Lillian Evanti, who was born Annie Lillian Evans, is credited as being the first African American to sing grand opera professionally. She was also one of the founders of National Negro Opera Company. Lillian Evanti also spoke five languages.
Black History Fact Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
26•12
Quote Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
26•12
“For what is the value of democracy if our opinions are formed, our appetites manipulated, and our values shaped, our decisions made, our most fundamental needs camouflaged by the puppet-masters of politics and profit?” -Randall Robinson
Book Excerpt Of The Week- Part 2, “What The Bleep Do We Know!?” By: Arntz, Chasse, and Vicente
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
23•12
“I am reminded constantly of Gandhi’s statement, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’ For many this is an elusive idea. The notion that somehow me changing is going to affect the rest of reality seems well…like a sweet idea. But when you look at the work that Radin, Sheldrake, Hagelin or Laszlo are doing, Gandhi’s statement is starting to make more sense. Why should we be the change we want to see? Because we are entangled with everyone. Every thought matters. Who we are ‘matters’ to everyone else. What if it really is that simple?” -From, “What The Bleep Do We Know!?”
Book Excerpt Of The Week- Part 1, “What The Bleep Do We Know!?” By: Arntz, Chasse, and Vicente
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
23•12
“In the 60’s we all talked about the Military Industrial Complex (MIC). And while that is still quite an operative force, quietly and steadily over the years it has been supplanted by the Entertainment Industrial Complex (EIC). This impacts everyone’s life moment by moment a hundred times more than the MIC. You see, the EIC are masters of two important things: manipulating desire and choice, and disempowering people. They use ‘entertainment’ to create the desire and the emptiness that makes you buy what they produce. And although in principle it’s not that different from the Roman coliseum, with the reach of technology, it’s overpowering. Just observe how every news show, magazine, movie, TV show creates desires and/or makes you feel powerless and empty- feelings that only products can fill.” -From, “What The Bleep Do We Know!?” By: Arntz, Chasse, and Vicente
Black History Fact Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
23•12
Philip Emeagwali is an expert in astronomy, physics, and math. The computers he invented are currently being used to forecast the weather and predict future global warming.
TODAY IS BUY BLACK FRIDAY
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
23•12
PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:
The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.
The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.
As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.
The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.
The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”
BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:
Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].
To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.
ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.
I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.
-Elsie Law AKA Starface
Quote Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
23•12
“Although America has only one-twentieth of the world’s population, we consume 67 percent of the world’s drugs. So now you know the rest of the world doesn’t have the drug problem that America has. We must then ask ourselves, is this the price we pay for racism? Is this the price we pay for putting our foot on one group of people to make them stay down? Is this the price we pay to let the foot stay on us, without fighting back?” -Dick Gregory
Black History Fact Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
21•12
Frederick Jones, mechanic and inventor, created new devices prolifically. His inventions included: the first automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks, a self-starting gas engine, a bevy of apparatus for the movie projector, and over 40 devices in the field of refrigeration.
Quote Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
21•12
“I love books, by the way, way more than movies. Movies tell you what to think. A good book lets you choose a few thoughts for yourself. Movies show you the pink house. A good book tells you there’s a pink house and lets you paint some of the finishing touches, maybe choose the roof style, park your own car out front. My imagination has always topped anything a movie could come up with.” -Karen Marie Moning
Quote Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
-
Nov•
19•12
“If more athletes, coaches, and trainers would incorporate nutrition into their daily routine the way they do physical exercise, they would stand a better chance of becoming champions. Because they don’t, the average life expectancy of a professional athlete is fifty-four years of age. Believe it or not, many a wino’s life expectancy is longer than that. One day, when researchers stop being so awed by the game of sports, they will see a thing call sports abuse. Then athletes will learn to play sports without abusing their bodies.” -Dick Gregory
