Freelance content writer since 2011. This blog serves as a sort of writing journal. Find my random thoughts and opinions on varied topics, links to my blog posts and articles published around the web; and curated advice and tips for writers and bloggers.
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (1917 – 2000) published her first poem at age 14 and today she is recognized as a noted African-American Poet Laureate. In the USA, February is Black History Month; March is Women’s History Month, and April is National Poetry Month. Gwendolyn Brooks gets the spotlight for all three of these “dedicated time periods”. She is worthy of the triple honor.
Ms. Brooks had very humble beginnings. She was born in Topeka, Kansas but her family moved to Chicago (the Southside, i.e. with the rest of the poor folks) when she was young. When she grew up, she attended Wilson Junior College in Chicago, graduating in 1936.
Almost a decade and a half later, in 1950, she was the first African-American (male or female) to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the category of Poetry. Her award-winning poems were published in a book titled “Annie Allen” (1949).
Later Life
Ms. Brooks utilized her poetic prowess for expressing her emotions, beliefs, and perspectives. She had very strong opinions about family life, war, and social ethics. Current events of her day led her to adapt her writing style from humor and irony to a more deeply serious tone in order to address politics and racism and the real assassinations of civil rights activists Medgar Evers (on June 12, 1963) and Malcolm X (on February 21, 1965).
Over
the years, her works have reached a wide and diverse audience. She
has earned the respect of many for her sincerity, quiet strength,
dedication and her life’s accomplishments have left an indelible mark
in literature and in history.
Awards and Honors
The
Pulitzer Prize in Poetry she received in 1950 was not her first
award. In 1946, she was honored as a Guggenheim Fellow in Poetry.
From 1946 to 1999 she received numerous honors. She was inducted
into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1988; and in 1999, she was
awarded the Academy of American Poets Fellowship for distinguished
poetic achievement.
In
April 2012, the U.S. Postal Service issued commemorative stamps
honoring 10 of America’s best 20th-century poets. Gwendolyn Brooks
was one of the 10 poets featured.
Favorite Quotes
This is my favorite Gwen Brooks quote: “I am a writer perhaps because I am not a talker.”
I very
much relate to her quote because it describes me. Even though I am
not a poet, the quote makes me feel like Ms. Brooks and I are kindred
spirits.
Ms.
Brooks departed this life on December 3, 2000, at age 83. She died
of cancer.
To sum up her life and writings in her own words: “Poetry is life distilled.”
♦
Gwendolyn Brooks born in Topeka, Kansas soon moved to Chicago, Illinois at the age of six weeks old. During her teenage years, Brooks started writing poetry. She gained National fame in 1945 for her collection A Street in Bronzeville. pic.twitter.com/mLYSAbyeun
Chandler, D L. “Little Known Black History Fact: Gwendolyn Brooks.” Black America Web, 7 Oct. 2014, blackamericaweb.com/2014/10/06/little-known-black-history-fact-gwendolyn-brooks/. “Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was a pioneering poet who captured the joys and pains of the African-American experience in her work.”
“Books
by Gwendolyn Brooks.” Goodreads,
www.goodreads.com/author/list/25128.Gwendolyn_Brooks. A list of 30
distinct works available at Goodreads.com, as of 3 Feb 2020.
Precious and semi-precious stones are often alluded to in the Bible. The mention of the stones is sometimes figurative or poetical, but the gemstones are very real. If you're going to buy a gem or gemstone as a gift you better know what you're doing or you will get ripped off!!
When viewing the list below, take note that one asterisk (*) indicates that the stone was part of the breastplate; two (**) means it was part of the wall; and no asterisk means both the breastplate and the wall have the same stones. Just for fun, I also associated the birth month, if there was one. You can’t find info about birth months in the Bible. That’s a man-made tradition but a very lovely one. Don’t you agree??
