Fundraising Appeal To Buy Portrait Of First Black African Visitor To Britain

Broadcaster and journalist Zeinab Badawi during the National Portrait Gallery's launch of a mayor public appeal to save the newly discovered portrait of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, the first Black African visitor to Britain at National Portrait Gallery on July 7, 2010 in London, England. 


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Lost Language of The Bo

The last member of an ancient tribe that has inhabited an Indian island chain for around 65,000 years has died, a group that campaigns for the protection of indigenous peoples has said.  Boa Sr, who was around 85 years of age, died last week in the Andaman islands, about 750 miles off India's eastern coast, Survival International said in a statement.

"The Bo are thought to have lived in the Andaman islands for as long as 65,000 years, making them the descendants of one of the oldest human cultures on earth," it noted. read full article here.
source:cnn

Angel Falls bedevils Chavez, who wants name changed

The world's tallest waterfall -- Angel Falls in southern Venezuela -- should be stripped of the name by which it is widely known in favor of its indigenous one, President Hugo Chavezsaid.

The falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were spotted by US pilotJimmy Angel in 1937, bringing international attention to what has become one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions, though it is in remote Bolivar state.

"How could we accept this idea that the falls were discovered by a guy who came from the United States in a plane. If we do that, that would be like accepting that nobody was living here," Chavez mused on his weekly radio and television show, "Hello Mr President."

"Nobody should speak of Angel Falls any more," Chavez said. "That is ours, and was a long time before Angelever got there."

In indigenous Pemon, the falls are called Kerepakupai meru, meaning "waterfall of the deepest place."

Chavez is a fan of name changes. read more here

Presence Africaine Exhibition

If you happen to visit Paris over the holidays an exhibition called "Presence Africaine" is taking place until January 31 2010.

"African presence is the literary and cultural journal founded by the intellectual Senegalese Alioune Diop in 1947, also became a publisher in 1949. It has been a dissemination tool that has enabled black writers and intellectuals to assert their cultural identities and the historical context of colonial or denied "making exotic."

Click here for details

Rio de Janeiro wins right to stage 2016 Olympic Games

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee announced Friday. It is the first time South America would host an Olympics event. The city has budgeted $14.4 billion to the effort, the largest amount of any of the four finalists, according to IOC figures.

The final vote was down to Rio and Madrid, Spain. In earlier voting, Chicago, Illinois, and then Tokyo, Japan, were eliminated from contention.

After the cities made their presentations to the IOC on Friday, the IOC members sat down to cast their votes in a secret ballot.

Ninety-seven of the IOC's 106 members are eligible to vote in the first round; seven must sit out that round because they represent one of the countries bidding for the Games.

A city must receive a majority of votes in order to win. If no city receives a majority, voting moves on to a second round, with the city receiving the lowest number of votes being eliminated, an IOC spokeswoman said. source

Kimberly Anyadike Youngest African-American Female to Pilot Cross-Country

"Unlike most teenagers, Kimberly Anyadike did not spend her summer vacation at the pool or in the malls, rather, the 15-year-old, participated in a program that deals with wind shear, touchdown zones and the center of gravity at an interactive aviation museum on the West Coast."

"Anyadike, a student pilot at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum [TAM] in Compton, Calif., said that her interest in aviation was piqued three years ago when she first learned about the innovative program that offers minority students hands-on flight instruction and an introduction to opportunities in the field of aviation."

"After three years of working full-time for flight time, Anyadike made history as the youngest African American female to fly across country – logging 7,000 miles – from Compton to Newport News, Va., in 13 days. Although it was a solo flight for the enthusiastic teenager, she had the benefit of a legend in the cockpit behind her." Continue reading here

Thanks to MBI

Historic First Female Helicopter Pilot

Maj. Jennifer Grieves is the first female helicopter aircraft commander in the history of Marine One, the HMX-1 helicopter the president of the United States flies on. source

Video source :Thanks to Moorish Brooklyn Intelligence

Arawelo Somalian Queen of the 7th century A.D

Arawelo was a queen who ruled over Somalia. Her throne was passed down by King Abdullah. She was the first born out of three daughters and natural heir to the dynasty. Like many female rulers Arawelo fought for female empowerment she believed society should be based on a matriarchy. continue reading here

Rose Francine Rogombe Gabon's First Female President

Rose Francine Rogombe, speaker of Gabon's senate, has been sworn in as the country's first woman president for a transitional period at a ceremony in the capital, Libreville.

