To Pimp A System

Happy Black History Month ❤

Neil deGrasse Tyson the Great

Happy Black History Month ❤

Neil deGrasse Tyson (born October 5, 1958)

Early Life

One of America's best-known scientists, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has spent much of his career sharing his knowledge with others. He has a great talent for presenting complex concepts in a clear and accessible manner.

Tyson grew up in New York City. When he was nine, he took a trip to the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History where he got his first taste of star-gazing. Tyson later took classes at the Planetarium and got his own telescope. As a teenager, he would watch the skies from the roof of his apartment building.

An excellent student, Tyson graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1976. He then earned a bachelor's degree in Physics from Harvard University and a doctorate in astrophysics from Columbia University in 1991. After spending a few years doing post-doctorate work at Princeton University, Tyson landed a job at the Hayden Planetarium.

Career Highlights

Tyson eventually became the director of the Planetarium and worked on an extensive renovation of the facility, from assisting with its design to helping raise the necessary funds. This $210 million project was completed in 2000, and the revamped site offered visitors a cutting-edge look at astronomy. One of Tyson's most controversial decisions at the time was the removal of Pluto from the display of planets. He classified Pluto as a dwarf planet, which invoked a strong response from some visitors. While some asked for the planet Pluto back, the International Astronomical Union followed Tyson's lead in 2006. The organization officially labeled Pluto as a dwarf planet.

In addition to his work at the planetarium, Tyson has found other ways of improving the nation's scientific literacy. "One of my goals is to bring the universe down to Earth in a way that further excites the audience to want more," he once said. To this end, Tyson has written several books for the general public, including Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet. He has taken his message to the airwaves as well, serving as the host of PBS's NOVA ScienceNow documentary series from 2006 to 2011. In addition to breaking down barriers between scientists and the general public, Tyson has brought diversity to astrophysics. He is one of the few African Americans in his field.

Tyson has also served as a presidential advisor. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed him to a commission on the future of the aerospace industry. He also served another commission three years later to examine U.S. policy on space exploration.

These days, Tyson is one of the most in-demand science experts. He gives talks across the country and is a media favorite whenever there is an important science issue making news. Tyson is known for his ability to make difficult concepts accessible to every audience, his oratory skills and his sense of humor, which has led to appearances on such shows as Real Time with Bill Maher, The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. He also hosts his own podcast StarTalk Radio, a science-based talk show that features comedic co-hosts.

In 2014, Tyson hosted and was the executive editor of a 13-episode television series entitled COSMOS: A Space-Time Odyssey. The series reboots the classic science documentary, Cosmos. The original version featured Carl Sagan as host and provided a general audience with a greater understanding of the origin of life and our universe.

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” 

“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you.” 

Source: Biography.com

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study Timeline

The Study Begins

In 1932, the Public Health Service, working with the Tuskegee Institute, began a study to record the natural history of syphilis in hopes of justifying treatment programs for blacks. It was called the "Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male."

The study initially involved 600 black men – 399 with syphilis, 201 who did not have the disease. The study was conducted without the benefit of patients' informed consent. Researchers told the men they were being treated for "bad blood," a local term used to describe several ailments, including syphilis, anemia, and fatigue. In truth, they did not receive the proper treatment needed to cure their illness. In exchange for taking part in the study, the men received free medical exams, free meals, and burial insurance. Although originally projected to last 6 months, the study actually went on for 40 years.

What Went Wrong?

In July 1972, an Associated Press story about the Tuskegee Study caused a public outcry that led the Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs to appoint an Ad Hoc Advisory Panel to review the study. The panel had nine members from the fields of medicine, law, religion, labor, education, health administration, and public affairs.

The panel found that the men had agreed freely to be examined and treated. However, there was no evidence that researchers had informed them of the study or its real purpose. In fact, the men had been misled and had not been given all the facts required to provide informed consent.

The men were never given adequate treatment for their disease. Even when penicillin became the drug of choice for syphilis in 1947, researchers did not offer it to the subjects. The advisory panel found nothing to show that subjects were ever given the choice of quitting the study, even when this new, highly effective treatment became widely used.

The Study Ends and Reparation Begins

The advisory panel concluded that the Tuskegee Study was "ethically unjustified"--the knowledge gained was sparse when compared with the risks the study posed for its subjects. In October 1972, the panel advised stopping the study at once. A month later, the Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs announced the end of the Tuskegee Study.

In the summer of 1973, a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of the study participants and their families. In 1974, a $10 million out-of-court settlement was reached. As part of the settlement, the U.S. government promised to give lifetime medical benefits and burial services to all living participants. The Tuskegee Health Benefit Program (THBP) was established to provide these services. In 1975, wives, widows and offspring were added to the program. In 1995, the program was expanded to include health as well as medical benefits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was given responsibility for the program, where it remains today in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. The last study participant died in January 2004. The last widow receiving THBP benefits died in January 2009. There are 12 offspring currently receiving medical and health benefits.

