On March 19, 1895 Clatonia Joaquin Dorticus received a patent for a device that facilitated applying dye to the heels and the sides of the soles of shoes.
Black History Fact Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jul•
07•15
Quote Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jul•
07•15
“If I allow the fact that I am a Negro to checkmate my will to do, now, I will inevitably form the habit of being defeated.” -Paul Williams
The Black History Fact Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jul•
06•15
In 1921, Paul Williams became the first certified African-American architect west of the State of Mississippi. Paul Williams designed many well-known public and private buildings. His works include: The Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles County Courthouse, the Shrine Auditorium, Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills; and the homes of Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz, Fran Sinatra, Barbara Stanwyck, and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.
Quote Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jul•
06•15
“If you don’t like yourself people can tell you anything and you’ll believe it.” -Dr. Frances Cress Welsing
Huey Newton On The Police & The Community
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jul•
03•15
“The police should be the people of the community in uniform. There should be no division or conflict of interest between the people and the police. Once there is a division, then the police become the enemy of the people. The police should serve the interest of the people and be one and the same. When this principle breaks down, then the police become an occupying army. When historically one race has oppressed another and policemen are recruited from the oppressor race to patrol the communities of the oppressed people, an intolerable contradiction exists.” -Huey Newton
TODAY IS BUY BLACK FRIDAY
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jul•
03•15
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
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Jul•
03•15
“Because we lack political power, Black people are not free.” -Huey Newton
Definitions Better Than Webster’s: Habit
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jul•
02•15
HABIT:
“Our lives- all of our lives, all races, all classes- have a regular course to them. They are habit-shaped. There is habit in the way we see ourselves, the way we see and relate to each other, as genders, as classes, as races. Habit has to it a silence, a soothing transparency. In our cluttered lives, charged with the burdens of the clock and the cool embrace of electronic socialization, habit relieves us of the myriad social decisions we’ve neither the time nor the energy to make or remake. Why throw the rice at the bridal couple? Who knows anymore? But everyone throws it. Harmless, eh? Most customs are, and habits as well. Habit does not alleviate pain. It does, however, cause us often to forget its source.” -From, “The Debt” By: Randall Robinson
Black History Fact Of The Day: Happy Birthday Medgar Evers
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jul•
02•15
On this day, July 2, in 1925 Medgar Evers was born.
