July 31st is Whitney Moore Young Jr. Day!!!

July 31st is Whitney Moore Young Jr. Day!!! 

"Whitney Moore Young, Jr. was a pioneering social worker who redefined the role of that profession, and its importance to the civil rights cause. His progressive work as the executive director of the National Urban League, and his efforts to bridge racial boundaries and usher African Americans into the social and economic mainstream had enduring results for Blacks and for the nation." Thank you Mr. Young for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Whitney Moore Young Jr. :-)

http://blackhistorynow.com/whitney-m-young-jr/

"Support the strong, give courage to the timid, remind the indifferent, and warn the opposed." - Whitney Moore Young Jr.

July 25th is Walter Payton Day!!!

July 25th is Walter Payton Day!!! 

"Walter Payton was born on July 25, 1954, in Columbia, Mississippi. Known by the nickname "Sweetness," he was signed by the Chicago Bears in 1975 as a running back. Payton made nine Pro Bowl appearances and won the Most Valuable Player Award twice. He held the NFL rushing record and the single game rushing record. Payton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. He died in 1999." Thank you Mr. Patyton for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Walter Payton. :-) 

http://www.biography.com/people/walter-payton-9435443

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBk9YaTBo10

"Most important thought, if you love someone, tell him or her, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store." - Walter Payton

July 24th is Kenneth Bancroft Clark Day!!!

July 24th is Kenneth Bancroft Clark Day!!! 

"Kenneth Bancroft Clark was born on July 24, 1914 in the Panama Canal Zone. He was the first black president of the American Psychological Association. With his wife Mamie Phipps Clark, in 1946, he founded the Northside Center for Child Development and published a report that unmasked the psychological effects of school segregation and which was prominently cited in Brown v. Board of Education." Thank you Mr. Clark for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Kenneth Bancroft Clark. :-)

http://www.biography.com/people/kenneth-bancroft-clark-9249475

“Probably the most difficult value for me to live by, rather than to just verbalize, is that of maintaining a genuine and functional compassion for those human beings who do not share my values.” - Kenneth Bancroft Clark

July 23rd is Haile Selassie I Day!!!

July 23rd is Haile Selassie I Day!!! 

"Born in Ethiopia in 1892, Haile Selassie was crowned emperor in 1930 but exiled during World War II after leading the resistance to the Italian invasion. He was reinstated in 1941 and sought to modernize the country over the next few decades through social, economic and educational reforms. He ruled until 1974, when famine, unemployment and political opposition forced him from office." Thank you Mr. Selassie for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Haile Selassie I. :-)  

http://www.biography.com/people/haile-selassie-i-9325096

"Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph." - Haile Selassie I

July 22nd is George Clinton Day!!!

July 22nd is George Clinton Day!!! 

"Recording both as Parliament and Funkadelic, George Clinton revolutionized R&B during the ’70s, twisting soul music into funk by adding influences from several late-’60s acid heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Sly Stone. The Parliament/Funkadelic machine ruled black music during the ’70s, capturing over 40 R&B hit singles (including three number ones) and recording three platinum albums. Born in Kannapolis, NC, on July 22, 1941, Clinton became interested in doo wop while living in New Jersey during the early ’50s. . Basing his group on Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Clinton formed The Parliaments in 1955, rehearsing in the back room of a Plainfield barbershop where he straightened hair. The Parliaments released only two singles during the next ten years, but frequent trips to Detroit during the mid-’60s – where Clinton began working as a songwriter and producer – eventually paid off their investment." Thank you Mr. Clinton for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about George Clinton. :-) 

http://georgeclinton.com/biography/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuyS9M8T03A

"Style is whatever you want to do, if you can do it with confidence." - George Clinton

July 18th is Mandela Day!!!

July 18th is Mandela Day!!! 

