Black History / Wrap up

 

Hello Family. I hope you enjoyed the previous Black History posts. I reflect not just during Black History month, but all year and every day.Think about it, Our ancestors were brought here against their will. They didn’t know where they were. They couldn’t speak the language. They were separated from their families. They were given new names. They couldn’t practice their own religions. They were all of a sudden slaves. For generations slavery existed even after its abolishment.

We’ve come a long long way. We also need to go even farther. I can’t say it’s not difficult in this “One nation under God,” America.

My wish is for our young people is for them to know the struggles our ancestors had to overcome. Everything was Black and White, even the toilets and the cemeteries. The Black military men who would have been heroes went unsung, simply because of the color of their skin. You had to sit at the back of the bus. Even Les Gens De Color were a society within a society (of light skinned black people). You would hopefully stay in your allotted section of town. Then Dr. King led us to a new existence of more equality. Very important stuff. Although I was a child I remember.

I’ve said all I’ve said to bring a salute to the first Black President of The United States, Barack Obama.  Indeed we’ve come a long, long way.

We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed Black History Month as I did.

Pray for Cleveland,

I'm usually more upbeat, If we had earthquakes the name would be more appropriate. Cleveland.This was taken from Yahoo.
Cleveland leads a slew of Midwestern towns on our annual list, but thanks to high taxes New York and Chicago make it too.

The City of Cleveland has had a colorful history. The Cuyahoga River, which runs through the city, famously caught fire in 1969 thanks to rampant pollution, and it wasn't the first time. In 1978 it became the first U.S. city to default on its debts since the Great Depression. Cleveland sports fans have had to endure more anguish than those in any other city. The city has been dubbed with a less than endearing nickname: the Mistake by the Lake.( Mistake on the Lake)
In Pictures: America’s 20 Most Miserable Cities Miserable-Cities_419x98.jpg

This year Cleveland takes the top spot in our third annual ranking of America's Most Miserable Cities. Cleveland secured the position thanks to its high unemployment, high taxes, lousy weather, corruption by public officials and crummy sports teams (Cavaliers of the NBA excepted).

Misery was on the rise around the country last year. Sure the stock market was up big, but so were unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcy filings. Meanwhile housing prices, the U.S. dollar and approval ratings for Congress continued their downward spiral.

The widely tracked Misery Index initiated by economist Arthur Okun, which combines unemployment and inflation rates started 2009 at 7.3 and rose to 12.7 by the end of the year thanks to soaring joblessness. That is the highest level since 1983.

Our Misery Measure takes into account unemployment, as well as eight other issues that cause people anguish. The metrics include taxes (both sales and income), commute times, violent crime and how its pro sports teams have fared over the past two years. We also factored in two indexes put together by Portland, Ore., researcher Bert Sperling that gauge weather and Superfund pollution sites. Lastly we considered corruption based on convictions of public officials in each area as tracked by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.

We expanded the list of cities under consideration this year to include the 200 largest metropolitan statistical areas (in years past we've examined 150), which led to a shuffling in the ranks. Any area with a population of more than 245,000 was eligible.

Cleveland nabbed the top spot as a result of poor ratings across the board. It was the only city that fell in the bottom half of the rankings in all nine categories. Many residents are heading for greener pastures. There has been a net migration out of the Cleveland metro area of 71,000 people over the past five years. Population for the city itself has been on a steady decline and is now less than half of it what it was 50 years ago.

Cleveland ranked near the bottom when looking at corruption. Northern Ohio has seen 309 public officials convicted of crimes over the past 10 years according to the Justice Department. A current FBI investigation of public officials in Cuyahoga County (where Cleveland is located) has ensnared more than two dozen government employees and businessmen on charges including bribery, fraud and tax evasion.

