Freedom of Speech and Censorship Part 2
that I am black
"Herein lies the tragedy of the age: not that men are poor—all men know something
of poverty; not that men are wicked—who is good? Not that men are ignorant—
what is truth? Nay, but that men know so little of men.” —W.E.B. Dubois
that i am black is not
to say you are not white;
that i am wrong is not
to say that you are right.
while hungry beg i, how
can you be so well-fed,
so full of life, while here
i grovel, all but dead?
that you have nightmares means
not that i have not dreams;
your narrow views mean not
i cannot grasp extremes;
could i see not, scarce would
i fathom you were blind!
my stolen freedom liberates
not you, confined
by cruel vigil with
your knee upon my neck.
shame’s salt sea mine, proudly
you claim the quarterdeck;
my lowly being but under-
scores your fickle pride,
whose false content my lack
has merely amplified.
that you are white is not
to say that nothing black
can find true purchase in
the earth’s vast almanac!
© Copyright 2020 June 24
by Clyve A. Bowen♫
of poverty; not that men are wicked—who is good? Not that men are ignorant—
what is truth? Nay, but that men know so little of men.” —W.E.B. Dubois
that i am black is not
to say you are not white;
that i am wrong is not
to say that you are right.
while hungry beg i, how
can you be so well-fed,
so full of life, while here
i grovel, all but dead?
that you have nightmares means
not that i have not dreams;
your narrow views mean not
i cannot grasp extremes;
could i see not, scarce would
i fathom you were blind!
my stolen freedom liberates
not you, confined
by cruel vigil with
your knee upon my neck.
shame’s salt sea mine, proudly
you claim the quarterdeck;
my lowly being but under-
scores your fickle pride,
whose false content my lack
has merely amplified.
that you are white is not
to say that nothing black
can find true purchase in
the earth’s vast almanac!
© Copyright 2020 June 24
by Clyve A. Bowen♫
Written by cabcool
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We'd like to take this moment to thank our moderators Grace and MadameLavender for their assistance in keeping this thread clean and free from self-aggrandizing promotion. Also to all participants for their mutual respect toward one another, as well as their willingness to discuss these matters with an open mind.
Mary W. Jackson overcame the barriers of segregation and gender bias to become the first African American female engineer to work at NASA. She later led the efforts to ensure equal opportunities for future generations. The Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, D.C. has been named in her honor.
(Image: © NASA)
Most deserving. I learned about Mary during Black History Month. I am disgusted at the history NOT being taught in America.
NASA names headquarters building for 'hidden figure' Mary Jackson
NASA is recognizing one of its "hidden figures" by naming its main office after the first African American female engineer to work at the space agency.
The Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, D.C. honors the late Jackson, who became an engineer in 1958, the same year that NASA was founded. Largely unknown to the general public during her lifetime, Jackson's story was part of the focus of the 2016 feature film "Hidden Figures," with Janelle Monáe portraying the trailblazing engineer.
"Today, we proudly announce the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement on Wednesday (June 24). "Mary W. Jackson was part of a group of very important women who helped NASA succeed in getting American astronauts into space."
"She helped break barriers and open opportunities for African Americans and women in the field of engineering and technology," said Bridenstine, whose office is on the ninth floor of the newly-named building.
https://www.space.com/mary-jackson-hidden-figure-nasa-headquarters.html
Derek Chauvin (©Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
Well well well. . .
Derek Chauvin illegally voted in Florida as Republican in 2016, 2018?
Derek Michael Chauvin, 44, of Oakdale, Minnesota, United States is facing a new allegation related to voting. The former Minneapolis Police Department officer has been charged in the death of George Floyd, which reignited the Black Lives Matter movement.
The new allegation is from Dan Helm, a Democrat and attorney running for election supervisor in Pinellas County, Florida, USA. On June 5, 2020, he sent a letter to Aramis Ayala, the state attorney of Orange Country and Osceola County in Florida.
Helm asked Ayala to investigate possible voter fraud. In his letter to her, he wrote, “I write to inform you that, Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed George Floyd in Minnesota, voted in Orange County Florida in 2016 and 2018 as a registered Republican.”
“I discovered this information in the voter file, which is a public record,” Helm continued. “While living in Minnesota, working there, paying taxes there, Derek Chauvin cannot claim residency in Orange County. His home, residency and where he intends to live is in Minnesota, not Florida.”
“This is a violation for our election laws, specifically Fla. Stat. 104.011 (2), a third degree felony,” Helm added. “I encourage you to hold people accountable for their actions, especially breaking the laws of our state.”
