks was enough to terrify any person."Twenty years earlier, an advertisement placed by William Brown in the Boston Gazette and Weekly Journal provided a more detailed description of Attucks, a runaway: "A Mulatto fellow, about 27 Years of Age, named Crispus, 6 feet 2 inches high, short curl hair, his knees nearer together than common." Attucks father was said to be an African and his mother a Natick or Nantucket Indian; in colonial America, the offspring of black and Indian parents were considered black or mulatto. As a slave in Framingham, he had been known for his skill in buying and selling cattle.Brown offered a reward for the man's return, and ended with the following admonition: "And all Matters of Vessels and others, are hereby cautioned against concealing or carrying off said Servant on Penalty of Law. " Despite Brown's warning, Attucks was carried off on a vessel many times over the next twenty years; he became a sailor, working on a whaling crew that sailed out of Boston harbor. At other times he worked as a rope maker in Boston.Attucks' occupation made him particularly vulnerable to the presence of the British. As a seaman, he felt the ever-present danger of impressment into the British navy. As a laborer, he felt the competition from British troops, who often took part-time jobs during their off-duty hours and worked for lower wages. A fight between Boston rope makers and three British soldiers on Friday, March 2, 1770 set the stage for a later confrontation. That following Monday night, tensions escalated when a soldier entered a pub to look for work, and instead found a group of angry seamen that included Attucks.That evening a group of about thirty, described by John Adams as "a motley rabble of saucy boys, Negroes and mulattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish jack tarrs," began taunting the guard at the custom house with snowballs, sticks and insults. Seven other redcoats came to the lone soldier's rescue, and Attucks was one of five men killed when they opened fire. Patriots, pamphleteers and propagandists immediately dubbed the event the "Boston Massacre," and its victims became instant martyrs and symbols of liberty. Despite laws and customs regulating the burial of blacks, Attucks was buried in the Park Street cemetery along with the other honored dead.Adams, who became the second American president, defended the soldiers in court against the charge of murder. Building on eyewitness testimony that Attucks had struck the first blow, Adams described him as the self-appointed leader of "the dreadful carnage." In Adams' closing argument, Attucks became larger than life, with "hardiness enough to fall in upon them, and with one hand took hold of a bayonet, and with the other knocked the man down." The officer in charge and five of his men were acquitted, which further inflamed the public.The citizens of Boston observed the anniversary of the Boston Massacre in each of the following years leading up to the war. In ceremonies designed to stir revolutionary fervor, they summoned the "discontented ghosts" of the victims."A "Crispus Attucks Day" was inaugurated by black abolitionists in 1858, and in 1888, the Crispus Attucks Monument was erected on the Boston Common, despite the opposition of the Massachusetts Historical Society and the New England Historic Genealogical Society, which regarded Attucks as a villain. (There's more at Africans in America.) I hope you enjoy this, Until next time.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Black History Month

Hello, Greetings Family. As you know this month is designated Black history month. Now I'd like to know if there would be some one who can help share the Black History experience with the family. You Know, Crispus Attucks, George Washington Carver, Langston Hughes, Sidney Poitier, Etta James, Nancy Wilson, Barack Obama, to name a few. Just because history was made doesn't mean history is over. Maybe you have a milestone you would like to share with the Family. And maybe it will keep closeness alive. KEEP CLOSENESS ALIVE. Please share with family especially our youngsters. I will post a few Black history articles and hopefully some one else will send me more articles too. Until next time, take care.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Especially for Friends and Family

Hello Family, this came to us from Dorian, I thought you might like this. YOU SAY / GOD SAYS BIBLE VERSES You say: 'It's impossible' God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27) You say: 'I'm too tired' God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30) You say: 'Nobody really loves me' God says: I love you (John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 ) You say: 'I can't go on' God says: My grace is sufficient(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15) You say: 'I can't figure things out' God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5- 6) You say: 'I can't do it' God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13) You say: 'I'm not able' God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8) You say: 'It's not worth it' God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 ) You say: 'I can't forgive myself' God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1) You say: 'I can't manage' God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19) You say: 'I'm afraid' God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7) You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated' God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7) You say: 'I'm not smart enough' God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30) You say: 'I feel all alone' God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) PASS THIS ON. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MAY BE IN NEED The first sentence is pretty powerful! God determines who walks into your life....it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.' Father, God, bless all my friends and Family in whatever it is that you know they may need this day! And may their lives be full of your peace, prosperity and power as they seek to have a closer relationship with you. Amen. This should reach many people. Within hours we can cause a multitude of people to pray for each other. Then sit back and watch the power of God work in your life.
P.S. more is better. Who else do you know that needs prayer? Make it a Wonderful Day!!
Until next time, take care.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Celebrate February Birthdays

Hello Greetings Family. It's birthday time again. This is my month, so I try to play it down some, never the less it comes every year. February was once the big birthday month. So In fond memory of two great Patriarchs, Joseph and Elbert Tyree whose birthdays were respectively February 10th, and 17th. I'll always remember. Happy birthday and God Bless the February Family members. Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday and much Love to:

1 & 2) Jasmine and Joanna Preston (twins)2/5

3)Rosa Dargan (Trell)2/8

4)Rubye Tyree 2/9

5)Dabney Tyree 2/11

6) Gerald Tyree 2/11

7)Mark Tyree 2/11

8) Timothy Tyree 2/12

9) Steven Pugh 2/28

Also have a great Presidents day(I'm off) I have to work on my birthday. I'm going to volunteer at the Cleveland Food Bank on Presidents Day. Until next time. Take care, send me your articles I'll publish them here!
metyr2e@yahoo.com send by email.
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