On the housing front Cleveland is dealing with thousands of abandoned homes. The city contributed to its foreclosure problem by providing down payments to many people that could not afford homes through the federally funded Afford-A-Home program. Cleveland led by Mayor Frank Jackson sued 21 large investment banks in 2008 who he felt were complicit in the subprime and foreclosure crisis that hit Cleveland hard. A federal judge dismissed the suit last year, but the city is appealing the ruling.

A 19% decline in foreclosures last year is possibly a glimmer of hope that the housing situation is starting to improve, although Cleveland still ranks in the top third of all metros for foreclosure rates according to RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed property. Cleveland and Cuyahoga County were awarded $41 million last month from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This money will go towards demolition of homes, foreclosure prevention and the rehabilitation of homes.

There are certainly bright spots in Cleveland. Downtown has experienced a revival over the past 15 years helped in part by the construction of three new sports venues for the city's NFL, NBA and baseball teams. The Cleveland Clinic is one of the top medical centers in the U.S. and the largest employer in northeast Ohio.

Mayor Jackson's chief of staff Ken Silliman calls 2010 a very exciting year for Cleveland. He points to three projects in development for the city. The first is the Cleveland Medical Mart which is a convention center that targets the medical and health care industries. Next is a casino plan. In November Ohio voters approved casinos in four cities, and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is leading a group that hopes to have a Cleveland casino up and running in three years. Lastly is the Flats East Bank project, which ran into funding issues during the financial crisis. The waterfront development will include an office tower, hotel and space for retail and dining.

"Clevelanders over the years have developed a tenacity to deal with these kinds of situations, and we are very aggressive in attempting to solve our problems rather than awaiting someone else's solutions," says Silliman.

Other cities on the list include Memphis, which came in third thanks to the second-worst rate of violent crime in the U.S. and an alarming rate of convicted public officials. Detroit, ravaged by the ailing auto industry was forth. Flint, Mich., was fifth. Also on the list? Chicago (No. 10) and New York City (No. 16). Torturous commute times and nosebleed-inducing taxes are the high prices locals pay for the cultural opportunities and corporate headquarters located there.

Our most miserable city last year, Stockton, Calif., nabbed the second spot on this year's list. Unemployment and crime continue to be major issues. Stockton ranked seventh worst in both of these areas. Stockton residents have average commutes that are among the highest in the country and, like all Californians, they suffer from onerous sales and income taxes.

Stockton Mayor Ann Johnston says the city is working to fix its problems. It has seen a reduction in crime in recent months as it targets troubled areas with an increased police presence. On the economic front, the city recently expanded the Port of Stockton, which it hopes will attract new companies. Stockton is an agricultural community, but the Mayor says the city is working to diversify its economic base and echoes Silliman's comments about Cleveland. "We're an All-American city," says Mayor Johnston. "And it's not because we sit on our hands and do nothing. It's because we recognize our problems and work to solve them."
America's Top 5 Most Miserable Cities

1. Cleveland, Ohio

2. Stockton, Calif.

3. Memphis, Tenn.

4. Detroit, Mich.

5. Flint, Mich.

Click here to see the full list of America’s 20 Most Miserable Cities

Pardon my Issues with Cleveland, I once loved this City. Until next time.

More Black History

Hello family. I hope you enjoy this cool Black History site. Click the title of this article to go and see today in Black History. Then remember to go back throughout Black History Month.( http://www.yenoba.com )You can also cut and paste!

Birthday Smiles

 

You make me smile !

Thank You

Hello and greetings family and friends. Well it’s again that born on date. This cake was soooo gooood. Notice I said was. Anyway the picture before this says more than words ever can. Look up ^. Thanks again.

Black History Series / First Black Congressman

Hello family. Last year I found a couple of interesting articles about 'black first' which mentioned The first black representative Joseph Rainey. I found his story pretty interesting and have since had communications with his great Grand daughter Lorna Rainey whom is an accomplished Author and fellow blogger. This article is taken from Bella online.com


Rep. Joseph Rainey - First Black Congressman
Guest Author - Linda Sue Grimes

On September 21, 2005, during George W. Bush's second term as president, for the first time in U. S. history, a portrait of an African American legislator was unveiled and displayed in the Capitol in Washington, D. C. The portrait features Joseph Rainey, first African American to be elected to the House of Representatives. Rainey was first elected in 1870 and continued to hold that office until 1879.