After receiving Helm’s letter, Ayala’s office contacted Orange County supervisor of elections Bill Cowles. According to Ayala, Cowles confirmed that Chauvin is registered to vote in Orange County and did vote in 2016 and 2018.
“Upon receipt of information from a Minnesota authority that supports a violation of Florida law we will proceed accordingly,” Ayala said in a statement obtained by WMFE. “Until then, I will remain focused on the unrest in my community recently triggered by Mr. Chauvin’s killing of George Floyd and work to find a solution to the systemic injustice communities of color continue to live with and die by.”
https://conandaily.com/2020/06/08/derek-chauvin-illegally-voted-in-florida-as-republican-in-2016-2018/
This was flown over an English Premier stadium just after the players had taken the knee. The instigator has been discovered, but cannot be prosecuted as a criminal offence has not happened. He (and his g/f) however, have been sacked by their respective employees. I can only talk of the UK. There are small pockets of right-wing extremists who will never change their outlook or attitude. They are so peripheral they will eventually fade into obscurity.
lepperochan said:I can tell you this
I'm white-ish, that's to say I have a permanent tan cos Greek
Haven't got an ounce of guilt, because I treat everyone the same. always have. if you've guilt fair enough sort it out whatever way you can, don't go projecting it onto me, don't assume I have the same guilt
I grew up in an environment where people fucked over people. an environment where police aimed semi-automatic weapons and shot people for nothing. men, women, children. army opened fire on the civil rights march (before my time) protestants loyal to the Queen burned Catholics out of their home unhindered by the justice system
police brutality isn't a new thing to me. people hating people is nothing new, I've been at the wrong side of serious beating on more than one occasion
I see privilege, I see politicians vote down down minimum wage rise then vote themselves a rise, I see people living on the streets. I see average citizens have to make a choice between food or medicine. I marched for gay rights, marched for their equality. marched for women's right to choose, marched against the governments plans to sell off our water
marched for catholics rights, dodged plastic bullets, took a beating, threw a couple of molotovs
I look at America, have seen the way the justice system eats black people, the way the police shoot them down. I have many friends there, many african american friends, they're doing a lot better than I am, fair fucks to them
I really hope they can force the police to cop the fk on. looks like its touch and go between the grassroots and the deep state.
yes, black lives matter. fuck yeah, people are people. everyone is equal.
I see people in the US finally waking up, finally looking into their history. but dont preach to me though, way I see it you're newcomers into this game and I most likely know more about your shit than you do
not to offend anyone, #BLM is a first world problem. for the most part the community is intergarated into the system right the way to the top echelons. they're not walking out of their jobs in droves which is unfortunate so it would appear they are comfortable enough in their part of the system -i see that as a big problem-
they're not sitting down to breakfast with the family and being destroyed by an American tomahawk missile launched hundreds of miles away
Palistine, Lybia, Yemen, Iraq, Afganistan, Syria
that's a problem, funny enough they're not white, and theres hardly any mention of them except for Palistine. not a mention of them anywhere in the around a 100 pages of this sibject because let's face they don't matter
they dont matter to the white people or the black people flying the drones or launching missiles, so their black lives dont matter
reality is, at the moment African American lives matter, which is a bit mad to me because they've always mattered. didnt need marches, or placards, or riots
I lived in london at the back end of signs like this in shops:
no dogs
no blacks
no Irish
I've been in Glasgow (Scotland) for a football match. both Scottish teams, supporters either had Irish flags or brittish flags and by jaysus they wanted to kick seven shades of shit into each other and often did
personally I think the movement #BLM lost as soon as the whole hashtag war started some years ago. rather than own all the hashtags and march together, they fight over them. even here on the site there's contempt
again, I'm 100% behind the people's struggle. know exactly why they're on the streets. and hope they have some lasting sucsess.
best of luck in your endeavors.
