Anniversary of Jesse Owens' Death

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort” - Jesse Owens

(Jesse Owens)

Jesse Owens was born as James Owens on September 12th 1913 in Oakville, Alabama, USA. When he was 9 years old Owens and his family moved to Cleveland OH. Owens got the name Jesse when a school teacher misheard him and thought his name was Jesse. Owens started to run track while in middle school. In 1933 Owens matched the world record for 100 yard dash and the long jump. In 1935 Owens married Ruth Solomon and had 3 daughters together.

(Ruth Solomon and Jesse Owens)

Owens then attended Ohio State University.

(Owens in 1935)

Owens won a record eight individual NCAA championships, four each in 1935 and 1936. Also in 1935 Owens set three world records and tied a fourth. In 1936 Owens went to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany to represent the US. Owens had to be escorted everywhere while in Berlin due to many fans trying to rush him. Owens won 4 gold medals while at the Olympics.

(Owens (Middle) in 1936)

When he returned to the US after the Olympics there was a parade in his honor and at the parade he received $10,000 in cash from a random person in a paper bag. Later at a reception honoring Owens couldn't enter through the front door of the Waldorf Astoria New York and instead forced to travel up to the event in a freight elevator to reach the reception honoring him due to segregation laws.

(Owens in 1936)

In 1936 Owens spoke at a Republican rally held in Baltimore, MD on October 9, 1936, Owens said "Some people say Hitler snubbed me. But I tell you, Hitler didn't snub me. I am not knocking the President. Remember, I am not a politician, but remember that the President did not send me a message of congratulations because people said, he was too busy.” Due to racial discrimination Owens was prohibited from amateur sporting appearances to bolster his profile. Owens then found out that the commercial offers had all disappeared. In 1946 Owens  joined Abe Saperstein in the formation of the West Coast Baseball Association (WCBA), a new Negro baseball league. Owens became the Vice-President and the owner of the Portland Rosebuds franchise.

(Owens (Left) running at a WCBA game)

The WCBA disbanded after only two months. Owens tried to make a living as a sports promoter he would give local sprinters a ten- or twenty-yard start and beat them in the 100-yd dash. He also challenged and defeated racehorses; as he revealed later, the trick was to race a high-strung thoroughbred that would be frightened by the starter's shotgun and give him a bad jump.

(Owens racing a horse)

Owens later ran a dry cleaning business and worked as a gas station attendant to earn a living, he eventually filed for bankruptcy. In 1966, he was successfully prosecuted for tax evasion. The government appointed him as a US goodwill ambassador. Owens traveled the world and spoke to companies such as the Ford Motor Company and stakeholders such as the United States Olympic Committee. After he retired, he owned racehorses. In 1968 Owens initially refused to support the black power salute by African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He told them, “The black fist is a meaningless symbol. When you open it, you have nothing but fingers weak, empty fingers. The only time the black fist has significance is when there's money inside. There's where the power lies”. Four years later in his 1972 book I Have Changed, he changed his opinion, “I realized now that militancy in the best sense of the word was the only answer where the black man was concerned, that any black man who wasn't a militant in 1970 was either blind or a coward”. In December of 1979 Owens was hospitalized with an extremely aggressive and drug resistant type of lung cancer.

(Owens in 1979)

On March 31st, 1980 Jesse Owens died of lung cancer in Tucson, Arizona. He was 66 years old.

(Owens’ funeral)

Today is the 37th anniversary of his death. Take time to remember this great athlete today.

Books by Jesse Owens

• I Have Changed (1972)

Videos of Jesse Owens

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCmvDwDocrw  “Jesse Owens, Hitler reaction”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB0n35UIv-s  “1936, 100m, Men, Olympic Games, Berlin”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQIe4JKjYn4  “Race Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis Drama HD”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLGj3JnblqA  “Jesse Owens Berlin Olympics interview”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hLFgTFfzhE  “Jesse Owens Rare Interview”

Anniversary of Queen Nanny's Death

“Mother of all Jamaicans” - Queen Nanny’s title

(Queen Nanny)

Queen Nanny was born in 1686 in Ghana and was apart of the Ashanti tribe. Nanny and several other relatives were captured and sold into slavery. She was sent to Jamaica. Nanny was sold to a plantation in Saint Thomas Parish. She suffered hard conditions under slavery. Nanny and a few other slaves ran away and hid in the Blue Mountains area of northern Saint Thomas Parish.