Rogombe assumes the presidency following the death of Omar Bongo Ondimba, who ruled the oil-rich equatorial African country for 41 years.

"I swear to devote all my strength to the good of the Gabonese people," Rogombe said on Wednesday while taking the oath of office. Before Rogombe took the oath, a minute's silence was held in memory of Bongo. Continue reading here

R.I.P Ivan van Sertima

Ivan van Sertima (26 January 1935 - 25 May 2009 ) was a Guyanese-British historian, linguist and anthropologist at Rutgers University in the United States. He is noted for his Afrocentric theory of pre-Columbian contact between Africa and the Americas.

Early life and education

Van Sertima was born in Kitty Village, Guyana, on 26 January 1935, when it was still a British colony. He has remained a British citizen. Van Sertima's father Frank Obermuller was a trade union leader. Van Sertima completed primary and secondary school in Guyana, and started writing poetry.

He went to London in 1959 for university. In addition to producing an array of creative writing, Van Sertima completed undergraduate studies in African languages and literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London in 1969, where he graduated with honors. During his studies he became fluent in Swahili and Hungarian languages.

He worked for several years in Great Britain as a journalist, doing weekly broadcasts to the Caribbean and Africa. In doing field work in Africa, he compiled a dictionary of Swahili legal terms.

In 1970 Van Sertima immigrated to the United States, where he entered Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey for graduate work.

Career
Van Sertima began his more than 30-year teaching career at Rutgers as an instructor in 1972. In 1977 he completed his master's degree. He is Associate Professor of African Studies in the Department of Africana Studies. As editor of the Journal of African Civilization and author of numerous books, he has addressed topics in literature, linguistics, anthropology and history. Van Sertima has written a number of books in which he argues that the Ancient Egyptians were black.

His 1976 book They Came Before Columbus was a bestseller and achieved widespread fame for his claims of prehistoric African influences in Central and South America. It did not receive much professional attention when published, and has been criticized by academic specialists.
Van Sertima also treated the topic of African scientific contributions in his essay for the volume African Renaissance, published in 1999. This was a record of the conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 1998 on the theme of the African Renaissance.

His article is titled The Lost Sciences of Africa: An Overview. In it he presents early African advances in metallurgy, astronomy, mathematics, architecture, engineering, agriculture, navigation, medicine and writing. He notes that such higher learning, in Africa as elsewhere, was the preserve of elites in the centres of civilizations, rendering them very vulnerable in the event (as happened in Africa) of the destruction of those centers.

On July 7, 1987 Van Sertima appeared before a United States Congressional committee to challenge giving credit for the discovery of America to Christopher Columbus. source

Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom

The Imperial State Crown was made in 1937 for King George VI, and was similar to the Diamond crown made in 1838 for Queen Victoria. The present Crown is made of gold and includes four crosses pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, with two arches on top, surmounted by a cross pattée. The Crown includes many jewels: 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and five rubies. Among the stones are several famous ones, including the Black Prince's Ruby (actually a spinel) and the Cullinan II diamond, also known as the Lesser Star of Africa. Two of the three pearls dangling from the crown were once worn by Queen Elizabeth I. It is worn after the conclusion of the Coronation ceremony when the monarch leaves Westminster Abbey, and also at the annual State Opening of Parliament.

The collective term Crown Jewels denotes the regalia and vestments worn by the sovereign of the United Kingdom during the coronation ceremony and at other state functions. The term refers to the following objects: the crowns, sceptres (with either the cross or the dove), orbs, swords, rings, spurs, colobium sindonis, dalmatic, armill, and the royal robe or pall, as well as several other objects connected with the ceremony itself.

The crown jewels are held at the Tower of London for the public to view, I didn't go inside the Tower while I was in London. Click here for more information.