Diamond, Emerald and Sapphire
DIAMOND(*) - Diamond is harder than any other known substance and is an extremely valuable precious stone of pure carbon crystallized in the cubic system. 80% of the world’s supply of rough diamonds comes from Sierra Leone (a fact extracted from a James Bond movie). Global Witness was one of the first organizations to focus the world’s attention to the problem of “conflict diamonds” or “blood diamonds”, sold in order to fund armed conflict. It continues to be a subject of great controversy. [ GlobalWitness.org ] (April)
EMERALD - Emerald is among the most prized gemstones and according to archaeological findings it dates back 5000 years to Egypt and India. It’s easy to believe that its strikingly beautiful green color could have inspired Frank Baum to create “The Emerald City”, the fictional capital city in the Land of Oz, described in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. Found also in Cyprus and Ethiopia during ancient times, and in South America during modern times; it is second in value only to the diamond. (May)
SAPPHIRE - Sapphire (from sappheiros, meaning "blue stone") is an absolutely gorgeous gemstone; a precious stone of transparent blue corundum, its color is due to traces of cobalt. Per AfricaGems.com, there are sapphires that are other colors: pink, green, purple, etc. There are also star-crossed sapphires. The stone looks like it has a star in the middle of it. Stunning! There is some dispute as to whether sapphire referred to in the scriptures is the modern sapphire as we know it. Some believe the reference is to the lapis lazuli, a comparatively rare semi-precious stone which has been highly esteemed since antiquity, from Mesopotamia, to Egypt, to Persia, to Greece, to Rome. The name “lapis lazuli” also means "stone of blue" (Latin for stone; and "azul", Arabic which means blue). (September)
Amethyst, Beryl and Carbuncle
AMETHYST - Amethyst is the most highly valued of the semiprecious quartzes. It is a form of transparent quartz that comes in varying shades of light pinkish violet to a deep purple. It is popular and widely available. Some believe it has healing properties and have credited it with curing a range of ailments – from relieving stress to overcoming alcohol and drug addictions. (February)
BERYL - Beryl is an important gem mineral with many varieties that are distinguished by their color. However, gemologists say this gem in its pure form is actually colorless and that traces of different “impurities” account for the color diversity and varieties. Nevertheless, the two most popular color varieties are emerald (the green variety) and aquamarine (the blue to blue-green variety). But I rather fancy the yellow beryl. (October/November – linked to the Zodiac)
CARBUNCLE(*) - Carbuncle is a precious stone of a deep red color, commonly called a garnet. In mineralogy, it is a deep red, cabochon-cut almandine, which is an iron aluminum garnet. (RE: “cabochon-cut”. Cabochons are not really "cut"; the stones are shaped and polished.) (January)
CHALCEDONY(**) - The name chalcedony is derived from Chalcedon, a city in Asia Minor. It’s a generic descriptive term that encompasses several varieties of quartz gemstones. Agate, chrysoprasus, jasper, onyx, sardius (or carnelian stone), and sardonyx are all varieties of chalcedony. This stone has a waxy luster, is translucent and fine-grained, and occurs in various colors.
* AGATE(*) - Agate comes from the Greek; named for the river Achates in Sicily where this stone is abundant. It can also be found in Arabia, Egypt and India. This gemstone is creatively striped by nature in varicolored layers. (June)
* CHRYSOPRASUS ( or CHRYSOPRASE)(**) - Chrysoprasus is a very rare form of quartz; it contains small quantities of nickel and has a light green color. Some describe the color as golden green or apple green. Chrysoprase is a cryptocrystalline, which means that it’s composed of submicroscopic crystals, i.e. too small to be seen by the naked eye. Pieces of jewelry made using this stone have been uncovered in ancient Egyptian graves. During the Middle Ages, it was very precious because it shined on the dark.
* JASPER - Jasper is a type of microcrystalline quartz, an opaque variety of reddish, brown or green, yellow chalcedony; sometimes white, but seldom blue. It is not a rare stone, inexpensive and often used to make small ornamental objects like ashtrays, candlesticks, ceramics, and jewelry. When heated, it will become clear and look like a diamond. (March)
* ONYX(*) - The onyx stone has contrasting layers of differing colors in parallel lines; usually black and white or brown and white; although many people think of onyx as solid black. Onyx is not just used for jewelry but also for home décor items and ornaments. It has also been for engraving seals. According to the Old Testament book of Genesis, it was a part of the treasures from Havilah. (July)
* SARDIUS - Sardius, in the past, was once highly valued Egyptians, Tibetans and India. It is a red stone, a form of chalcedony, which some call carnelian (a brownish-red mineral which is commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone). The Hebrew word "odem" translated sardius. Archaeologists have unearthed several items of jewelry made from this stone in cities and tombs of Palestine and Egypt. The name was given to this stone at Sardis in Lydia where it was worked and engraved. It can vary in color from pale yellow to reddish orange.