At the unveiling, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, (R-IL) offered these words:

As a former history teacher, I've taught about many aspects of our rich heritage. Even as Speaker, I still find it important to teach about the richness and diversity of our history. The Capitol grounds serve as a classroom to many that visit and live in our country. I hope that as people from around the world walk through the halls of Congress they will learn about many great African Americans such as Congressman Rainey.

As a representative of the U.S. House, Congressman Rainey dedicated himself to assuring the liberties of many Americans. Despite his skin color, he fought for the freedom of African Americans, American Indians and Chinese. Just as he dedicated his life to creating a color blind society, so should we dedicate this portrait in the halls of Congress to celebrate his contributions.

Rainey's Early Life
Born into slavery on June 21, 1832, to Grace and Edward L. Rainey in Georgetown, South Carolina, Joseph Hayne Rainey became a barber as his father had been. Edward Rainey's owner allowed him to work independently, but as was required by law, Rainey had to share his earnings with his owner. However, by the early 1840s, Edward Rainey was able to buy his family's freedom. The family relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, and Edward plied his trade as a barber at the fashionable Mills House Hotel. Edward Rainey's career became so lucrative that he was able to purchase two male slaves for his household.

Joseph Rainey learned the barber trade from his father, and after moving the Philadelphia, he married Susan, a woman from the West Indies, who as half French. The couple had three children: Joseph II, Herbert, and Olivia. Rainey continued to work as barber to support his family.

Escape to Bermuda
After the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Rainey was drafted and served in the Confederate Army, digging trenches to secure the town of Charleston, also serving as a cook on a blockade runner. Rainey and his family escaped the war to Bermuda, where slavery had already been abolished.

The Raineys thrived in the strong economy of Bermuda, Joseph continuing his trade as a barber and Susan opening a dress shop. They kept abreast of the news of the war in the United States through reports from sailors passing through the area.

Repatriated to Politics
In 1866, after the war ended, the Rainey family returned to Charleston, SC. Rainey had acquired considerable wealth in Bermuda and in his former state was recognized as a leader. He soon became active in the Republican Party, becoming the county chairman of the party in Georgetown in 1867.

In a series of political opportunities, Rainey demonstrated his leadership qualities: he represented Georgetown at the constitutional convention in 1868; he served as an agent in the state land commission and as brigadier general in the state militia. In 1870, Rainey was elected to his first public office to the state senate, where he quickly rose to chair the finance committee.

First African American Representative
After becoming a state senator in 1870, Rainey, later that year, was nominated by the Republican Party to serve the remainder of Representative Benjamin F. Whittemore's term. Whittemore had come under censure for selling appointments to U. S. military academies and was forced to resign.

In the special election for filling out the term of Whittemore held on October 19, 1870, Rainey beat his opponent, Democrat C. W. Dudley, by a 63% majority; then on November 8, Rainey repeated his victory over Dudley, this time winning 86% of the vote over the Democrat.

I personally love this story. It took all those generations just to have Joseph Rainey's picture placed in the whitehouse as it should have been with the other members of congress. I hope you enjoyed this one.

February Birthdays

Hello and greetings. If I told you how my last two weeks have been you will not believe me. So I'll leave that out. The problem did however make me forget about this blog. Now it's time to celebrate the February people. Happy birthday and much love to the following family members:

1) Jasmine and Joanna Preston 2-5

2)Rosa Dargan 2-8

3) Rubye M. Tyree 2-9

4) Mark E. Tyree 2-11

5)Dabney Tyree 2-11

6)Timothy W. Tyree 2-12

7)Steven Pugh 2-28

May the Lord bless and keep each one of you, Happy Birthday !!