Breaking the Silence, Beating the Drum

Actress Phylicia Rashad attended the Culture Project’s ‘Breaking the Silence, Beating the Drum’ concert at The United Nations on Wednesday in New York City.

On March 25th it was the International day of Remembrance of the victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade.

"We must acknowledge the great lapse in moral judgment that allowed [the Transatlantic Slave Trade] to happen. We must urge present and future generations to avoid repeating history. We must acknowledge the contributions that enslaved Africans made to civilization. And countries that prospered from the slave trade must examine the origins of present-day social inequality and work to unravel mistrust between communities. Above all, even as we mourn the atrocities committed against the countless victims, we take heart from the courage of slaves who rose up to overcome the system which oppressed them."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon


Drums and Slavery
In Africa, rhythms, spiritual dimensions and the order of the universe are not generally separated into compartments in the mind of most people. Traditional African societies acknowledge that the drum has a spirit and character that is clearly observable. It is believed by many African communities that voices of great ancestors are hidden inside the wood of trees so they could be accessed whenever men and women need them. African history has been maintained through an oral tradition.

Everywhere, slaves strived to keep the heritage and practice of drums alive. Drums from Cameroon represent various types of African drums. Due to its many peoples and unique geographical location (on the coast, deep in the heart of Africa as well as close to the Sahara), Cameroon is sometimes seen as Africa in miniature. Drums also reflect spiritual, social, ethno-anthropological and artistic perspectives. The historical and cultural significance of drums with regard to the Transatlantic Slave Trade is noteworthy. Continue reading

Duke Ellington becomes first African-American on U.S. coin

Jazz legend Duke Ellington is the first African-American to appear on an American coin, the U.S. Mint says in introducing the latest in its line of state-themed quarters. The District of Columbia commemorative quarter showing Ellington playing the piano will be introduced by U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy at a news conference Tuesday at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Continue reading here

Meci African Explorer

According to the writings of Sahagun, a Spanish Monk, who studied and translated the works of the Maya Indians of Mexico, ancient Africans arrived in Mexico thousands of years ago from the Atlantic region. They were led by a Black African, called Meci, who led a fleet of eight ships. Meci is said to have established African language, religion and culture in Mexico and settled the southern region of Mexico between the Yucatan and Mexico City.

Source

'Gifted Hands' of Ben Carson

The movie premieres Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), exclusively on TNT.

This uplifting and inspirational JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATION® stars Oscar® winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and two-time NAACP Image Award winner Kimberly Elise (The Great Debaters, The Manchurian Candidate). It is based on the true story of Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, whose lifelong journey led him to become director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, a best-selling author and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Carson’s career highlights include the first separation of craniopagus (Siamese) twins joined at the back of the head in 1987, the first completely successful separation of type-2 vertical craniopagus twins in 1997 in South Africa and the first successful placement of an intrauterine shunt for a hydrocephalic twin. Although he has been involved in many newsworthy operations, Carson feels that every case deserves maximum attention. He is interested in all aspects of pediatric neurosurgery and has a special interest in trigeminal neuralgia (severe facial pain) in adults. Continue reading more about Benjamin S. Carson Sr., M.D

Death to The Falsification of Our History

Malians Wear Ritual Dance Mask at Funeral Ceremony
Malians wear elaborate masks at a Damma (ritual funeral ceremony) . The cross above the mask represents Amma their creator while the actual mask represents Kanga an antelope god. Pays Dogon, Mali.

Falsification:
1.
to make false or incorrect, esp. so as to deceive: to falsify income-tax reports.
2.
to alter fraudulently.
3.
to represent falsely: He falsified the history of his family to conceal his humble origins.
4.
to show or prove to be false; disprove: to falsify a theory.

Our fore mothers did not name us "black", the only thing black about us is that we have been "blacked " out of history.

No we did not first come to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean Islands via the slave trade the majority of us were already here, prior to being forced into slavery. We were and still are Global.

Just say NO to all the lies that have been forced upon us in order to hide our true identity.

Just say NO to all the negative images, stereotypes, and poison that has been ruining our lively hoods for a very long time.