* SARDONYX(**) - Sardonyx is a variety of onyx; there are layers of orange-red sard and white chalcedony; an ornamental stone that is often used for seals and cameos. The array of color layers go from translucent to opaque. Sardonyx has a brown base, whereas onyx has a black base. (August)
Chrysolyte, Jacinth, Ligure, and Topaz
CHRYSOLYTE(**) - Chrysolyte is a transparent precious stone with a fine luster that has the color of gold mixed with green. The name comes from the Greek for “golden stone” and it is often compared to topaz or some other yellow gem. (September)
JACINTH(**) - Jacinth (or hyacinth) is dark purple; but when heated it loses its color and resembles the diamond. There is also a yellow-orange variety of zircon called jacinth. Various sources indicate the terms jacinth and hyacinth are no longer used in the gem trade, but they have historical importance.
LIGURE(*) - Ligure in Hebrew is “leshem”. The 12 Tribes of Israel had emblems (or symbols) and the ligure stone was for the tribe of Ephraim. It was considered to be a stone of mystery. Mysterious indeed. Try to pin down precise information about this stone. Some refer to it as a jacinth; others as a brown agate. I say: Eh! What's life without a little mystery?
TOPAZ - Topaz is a form of chrysolyte, and its most common color is wine-yellow though it can be found in white, pink, green, or blue. Topazios is the Greek name for St. John's Island in the Red Sea, Egypt, where topaz is found. This gem is also found in other parts of the world such as Brazil, Australia, Madagascar, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. (November)
CONCLUSION
The exact date for when the custom or practice of using gems for personal adornments or giving them as gifts is unknown. Sumerian jewelry was found at Ur that dated back to 2500 B.C. The Egyptians have been credited with developing the art of making jewelry. (See Symbolism of Egyptian Jewelry.) Since ancient times, gems or ornaments made from them have had political and religious significance. Signet rings were once commonly used for business purposes. Some people believed (and still believe) precious stones have magical or healing powers.
Another wonderful delight for enlivening salads, adorning sandwiches, dressing pasta … you name it! Always sing the praises of salsa. This time, doing a song and dance routine for pesto.
Hear the word pesto and one usually always thinks Italian. Right? But different cultures have their own version of pesto. Africa. Mexico. Australia. This link is an awesome foodie find! Not only does it tell you the main ingredients in everybody's version but it introduced me to a new word. “Permaculture”.
American vice-presidents must always be in a constant state of readiness. At any given moment they may have to take over the duties of the most powerful office in the world.
What do American Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, and Calvin Coolidge all have in common with each other? These nine men served as Vice-Presidents before becoming Presidents.
Additionally, they have something in common (or should have something in common) with all the citizens of the United States.
They were just ordinary people yearning to pursue a peaceful life, individual liberty and personal happiness. Why? Because living on this planet earth doesn't get any better than that!
Veeps/Presidents from Adams to Coolidge
~ A span of approximately 140 years of nation building.
The gentlemen named below all served as vice-presidents during the years 1789 to 1929. Information contained in parentheses are the political parties* they were linked to, the presidents with whom they served, and the years they took the helm to lead America as POTUS. What follows after are interesting trivia, tidbits and facts about each one.
* John Adams (F ; George Washington ; 1797 - 1801)
* Thomas Jefferson (D-R ; John Adams ; 1801 - 1809)
* Martin Van Buren (D ; Andrew Jackson ; 1837 - 1841)
* John Tyler (W ; William H. Harrison ; 1841 - 1845)
* Millard Fillmore (W ; Zachary Taylor ; 1850 - 1853)
* Andrew Johnson (R ; Abraham Lincoln ; 1865 - 1869)
* Chester A. Arthur (R ; James A. Garfield ; 1881 - 1885)
- The XYZ Affair happened under his watch. Three U.S. Agents were approached by three agents acting on behalf of France (dubbed X, Y and Z) and demanded money (a “bribe”) to settle a dispute about commerce. This incident almost caused a war between the two countries, but peace was secured before Adams left office.