("you" is no one specific )
Hey Lepp
Response to this comment on the other thread
I'm Not A Racist and So Are You
I'm white-ish, that's to say I have a permanent tan cos Greek
Haven't got an ounce of guilt, because I treat everyone the same. always have. if you've guilt fair enough sort it out whatever way you can, don't go projecting it onto me, don't assume I have the same guilt
I grew up in an environment where people fucked over people. an environment where police aimed semi-automatic weapons and shot people for nothing. men, women, children. army opened fire on the civil rights march (before my time) protestants loyal to the Queen burned Catholics out of their home unhindered by the justice system
police brutality isn't a new thing to me. people hating people is nothing new, I've been at the wrong side of serious beating on more than one occasion
I see privilege, I see politicians vote down down minimum wage rise then vote themselves a rise, I see people living on the streets. I see average citizens have to make a choice between food or medicine. I marched for gay rights, marched for their equality. marched for women's right to choose, marched against the governments plans to sell off our water
marched for catholics rights, dodged plastic bullets, took a beating, threw a couple of molotovs
I look at America, have seen the way the justice system eats black people, the way the police shoot them down. I have many friends there, many african american friends, they're doing a lot better than I am, fair fucks to them
I really hope they can force the police to cop the fk on. looks like its touch and go between the grassroots and the deep state.
yes, black lives matter. fuck yeah, people are people. everyone is equal.
I see people in the US finally waking up, finally looking into their history. but dont preach to me though, way I see it you're newcomers into this game and I most likely know more about your shit than you do
not to offend anyone, #BLM is a first world problem. for the most part the community is intergarated into the system right the way to the top echelons. they're not walking out of their jobs in droves which is unfortunate so it would appear they are comfortable enough in their part of the system -i see that as a big problem-
they're not sitting down to breakfast with the family and being destroyed by an American tomahawk missile launched hundreds of miles away
Palistine, Lybia, Yemen, Iraq, Afganistan, Syria
that's a problem, funny enough they're not white, and theres hardly any mention of them except for Palistine. not a mention of them anywhere in the around a 100 pages of this sibject because let's face they don't matter
they dont matter to the white people or the black people flying the drones or launching missiles, so their black lives dont matter
reality is, at the moment African American lives matter, which is a bit mad to me because they've always mattered. didnt need marches, or placards, or riots
I lived in london at the back end of signs like this in shops:
no dogs
no blacks
no Irish
I've been in Glasgow (Scotland) for a football match. both Scottish teams, supporters either had Irish flags or brittish flags and by jaysus they wanted to kick seven shades of shit into each other and often did
personally I think the movement #BLM lost as soon as the whole hashtag war started some years ago. rather than own all the hashtags and march together, they fight over them. even here on the site there's contempt
again, I'm 100% behind the people's struggle. know exactly why they're on the streets. and hope they have some lasting sucsess.
best of luck in your endeavors.
("you" is no one specific )
Hey Lepp
Response to this comment on the other thread
I'm Not A Racist and So Are You
Strangeways_Rob said:This was flown over an English Premier stadium just after the players had taken the knee. The instigator has been discovered, but cannot be prosecuted as a criminal offence has not happened. He (and his g/f) however, have been sacked by their respective employees. I can only talk of the UK. There are small pockets of right-wing extremists who will never change their outlook or attitude. They are so peripheral they will eventually fade into obscurity.
Good; serves them right for acting like such asses of disrespect. Why some white people are so threatened by #BlackLivesMatter is beyond me. But, you are right in that they'll never change—and will hopefully fade away into obscurity.
Good; serves them right for acting like such asses of disrespect. Why some white people are so threatened by #BlackLivesMatter is beyond me. But, you are right in that they'll never change—and will hopefully fade away into obscurity.
Black Like Me—John Howard Griffin
John Howard Griffin, author of Black Like Me, was a white man living in Mansfield, TX in 1959. His puzzlement with racial injustice caused him to undergo medical skin-color change to appear as a black man and merged into the community under disguise.
Traumatic experiences in New Orleans led to a hitchhike in Alabama and Mississippi, where things became even worse. After a while, Griffin navigated between his black and his white identities (by relaxing or sticking to his medication), noticing that whites treated him with respect when he was white, and blacks treated him with suspicious fear. In his black role, blacks treated him with warm generosity and whites with contempt. Griffin realised that the races just did not understand one another; he concluded that dialogue would be critical in bridging the gap.
Griffin shared his experiences in an interview series with black leaders in Atlanta before returning to New Orleans to make a photographic essay. Going off his medication permanently, he then returned home and published his article in March 1960. When the news got out, it took the world by storm.
However, the prevailing attitude of racism made Griffin and his family the subject of hateful reprisals. Rebels painted an effigy of Griffin half-white/half-black and burned it on Main Street. After a cross was burnt in a black community schoolyard amidst threats to castrate Griffin, he moved his family to Mexico.
Black Like Me movie link: https://youtu.be/Ww0q4XhxPAA
Anonymous
I'm really looking forward to watching it this, Cabby. Thank you for the recommendation.