"Following the success of Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations in London’s Hyde Park in June 2008, it was decided that there could be nothing more fitting than to celebrate Mr Mandela’s birthday each year with a day dedicated to his life’s work and that of his charitable organizations, and to ensure his legacy continues forever.
The Mandela Day campaign message is simple: Mr Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. All we are asking is that everyone gives 67 minutes of their time, whether it’s supporting your chosen charity or serving your local community.Mandela Day is a call to action for individuals – for people everywhere – to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place, one small step at a time, just as Mr Mandela did." Thank you Mr. Mandela for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Nelson Mandela. :-) 

http://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography/

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela

July 16th is Ida B. Wells Day!!!

July 16th is Ida B. Wells Day!!! 

"A daughter of slaves, Ida B. Wells was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, on July 16, 1862. A journalist, Wells led an anti-lynching crusade in the United States in the 1890's, and went on to found and become integral in groups striving for African-American justice. She died in 1931 in Chicago, Illinois." Thank you Ms. Wells for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Ida B. Wells. :-)  

http://www.biography.com/people/ida-b-wells-9527635

"The appeal to the white man's pocket has ever been more effectual than all the appeals ever made to his conscience." - Ida B. Wells

July 10th is Arthur Ashe Day!!!

July 10th is Arthur Ashe Day!!! 

"As a tennis player, Arthur Ashe was one of the most prominent players of his time; an all-out competitor who rarely beat himself. His legacy, however, will be the positive changes he helped bring about and the causes he championed, both within tennis and in society as a whole. Always at his best he was for many the very definition of tennis, yet tennis never defined Arthur Ashe."Thank you Mr. Ashe e for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Arthur Ashe. :-) 

http://www.cmgww.com/sports/ashe/biography.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIB5VH3h6vA

"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." - Arthur Ashe

July 10th is Mary McLeod Bethune Day!!!

July 10th is Mary McLeod Bethune Day!!! 

"Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator and activist, serving as president of the National Association of Colored Women and founding the National Council of Negro Women." Thank you Ms. McLeod Bethune for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Mary McLeod Bethune. :-)

http://www.biography.com/people/mary-mcleod-bethune-9211266

"We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends." - Mary McLeod Bethune

July 7th is Satchel Paige Day!!!

July 7th is Satchel Paige Day!!! 

"It is estimated that Leroy "Satchel" Paige was born on July 7, 1906. The mere idea that his birthday is an estimate provides perfect evidence to the mystery that was Satchel Paige. In 1965, 60 years after Paige's supposed birthday, he took the mound for the last time, throwing three shutout innings for the Kansas City Athletics. Joe DiMaggio called Satchel Paige "the best and fastest pitcher I've ever faced". His pitching was amazing and his showboating was legendary. His career highlights span five decades. Pronounced the greatest pitcher in the history of the Negro Leagues, Paige compiled such feats as 64 consecutive scoreless innings, a stretch of 21 straight wins, and a 31-4 record in 1933. For 22 years, Paige mauled the competition in front of sellout crowds. Sure, he liked the attention, but to him, there was only one goal. That goal would be to pitch in the Major Leagues." Thank you Mr. Paige for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Satchel Paige. :-)

http://www.satchelpaige.com/bio2.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA3TLzWAOE0

"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching." - Satchel Paige

July 6th is Frida Kahlo Day!!!

July 6th is Frida Kahlo Day!!! 

"Frida Kahlo de Rivera (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954; Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón) was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán.  Perhaps best known for her self-portraits, Kahlo's work is remembered for its "pain and passion", and its intense, vibrant colors. Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as emblematic of national and indigenous tradition, and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form. Mexican culture and Amerindian cultural tradition figure prominently in her work, which has sometimes been characterized as Naïve art or folk art.  Her work has also been described as "surrealist", and in 1938 one surrealist described Kahlo herself as a "ribbon around a bomb"." 

Her paintings are some of my favorite pieces of art of all-time!!!  I love her work because it is REAL, no matter any exaggeration or artistic liberties the TRUTH and REALNESS always jumps out at you!  She was a very creative and eccentric person and lived a very different life, but the originality, vibrancy, and intelligence of her work made it certain that she would be celebrated and acknowledge for her work for many generations!  Thank you Ms. Kahlo for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Friday Kahlo. :-) 

http://www.fridakahlo.com/

"I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality." - Frida Kahlo

July 2nd is Patrice Lumumba Day!!!