- Because of the depression and economic crisis caused by the closing of banks in Philadelphia and New York City, he persuaded the Congress to set up a federal Treasury independent of the nation's banking and financial system. This would safeguard federal funds from private bank failures. The economy was in crisis mode for his entire presidential term.
- Although he won the election, he angered members of his political party by vetoing banking bills they supported and they disowned him.
- Undeterred by having fallen out of favor with the Whigs, he went about the presidential business by opening up trade relations with China, and admitting Florida and Texas to the Union (US).
- His estate to which he retired was called “Sherwood Forest”, same name for the home of Robin Hood, the medieval English outlaw.
- Put the debate regarding slavery issue on a back burner by sponsoring and signing the Compromise of 1850; a compromise that was ultimately settled by the American Civil War.
(There are times when you just can't build a bridge through compromise and build a united nation, at the same time.)
- The 13th Amendment abolishing slavery was proclaimed.
- Disputed with Congress about the Reconstruction Program
- Alaska was purchased from Russia for $7.2 million. - He left his footprints in the sands of American history by being the first president to ever be impeached.
- Took office because Garfield was assassinated. He had New York “ties” or “connections” which he could never untie or disconnect from in the eyes of others; and consequently, never really accomplished much during his time in the Oval Office. Passed the Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Bill which was aimed at the Mormons in Utah.
- Sworn into office after William McKinley died from an assassin's bullet. A Nobel Peace Prize winner and one of the four presidents whose face is carved into Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The other three are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. The sculpted faces are intended to represent the founding, expansion, preservation and unification
of the United States of America.
- During his administration the Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed, an agreement banning war, actually renouncing war as an “instrument of national policy”. It was even ratified by more than 60 countries.Yeah! The Nazis totally ignored that!
NOTE: There were other veeps who became presidents after Coolidge - Truman, Nixon, Johnson and Ford. But I stopped at Coolidge because he was "Born on the 4th of July". I just thought that was so cool!
King Solomon sent ships to Ophir to bring back almug (or algum) trees, along with gold and precious stones. Research about Ophir's geographical location is scant. In short, no one seems to know where it is! If it is ever found, it will probably be by accident, because everybody keeps searching for Atlantis. The last bit of recorded information we have about Ophir is that the ships that set sail to go there which were sent by another king, never made it to their destination! So I can sort of understand why people would rather go look for Atlantis. Atlantis disappeared. Not the folks who were looking for it!!! (O.o)
1 Kings 9:28 - And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
1 Kings 10:11 - And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
1 Kings 22:48 - Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.
Photo credit: Wikipedia: Solomon and the Plan for the Temple, as in 1 Kings 6, illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company
Anyway, I did manage to find two known places that have the name "Ophir", one in Colorado USA, and the other in New Zealand. Both representing magnificent splendor!!!
Let me tell you about a fellow blogger who goes by the name White Feather. The information he shares is so eye-opening and fascinating, the temptation to re-share is irresistible. You must be pointed in the direction of the paths he takes online in order to see the world through his lens. From his profile at a social network that no longer exists, I found my way to his website and the other links below that were posted to his activity timeline.
The article of interest suggested for your review is:
How Crazy Horse Treated Refugees : Wisdom from a Native American warrior (Applicable to the refugee crisis facing Western nations today?)
Why is this article so interesting to me? The first reason is that I am sort of impressed by the famous Native American known as Crazy Horse. I did a little research on this historical figure and learned that he was anything but crazy! However, while researching I did not come across any information about his dealings with refugees. So this article by White Feather was eye-opening. There is so much American history that we are never taught in school.
Also, I wanted to contrast and compare to my opinion piece which was published here at Medium titled: Syrian Refugees Go Home!