I just got back home after taking a short vacation.
Midwest seems to be the better place right now, wisconsin was open to businesses and everyone could go in without masks although the workers had to wea masks.
Illinios half the businesses were open but they seemed to be more restricted with masks.
The airports..layover in vegas, majority of the shops and restuarants were open. Milwaukee airport was a ghost town. Denver airport again, majority of the shops were open but all airports and flights masks were inforced. The middle seats were kept open, only the window and aisle seats were seated but then...right behind you and ahead of you someone was seated so basically the whole business of social distancing didn't make much of sense. I guess they're trying to do their best.
Midwest seems to be the better place right now, wisconsin was open to businesses and everyone could go in without masks although the workers had to wea masks.
Illinios half the businesses were open but they seemed to be more restricted with masks.
The airports..layover in vegas, majority of the shops and restuarants were open. Milwaukee airport was a ghost town. Denver airport again, majority of the shops were open but all airports and flights masks were inforced. The middle seats were kept open, only the window and aisle seats were seated but then...right behind you and ahead of you someone was seated so basically the whole business of social distancing didn't make much of sense. I guess they're trying to do their best.
cabcool said:Black Like Me—John Howard Griffin
John Howard Griffin, author of Black Like Me, was a white man living in Mansfield, TX in 1959. His puzzlement with racial injustice caused him to undergo medical skin-color change to appear as a black man and merged into the community under disguise.
Traumatic experiences in New Orleans led to a hitchhike in Alabama and Mississippi, where things became even worse. After a while, Griffin navigated between his black and his white identities (by relaxing or sticking to his medication), noticing that whites treated him with respect when he was white, and blacks treated him with suspicious fear. In his black role, blacks treated him with warm generosity and whites with contempt. Griffin realised that the races just did not understand one another; he concluded that dialogue would be critical in bridging the gap.
Griffin shared his experiences in an interview series with black leaders in Atlanta before returning to New Orleans to make a photographic essay. Going off his medication permanently, he then returned home and published his article in March 1960. When the news got out, it took the world by storm.
However, the prevailing attitude of racism made Griffin and his family the subject of hateful reprisals. Rebels painted an effigy of Griffin half-white/half-black and burned it on Main Street. After a cross was burnt in a black community schoolyard amidst threats to castrate Griffin, he moved his family to Mexico.
Black Like Me movie link: https://youtu.be/Ww0q4XhxPAA
It was very intense, Cabcool. The psychological impact of realization was almost too much for him to bear. The South was rough; people who haven't lived there will never understand the mindset regardless of what they experienced in the rest of the world. It made the biggest impact on my life more than anything else. And I've had some HUGE impacts.
This was released when we lived in England and was certainly never advertised and/or promoted ( along with the true story ) in southern education. Thank you for sharing.
John Howard Griffin, author of Black Like Me, was a white man living in Mansfield, TX in 1959. His puzzlement with racial injustice caused him to undergo medical skin-color change to appear as a black man and merged into the community under disguise.
Traumatic experiences in New Orleans led to a hitchhike in Alabama and Mississippi, where things became even worse. After a while, Griffin navigated between his black and his white identities (by relaxing or sticking to his medication), noticing that whites treated him with respect when he was white, and blacks treated him with suspicious fear. In his black role, blacks treated him with warm generosity and whites with contempt. Griffin realised that the races just did not understand one another; he concluded that dialogue would be critical in bridging the gap.
Griffin shared his experiences in an interview series with black leaders in Atlanta before returning to New Orleans to make a photographic essay. Going off his medication permanently, he then returned home and published his article in March 1960. When the news got out, it took the world by storm.
However, the prevailing attitude of racism made Griffin and his family the subject of hateful reprisals. Rebels painted an effigy of Griffin half-white/half-black and burned it on Main Street. After a cross was burnt in a black community schoolyard amidst threats to castrate Griffin, he moved his family to Mexico.
Black Like Me movie link: https://youtu.be/Ww0q4XhxPAA
It was very intense, Cabcool. The psychological impact of realization was almost too much for him to bear. The South was rough; people who haven't lived there will never understand the mindset regardless of what they experienced in the rest of the world. It made the biggest impact on my life more than anything else. And I've had some HUGE impacts.
This was released when we lived in England and was certainly never advertised and/or promoted ( along with the true story ) in southern education. Thank you for sharing.
SweetKittyCat5 said:She is my 'favorite' poetess...she was a profound woman not only with the creativity of her meaning poems but her activism as well. I did not want to leave you out there alone
I love her too, SKC. Have you ever seen the movie based on her called "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?