July 2nd is Patrice Lumumba Day!!!

"Patrice Lumumba was the first prime minister of the Republic of the Congo. He was a leading figure in the Congo as that country established its independence from Belgium, which had controlled the Congo since the late nineteenth century. Lumumba's murder in 1961 has made him a symbol of struggle for champions of African nations' attempts to unite and to break free of the influence of the European powers that once colonized (held territory in) the continent."

Mr. Lumumba is another victim of the racism and elitism of the world!  Killed because he stood up for what is right and what is right for his people, he was not going to be controlled by people from outside his country!!!  Again, we need more people like this in the world and we need to somehow break through the European elitism and it needs to be known that every human being deserves the same respect and rights!  First and foremost though Africa needs to be given back to Africa and then maybe Africa would open their arms again, but I truly believe everything that belongs to Africa should be given back NOW!!!! If there is no continuation to do this then people like Mr. Lumumba lived and died in vain because no one is there to carry on the legacy and fight!!! Thank you Mr. Lumumba for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Patrice Lumumba. :-)

 http://www.notablebiographies.com/Lo-Ma/Lumumba-Patrice.html

“We are proud of this struggle, of tears, of fire, and of blood, to the depths of our being, for it was a noble and just struggle, and indispensable to put an end to the humiliating slavery which was imposed upon us by force.” - Patrice Lumumba

July 2nd is Medgar Evers Day!!!

July 2nd is Medgar Evers Day!!! 

"Civil rights activist Medgar Evers was born on July 2, 1925, in Decatur, Mississippi. In 1954, he became the first state field secretary of the NAACP in Mississippi. As such, he organized voter-registration efforts, demonstrations, and economic boycotts of companies that practiced discrimination. He also worked to investigate crimes perpetrated against blacks. On June 12, 1963, Evers was assassinated outside of his home in Jackson, Mississippi."

The death of Mr. Evers is still one the most despicable things that has happened with government set-ups and shady shit with the USA government. It is too bad that even with his death there is still ignorance and stupidity! Hopefully more people can continue to get more education as to what the REAL truth is and actually live it! Thank you Mr. Evers for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Medgar Evers. 

http://www.biography.com/people/medgar-evers-9542324

"You can kill a man but you can't kill an idea." - Medgar Evers

July 2nd is Thurgood Marshall Day!!!

July 2nd is Thurgood Marshall Day!!! 

"Thurgood Marshall studied law at Howard University. As counsel to the NAACP, he utilized the judiciary to champion equality for African Americans. In 1954, he won the Brown v. Board of Education case, in which the Supreme Court ended racial segregation in public schools. Marshall was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1967, and served for 24 years. He died in Maryland on January 24, 1993." 

I really think Mr. Marshall was an absolutely amazing man - one in very few that actually use their knowledge of the law and legal system to do something good and positive! More people coming up within the system should look up to him and want to be like him. We need more people like him in the world, people that will stand-up for what is right, not just what is convenient and what they can manipulate the law to be.Thank you Mr. Marshall for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Thurgood Marshall. 

http://www.biography.com/people/thurgood-marshall-9400241

"None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody - a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns - bent down and helped us pick up our boots." - Thurgood Marshall

July 1st is Benjamin O. Davis Sr. Day!!!

July 1st is Benjamin O. Davis Sr. Day!!! 

"Benjamin Oliver Davis, Sr., was the first African-American general for the US Army, after starting as a volunteer in the Spanish-American War. Following many years of service he became an adviser for the military on racial discrimination, pushing for full integration of the armed forces. He earned a Bronze Star Medal and Distinguished Service Medal." Thank you Mr. Davis Sr. for all of your contributions and inspiration! Please click the link below and learn more about Benjamin O. Davis Sr. :-)

http://www.biography.com/people/benjamin-o-davis-sr-9267726