(A drawing of Queen Nanny)

Nanny and another slave founded communities in Portland Parish. Due to Nanny’s community being strategically placed so that there was one way in and out of it they were able to fight off the British who wanted to take them back as slaves. The name of her community was called Nanny Town. It consisted of 500 acres. The people living in Nanny Town were called Maroons. The Maroons were known for raiding plantations for weapons and food, burning the plantations, and leading slaves back to their communities. Nanny was very adept at organizing plans to free slaves. Over 30 years she freed over 1000 slaves.

(A painting of Queen Nanny)

A lot of her leadership skills were attributed to her religion, Obeah. She also served as a physical and spiritual healer to her community. On March 30th 1733 Queen Nanny was killed in the 1st Maroon war in Nanny Town, Jamaica. She was about 47 years old.

(Nanny on the Jamaican $500 bill)

Today is the 284th anniversary of her death. Take time to remember this great revolutionary today.

Get Out 1st Reaction

“TSA, we handle s**t” - Rod Williams

*SPOILERS*

This is the best movie I have seen this year. This movie has so much symbolism and is very realistically scary. This movie addresses a possibility of what happens to the thousands of missing Black people within the United States. This film also spreads light on organ trafficking and how that is a possible main reason why Black people in the U.S. go missing. This film shows the horror of how you could be just snathched off the street and never heard of again. My favorite part of the film was towards the end where Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) escapes the house and kills his captors and the sike out part where a what seems to be cop car comes up and it turns out to be his best friend Rod Williams (Lil Rey Howery).This film is also a type of warning to Black people, for them to be aware of their surroundings, stay in contact with each other, and to know how to defend themselves both with weapons and hand to hand combat to prevent anything like that to happen to yourself. I literally could not find a single thing wrong with this film while viewing it. All in all I would give this film a 10/10. I recommend everyone to see this movie in order to be informed of things like this that are and could be happening within the U.S.

Trailer for the film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRfnevzM9kQ  “Get Out - In Theaters This February - Official Trailer”

Logan 1st Reaction

“She's like you... she's very much like you” - Professor X

*SPOILERS*

This film was the best X Men movie of all time. Better than Deadpool (2016), better than X Men Days of Future Past (2014), and better than X2 X Men United (2003). This film even rivals The Dark Knight (2008) for the title of the best superhero movie of all time. This film was so emotional and this film has become one of the few movies along with E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982) and Terminator 2 Judgement Day (1991) that can make me tear up at the end. My favorite part of the movie was the end where Wolverine went to save the children mutants and X 23 and when Wolverine fought X 24. This was definitely the saddest superhero movie of all time. The saddest part of this whole film was the part where X 24 kills Professor X and killed the whole family that Wolverine, Professor X and X 23 was staying with. Throughout the whole film I could not find anything wrong with the film, until I realized at the end of the film there was no end credit scene and I feel that every superhero movie released after 2008 should always have an end credit scene. All in all I would give this film a 9.9999999/10. I would recommend this film to Marvel fans, Superhero fans and anyone who likes drama.

Trailer for the film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Div0iP65aZo  “Logan | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX”

Happy Independence Day Namibia

“A diamond's father is coal, yet it regards itself as upper-class” - Namibian Proverb

(Namibia flag (1990-Present))

Namibia is located in southern Africa.

(Map of where Namibia is located)

Its capital is Windhoek. Windhoek is also its largest city. The official language is English. The country is 318,696 square miles. Namibia is 92.5% African, 7% European and 0.5% other races. 90% of the population practice Christianity while 10% practice indigenous religions. The total population is 2,113,077. The climate is subtropical. Namibia is a Unitary semi-presidential republic.

(Windhoek, Namibia’s capital)  

Namibian cuisine consists of fruits, nuts, and meats from various animals indigenous to the region.

(Namibian cuisine)

Namibia has a number of different folk style music.

(Namibian musicians)

The most popular sport in Namibia is soccer. The national team is called the Brave Warriors.

(Namibia’s soccer team)

Namibia was first inhabited by the San, Damara, and Nama people.

(Women from the San tribe)

In the early 14th century the Bantu people migrated into Nambia.

(Children from the Bantu tribe)

In 1485 the Portuguese came across the land which is now Namibia. In the early 1800’s Germany started to colonize Namibia. In 1880 the Nama-Herero war broke out. In 1884 Namibia officially became a German colony and was known as German South West Africa.