This film adaptation of Maya Angelou's autobiography focuses on the author's extremely difficult youth. Young Maya (Constance Good) lives at her grandmother's in Arkansas. Life is hard for the little girl, but a truly dark turning point comes when she is raped by her mother's boyfriend (Paul Benjamin). After she identifies her rapist, her uncles murder him. Overwhelmed with guilt and confusion, Maya becomes mute for years, struggling all the while to come to terms with her trauma.
It really highlights the power of a good teacher to mold a student's life by planting the right seeds. And the power of determination to break through residual trauma.
You'll recognize much of the cast, Esther Rolle, Madge Sinclair, and Diahann Carroll.
https://youtu.be/JG1e7fzsrJQ
I love her too, SKC. Have you ever seen the movie based on her called "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?
This film adaptation of Maya Angelou's autobiography focuses on the author's extremely difficult youth. Young Maya (Constance Good) lives at her grandmother's in Arkansas. Life is hard for the little girl, but a truly dark turning point comes when she is raped by her mother's boyfriend (Paul Benjamin). After she identifies her rapist, her uncles murder him. Overwhelmed with guilt and confusion, Maya becomes mute for years, struggling all the while to come to terms with her trauma.
It really highlights the power of a good teacher to mold a student's life by planting the right seeds. And the power of determination to break through residual trauma.
You'll recognize much of the cast, Esther Rolle, Madge Sinclair, and Diahann Carroll.
https://youtu.be/JG1e7fzsrJQ
Layla said:I just got back home after taking a short vacation.
Midwest seems to be the better place right now, wisconsin was open to businesses and everyone could go in without masks although the workers had to wea masks.
Illinios half the businesses were open but they seemed to be more restricted with masks.
The airports..layover in vegas, majority of the shops and restuarants were open. Milwaukee airport was a ghost town. Denver airport again, majority of the shops were open but all airports and flights masks were inforced. The middle seats were kept open, only the window and aisle seats were seated but then...right behind you and ahead of you someone was seated so basically the whole business of social distancing didn't make much of sense. I guess they're trying to do their best.
Nice to have you back, Layla. I just read an article about 500 Delta Airline employees contracting covid-19, and 10 dying.
Delta Airlines CEO says 500 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and 10 died
'Breaks my heart' Delta CEO said of the employee deaths.
[ . . . ]
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/06/24/delta-airlines-ceo-says-500-employees-have-tested-positive-for-covid-19-and-10-died/%3foutputType=amp
Not to scare you. . .but I was literally about to post this in the covid thread after responding to Cab & SKC when I read your response.
Midwest seems to be the better place right now, wisconsin was open to businesses and everyone could go in without masks although the workers had to wea masks.
Illinios half the businesses were open but they seemed to be more restricted with masks.
The airports..layover in vegas, majority of the shops and restuarants were open. Milwaukee airport was a ghost town. Denver airport again, majority of the shops were open but all airports and flights masks were inforced. The middle seats were kept open, only the window and aisle seats were seated but then...right behind you and ahead of you someone was seated so basically the whole business of social distancing didn't make much of sense. I guess they're trying to do their best.
Nice to have you back, Layla. I just read an article about 500 Delta Airline employees contracting covid-19, and 10 dying.
Delta Airlines CEO says 500 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and 10 died
'Breaks my heart' Delta CEO said of the employee deaths.
[ . . . ]
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/06/24/delta-airlines-ceo-says-500-employees-have-tested-positive-for-covid-19-and-10-died/%3foutputType=amp
Not to scare you. . .but I was literally about to post this in the covid thread after responding to Cab & SKC when I read your response.
I finally did see the adaptation and Diahann Carroll was such a beautiful African American woman back than; however, I was born in 1993 and the adaptation I think came out in 1979, I did not see it until years later once I came to the USA from Haiti for schooling, and I still have the same reaction when I see it.. very sobering emotions , and thank you for posting such a classic my poetess
SweetKittyCat5 said:I finally did see the adaptation and Diahann Carroll was such a beautiful African American woman back than; however, I was born in 1993 and the adaptation I think came out in 1979, I did not see it until years later once I came to the USA from Haiti for schooling, and I still have the same reaction when I see it.. very sobering emotions , and thank you for posting such a classic my poetess
We stand on the shoulders of giants, SweetKittyCat5.
We stand on the shoulders of giants, SweetKittyCat5.