♦ How does this relate to bringing White Feather from the Mountain?
Yes, I know. My logic defies rationale and reasoning. Before discovering this website and its fascinating articles, for me, White Feather was “up in the mountain”. I determined to bring him down from that mountain and introduce him to others.
King Arthur travels to the future and lands in New York City. New York City is to Camelot as King Arthur is to Mayor of New York. OK! Is Merlin with him? But of course! Do you think he could survive New York without a little help from a trusted adviser?
● ● ● Storyline: The legendary King Arthur emerges from an enchanted cave and returns to reign once again in Camelot. Only it’s 1500 years later and Camelot is now known as New York, New York. Hardly a fairy tale city. “Because New Yorkers are all crazy” and they are not in the habit of calling anybody “Your highness”. So don’t think you can just show up and take over. You have to run a campaign for a public office and win the votes of the people. Running for Mayor shouldn’t be too hard. Especially since you still have Merlin as your trusted counselor.
About the Author: Peter David is a New York Times bestselling author that most people might associate with “The Incredible Hulk” (comic books), but Knight Life is his very first novel. After the author became popular his fans began asking for it, so he obliged them. It’s been revised and expanded. The original is out of print. The book has received excellent reviews by Booklist, Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, etc.
Are you wondering why it hasn’t been made into a movie? So is Mr. David. He wrote a screenplay, only the book has yet to make it to the screen (as of April 2014).
♦ Why Suggested? It’s another election year in the USA. The witty comedic twist probably could not have been pulled off if Arthur had resurfaced anywhere else in the world other than New York City. If you decide to read Knight Life, you’ll breeze right through the first chapter. When you get to the next chapter, the armored knight makes his first appearance in Central Park. At that point … _______.
All quotations were lifted right out of the book. Were I to pick a favorite line from this novel, it would be Arthur Penn’s response to the question regarding which political party he represented. “I’m an Independent”, he called. “I subscribe to no party line save for the dictates of my conscience.”
Title: Knight Life
Author: Peter David
Genre: Science Fiction and Fantasy
Publisher: Ace Books, published by arrangement with Second Age, Inc.
Anthony “Tony” Robbins and Joseph McClendon III jointly authored a self-help book titled “Unlimited Power: A Black Choice”.
● ● ●
The Robbins-McClendon collaboration was published 1997, i.e. pre-Obama. Now that America has made a choice and elected an African-American as POTUS, this self-help book could serve as a U.S. historical perspective.
Ever hear of Tony Robbins? He’s an excellent motivational speaker and author of several bestselling books on how to forge your path to success. My son appears to be a huge fan. He’s always quoting him. This article is about one of the books found in my son’s personal library, which is now in my possession because when he moved out it was left in a box in the garage. No, I won’t be taking it to the Antiques Roadshow for appraisal. Instead, I’m giving it my own appraisal and sharing my valuation.
Tony or Anthony Robbins co-authored this book with a friend and fellow professional, Joseph McClendon III. Both of these guys have unquestionable credentials. If you want to know what makes them think that they know enough to tell you anything, just flip to the pages at the end entitled “About the Authors”. Also, an important note to mention is that Mr. Robbins is a philanthropist and in addition to operating his own non-profit organization, ten percent of the royalties from the sales of this co-authored work are donated to the Young Black College Fund for the mentoring of young African-Americans. The book is called: “Unlimited Power: A Black Choice”.
There are several reasons why a person, regardless of their background, would probably like this book. For one thing, it has great quotes woven into the chapters from celebrities like Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey; and historical Americans like Sojourner Truth and Booker T. Washington. There are also quotations from two people whose sayings appear in writings by almost everybody: Unknown and Anonymous. You might be tempted to just skim through the leaves looking for all the “Who said what” remarks.
Another reason? Quickly peruse the Table of Contents and your curiosity will be aroused. Although you may say to yourself that there is no new thing for you to learn, you might convince yourself that it’s worth further examination. For example, “Mastering Your Mind: How to Run Your Brain”. Sounds fascinating! I must figure out how to do this because my brain always runs away from me! Or how about this interesting title: “The Difference That Makes the Difference”. Hmm? What difference could that be?