(German Southwest Africa flag (1884-1915))

From 1904 to 1907 the African people, the Herero and the Namaqua took up arms against the German colonizers. The Germans then committed the 1st genocide of the 20th century by systematically killing 10,000 Nama and 65,000 Herero.

(Victims of the German genocide of Namibians)

The survivors, when finally released from detention, were subjected to a policy of dispossession, deportation, forced labour, racial segregation and discrimination in a system that in many ways anticipated apartheid. In 1915 the British occupied the territory and it was renamed South West Africa.

(Southwest Africa flag (1915-1990))

In 1966 the People's Liberation Army of Namibia began their armed struggle for independence. In 1978 the UN Security Council passed UN Resolution 435 which planned a transition toward independence for Namibia. In 1988 South African forces under British rule took their troops out of Namibia. On March 21st, 1990 Namibia became independent.

(Namibia flag (1990-Present))

The 1st president of Namibia was Sam Nujoma.

(Sam Nujoma)

In 1999 a secessionist attempt in the northeastern Caprivi Strip was successfully quashed. In 2004 Germany apologized for the Namibian genocide. In 2005 Hifikepunye Pohamba became president of Namibia.

(Hifikepunye Pohamba)

Today marks the 27th anniversary of Namibia’s independence and we would like to say happy independence day Namibia.

Videos of Namibia Independence

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uL30BtTcRo  “Namibia's 24th Independence Celebration NBC”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcAQ5mS55JQ  “Namibia independence day national anthem 2017”

Happy Independence Day Tunisia

“He who is covered with other people's clothes is naked” - Tunisian Proverb

(Tunisia flag (1956-Present))

Tunisia is located in North Africa.

(Map of where Tunisia is located)

Its capital is Tunis. Tunis is also its largest city. The official language is Arabic. The country is 63,170 square miles. Tunisia is 98% Asian (Arab) and 2% African and European. 98% of Tunisia practice Islam while 2% practice Christianity, Judaism, and other religions. The total population is 10,982,754. The climate is mediterranean in the northern part of the country with mild rainy winters and hot, dry summers and the south of the country is desert. Tunisia is a Unitary semi-presidential republic.

(Tunis, Tunisia’s capital)

Tunisian cuisine is spicy and consists of lamb, veal, tuna, squid, lemons, oranges, parsley, cilantro, hazelnuts, almonds, garlic and onions.

(Tunisian cuisine)

The music of Tunisia is called Rachidia.

(People from Tunisia playing Rachidia music)

The most popular sport in Tunisia is soccer. Their national soccer team is called The Eagles of Carthage.

(Tunisia’s soccer team)

The land which is Tunisia now was first inhabited around 5000 B.C. by the Berbers.

(A Berber man)

The coast of Tunisia was settled by  Phoenicians in the 12th century B.C. The city of Carthage was founded in the 9th century B.C. by the Phoenicians.

(A painting of the Phoenicians)

In the 5th century the city of Carthage became the dominant civilization in the Western Mediterranean. The army of Carthage led by Hannibal Barca invaded Italy during the 2nd Punic War.

(A painting of Hannibal Barca)

In 149 B.C. Carthage was conquered by the Roman Empire. Under Roman rule Carthage’s economy boosted. In the early 8th century Arabs conquered the land. They founded the 1st Islamic city in North Africa called Kairouan. The Aghlabid Dynasty ruled Tunisia from 800 to 909. There was prosperity in Tunisia under this rule. In 972 the Zirids took control of Tunisia. In the 12th century the Normans of Sicily took control of Tunisia. The Almohads then rules Tunisia in 1160. There was a lot of chaos during their rule of Tunisia. In the late 16th century the coast of Tunisia became a stronghold for pirates. In 1534 the Ottoman Empire took control of Tunisia. In 1869 Tunisia declared itself bankrupt. In 1881 the French took over Tunisia.

(Tunisian flag (1881-1956))

The number of French and Italians grew in Tunisia. During World War II there was multiple battles between the allies and axis forces. On March 20th 1956 Tunisia declared its independence from France.

(Tunisian flag (1956-Present))

Habib Bourguiba became the 1st Tunisian president.

(Habib Bourguiba)

In 1987 Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali assumed the presidency due to Bourguiba being unfit to rule. In 2008 in terms of freedom of press Tunisia was declared 143rd out of 173. In 2011 began the Tunisian Revolution. There were mass protests and demonstrations against the government.