Shirley Chisholm '72: Unbought and Unbossed

Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm (November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician, educator and author. She was a Congresswoman, representing New York's 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1968, she became the first African American woman elected to Congress. On January 25, 1972, she became the first major-party African American candidate for President of the United States. She received 152 first-ballot votes at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. source

Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori

Ab-dul Rahman Ibrahima Ibn Sori (a.k.a. Abdul-Rahman) was a prince from West Africa who was made a slave in the United States. In 1828, by the order of President John Quincy Adams and Secretary of State Henry Clay, he was freed after spending 40 years in slavery.

He was born in Timbo, West Africa, (in present day Guinea, Fouta Djallon). He was known as the "Prince of Slaves" or "Prince." He was a Fulbe or Fulani, (Fula) from the land of Futa Jallon. Abrahim left Futa in 1774 to study in Mali at Timbuktu. Abrahim was leader of one of his father's army divisions. After losing a battle to a warring nation he was captured and sold to slave traders in 1788 at the age of 26. He was bought by a Natchez, Mississippi cotton and tobacco farmer, where he eventually became the overseer of the plantation of Thomas Foster. In 1794 he married Isabella, another slave of Foster’s, and eventually fathered a large family -- 5 sons and 4 daughters.

In 1826, Abdul-Rahman wrote a letter to his relatives in Africa. A local newspaperman, Andrew Marschalk, who was originally from New York, sent a copy to Senator Thomas Reed in Washington, who forwarded it to the U.S. Consulate in Morocco. Since Abdul-Rahman wrote in Arabic, Marschalk and the U.S. government assumed that he was a Moor. After the Sultan of Morocco read the letter, he asked President Adams and Secretary of State Henry Clay to release Abrahim Abdul Rahman. In 1828, Thomas Foster agreed to the release of Abdul-Rahman, without payment, with the stipulation that Abdul-Rahman had to return to Africa and could not enjoy the rights of being a free man in America. Within two days, Abdul-Rahman raised $200 to buy his wife's freedom and assumed he could do the same for his children.

Read full story here

Slaves helped build White House, U.S. Capitol, Umm obviously they did

In January, President-elect Barack Obama and his family will make history, becoming the first African-American first family to move into the White House -- a house with a history of slavery. In fact, the legacy of American presidents owning slaves goes all the way back to George Washington.

Twelve American presidents owned slaves and eight of them, starting with Washington, owned slaves while they lived in the White House. Almost from the very start, slaves were a common sight in the executive mansion. A list of construction workers building the White House in 1795 includes five slaves - named Tom, Peter, Ben, Harry and Daniel -- all put to work as carpenters. Other slaves worked as masons in the government quarries, cutting the stone for early government buildings, including the White House and U.S. Capitol. According to records kept by the White House Historical Association, slaves often worked seven days a week -- even in the hot and humid Washington summers.

In 1800, John Adams was the first president to live in the White House, moving in before it was finished. Adams was a staunch opponent of slavery, and kept no slaves. Future presidents, however, didn't follow his lead. Thomas Jefferson, who succeeded Adams, wrote that slavery was an "assemblage of horrors" and yet he brought his slaves with him. Early presidents were expected to pay their household expenses themselves, and many who came from the so-called "slave states" simply brought their slaves with them.

Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant all owned slaves but not during their time in office. James Madison, Jefferson's successor, held slaves all of his life including while he was in office. During the war of 1812 Madison's slaves helped remove material from the White House shortly before the British burned the building. Continue reading here

Desiree Rogers, White House Social Secretary

Desirée Glapion Rogers (b. June 16, 1959) is an American public relations executive. On November 23, 2008, it was announced by Barack Obama's office of presidential transition, as the White House Social Secretary for the incoming administration, the first African American to serve in this function. source

Rogers, earned a Bachelor's degree in political science from Wellesley College in 1981. Rogers, earned a MBA from Harvard Business School. In 2002, Rogers attended the Harvard Kennedy School Women and Power Program. This program was designed for senior women executives, particularly private sector executives who have demonstrated an interest in public leadership. After graduate school, Rogers married John W. Rogers, Jr. and moved to Chicago, Illinois and began her career. Read more info here