In all, the book is very good motivational reading. Although, to be honest, the basics of how to develop a spirit and mindset to achieve unlimited success are something that surely every human being must already know, instinctively or intuitively.
(1) Don’t lie. (2) Don’t cheat. (3) Don’t steal.
These are not optional. They are commandments.
(1) Don’t whine. (2) Don’t complain. (3) Don’t make excuses.
Well thanks a lot, Joe and Tony! Now, what am I supposed to use for hindrances to slow me down and stop me?!
The basics aside, there is some awfully good information and advice which can be extracted and learned: memory management; the precision model; healthy eating tips (food is fuel); and various motivation strategies. The insertion and application of the Peanuts® comic strip is priceless.
One final reason one might consider reading or reviewing this Robbins-McClendon collaborative effort? It is 2014. America made a choice and elected an African-American who is now serving his second term as President of the United States. This book was published pre-Obama in 1997. I think it would be a good read for a U.S. historical perspective.
A lot has happened in my lifetime, since the 1950s. Grew up in a segregated neighborhood. Attended segregated schools from kindergarten to 8th grade.
People say water fountains, restrooms, and other public facilities were clearly marked with signs that said “Whites” and “Coloreds Only”. Of a truth, that’s not in my childhood memory. The Civil Rights Movement — the marches, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — those events are in my memory. My first experience attending an integrated high school with girls from ethnic and racial backgrounds different from mine. That’s in my memory.
(1) Use and abuse of illegal drugs becoming commonplace. Talkin’ ’bout my generation.
(2) Fornication — i.e. sexual relations outside of the marriage bed becoming acceptable and even expected behavior.
(3) Homosexuals coming out of the closets and parading in the streets.
(4) AIDS.
Many people point to (1) through (4) as “proof” that our nation is in decline. We're just like the ancient Roman empire. They were destroyed from within by their corruption, depravity. and a lack of morality. The citizens don't respect God anymore!
(Yawn.) You want proof that the USA is following the path of the Roman Empire?
When the words “In God We Trust” are removed from our currency; and the phrase “one nation under God” is deleted from the Pledge of Allegiance, you’ll have PROOF!! OK?
Speaking as an American, it is my opinion and firm belief that America may not be a perfect nation but it is a great nation. I believe that it is our country’s diversity that contributes to its strength. Sadly, our diversity also creates a weak link in the chain of humanity. But rather than dwell on the negatives, it is better to shine a light on the positives.
One of the positives is that in America, even though we come together as one, we also choose to show appreciation for our differences. This is why there are certain months or time periods during the year where we celebrate the cultural differences and heritage of the citizens who comprise the United States of America and their contributions.
For example:
February is Black History Month (also called African-American History Month)
March is Irish-American Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
October is Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month
November is Native American Heritage Month
Since it is the month of February and my background is African-American, this article is written for the purpose of highlighting certain African-American citizens who have made significant contributions to the building of America and who are human beings worthy of honor, admiration, and respect. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list. Just summary highlights of three historical figures and what they did to make America great, with links that supply additional details and information if you want to know more.
No discussion of African-American history would be complete without the mention of Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895) was a free man who was born a slave. He made it his mission in life to change not only his circumstances but to fight for the human rights of all those who were enslaved in America. He had hope, he understood the vision of our founding fathers, and he truly believed that America was meant to be “the land of the free”.
Sojourner Truth (1797 – 1883) was a free woman who was born a slave. She escaped slavery and once those shackles were broken she set her mind to liberating others. She believed that she had been called by God to accomplish her work. Because of her contributions to the abolitionist movement and the fight for freedom in America, her name is on a list of the “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time”.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968) was a man with a dream. He died before he saw his dream become a reality; struck down by an assassin’s bullet. But the records of America’s history rightly credit him with playing a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement which ultimately resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And he did it without a gun!
It’s a blessing to celebrate America’s unity and diversity. We don’t have to make America great again. This nation is already great. We just need to keep it great and make it even better.
* * *
Interesting Note: America is not the only country that sets aside a month to celebrate the heritage and contributions of persons with African heritage. Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands also celebrate.