(Protests in Tunisia)

In 2015 Tunisia was hit by 2 terrorist attacks killing 60 people.

(News coverage of the attacks)

Today marks the 61st anniversary of Tunisia’s independence and we would like to say happy independence day Tunisia.

Videos of Tunisia Independence

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44eLoHcn97g  “Tunisia marks independence day in defiance of attacks”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3ezIeaElxg  “Tunisian Cultural Performance”

Happy Birthday Spike Lee

“It comes down to this: black people were stripped of our identities when we were brought here, and it's been a quest since then to define who we are” - Spike Lee

(Spike Lee)

Spike Lee was born as Shelton Lee on March 20th, 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. As a child his family moved to Brooklyn, NY. He then got the nickname “Spike” as a child.

(Lee in high school)

Lee attended Morehouse college in Atlanta, GA. He graduated with a BA from Morehouse in Mass Communication. In 1985 Lee began on his 1st feature film She’s Gotta Have It. The film released in 1986 and earned $7 million at the US box office.

(Lee in She’s Gotta Have It (1986))

In 1989 Lee’s film Do the Right Thing (1989) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

(Lee in Do the Right Thing(1989))

In 1990 Lee’s film Mo’ Better Blues was accused of antisemitism by the Anti-Defamation League and several film critics. Lee denied the charges, Lee said that he would not release an anti semitic film because Jews run Hollywood. In 1991 Lee taught a course at Harvard about filmmaking. In 1993 Lee began to teach at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. In the mid 90’s Lee produced TV commercials for Levi’s jeans. Also Spike Lee joined with Michael Jordan to promote Air Jordan sneakers.

(Michael Jordan (Left) and Lee (Right))

In 1997 Lee’s film 4 Little Girls was nominated for the Best Feature Documentary Academy Award. In 2007 Spike Lee was honored with the San Francisco Film Society's Directing Award. In 2008 he received the Wexner Prize. In 2012 after the shooting of Trayvon Martin, Spike Lee was one of many people who used Twitter to circulate a message which claimed to give the home address of the shooter George Zimmerman.

(Lee in 2012)

In 2013 Lee won The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. In 2015 Lee received an Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his contributions to film. Lee is the director, writer, and producer of the MyCareer story mode in the video game NBA 2K16.

(Lee in 2015)

Today is his 60th birthday and we would all like to say happy birthday Spike Lee.

Spike Lee’s filmography

• Joe’s Bed Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983)
• She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
• School Daze (1988)
• Do the Right Thing (1989)
• Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
• Jungle Fever (1991)
• Malcolm X (1992)
• Crooklyn (1994)
• Clockers (1995)
• Lumiere and Company (1995)
• Girl 6 (1996)
• Get on the Bus (1996)
• 4 Little Girls (1997)
• He Got Game (1998)
• Freak (1998)
• Pavarotti and Friends for the Children of Liberia (1998)
• Summer of Sam (1999)
• Pavarotti and Friends for the Guatemala and Kosovo (1999)
• The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
• Bamboozled (2000)
• A Huey P. Newton Story (2001)
• The Concert for New York City (2001)
• 25th Hour (2002)
• Jim Brown: All American (2002)
• Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002)
• She Hate Me (2004)
• Sucker Free City (2004)
• Inside Man (2006)
• When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006)
• Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
• Passing Strange (2008)
• Kobe Doin’ Work (2009)
• If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise (2010)
• Red Hook Summer (2012)
• Bad 25 (2012)
• Oldboy (2013)
• Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth (2013)
• Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2014)
• Katt Williams: Priceless: Afterlife (2014)
• Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store (2014)
• Chi-Raq (2015)
• Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016)

Videos of Spike Lee

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muc7xqdHudI  “DO THE RIGHT THING - Trailer - HQ”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd9oTGr_1DA  “She'S Gotta Have It - Trailer”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLT3Qu76-bw  “School Daze TRAILER”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx4sEvhYeVE  “Malcolm X (1992) Official Trailer - Denzel Washington Movie HD”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njLUPZr4DeU  “He got Game Trailer”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMZ6zp-3oGY  “Spike Lee's Bamboozled Trailer”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGTuuj-aTJs  “Chi-Raq Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris Movie HD”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNpI-VIlONw  “Spike Lee Interview: "Do The Right Thing" 25 Years Later”