Source: CDC.gov

The Queens of Sing

Happy Black History Month ❤

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012)

• Houston's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," performed by her at Super Bowl XXV in 1991, became certified platinum, and it raised money for the victims of 9/11.

• The Preacher's Wife Original Soundtrack Album is the best-selling Gospel album of all time, with sales of over three million copies in the United States and six million copies worldwide.

• When the fourth single "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" from her second album, Whitney, reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart on April 23, 1988, Houston became the first female artist to achieve four No. 1 singles from one album.

• "I Will Always Love You" topped the Hot 100 for fourteen consecutive weeks from November 28, 1992 to February 27, 1993, making it the longest-running number one single ever by a female solo artist and from a soundtrack album.

• Houston became the first woman to place nine albums in the top 100 of the Billboard 200 chart at the same time, the issue dated March 17, 2012.

• "I Will Always Love You" topped the Hot 100 Single Sales chart for fourteen weeks, a record by a female artist, which she also shares with Mariah Carey. 

Mariah Carey (March 27, 1969) 

• Carey has sold more than 200 million albums, singles and videos worldwide, making her the best-selling female artist of all time. 

• Her voice has a five-octave vocal range.

• Has had 18 No. 1 hits, the most of any solo artist on Billboard's Hot 100 charts.

• Her song with Boyz II Men "One Sweet Day" holds the record for being the longest running number one song for being the longest running number one song in history after spending 16 weeks on the Billboard 100.

• She is the most successful selling female artist in music history and is the only female artist to have straight #1 singles and albums.

• With 18 Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers, Mariah holds the record for the most No. 1s by a female artist • Mariah has a host of awards including 5 Grammy Awards, 18 World Music Awards, 10 American Music Awards, 32 Billboard Music Awards, and a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Sources:

Wikipedia.org

CNN.com

Boomsbeat.com

About M.J. Jackson

Happy Black History Month ❤

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) 

• Biggest Selling Album Of All Time - Guiness Book Of World Records: Michael Jackson's "Thriller" Album is the biggest selling album of all time, with over 50 million copies sold worldwide. Thriller is also the biggest selling U.S album with sales of 25 million copies.

• Most Grammy Awards - Guiness Book Of World Records: Michael won a record breaking 8 Grammy Awards in 1984, more than any other artist in one year.

• Greatest Audience - Guiness Book Of World Records: The highest-ever viewership was 133.4 million viewers watching the NBC transmission of Super Bowl XXVII on June 31, 1993. Michael was spotlighted during the half-time performance. 

• Billboard "Hot 100" Singles Chart: Most #1 Hits by Male Artist (13) 

• #1 On Charts: In 1983 Michael became the first artist to simultaneously hold the number one spots on Billboard's rock albums and rock singles charts, as well as the R&B albums and singles charts. 

• First Video: Michael Jackson was the first Black artist to have a video aired on MTV

 • Billboard Charts: Michael Jackson is the first person in the 37 year history of the chart to enter at # 1, with his single "You Are Not Alone". 

• Jackson was the first artist to chart seven Top 10 singles from one album (Thriller). 

• Jackson (aged 11 years, 5 months, and 2 days) is the youngest vocalist ever to top the Hot 100. As part of the Jackson 5, he topped the charts with "I Want You Back" on the week of January 31, 1970.

• With "Thriller"'s "Billie Jean", Jackson became the first to simultaneously have the number one album and number one single on Billboard's pop and R&B charts.

• Jackson holds the record of Longest Span of US top 40 singles with a span of 42 years and six months. He first charted on the Hot 100 with "Got to Be There" on November 6, 1971 and the last hit with "Love Never Felt So Good" on May 21, 2014. 

Sources:

www.allmichaeljackson.com

www.wikipedia.org

About Instagram Captions

Happy Black History Month ❤

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About African Athletes

Happy Black History Month ❤

we excel at literally anything we put our minds to 

Top: Muhammad Ali (best boxer) , Serena Williams (best tennis player), Michael Jordan (best basketball player)

Bottom: Jackie Robinson (first MLB African baseball player), Usain Boldt (fastest runner in the world), Tiger Woods (best golfer)

 

 

About Half-Time Shows

Happy Black History Month ❤

  

 

About Emmett Till

Happy Black History Month ❤

"Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941 – August 28, 1955) 

was an African-American teenager who was lynched in Mississippi at the age of 14, after reportedly flirting with a white woman. Till was from Chicago, Illinois, and visiting relatives in Money, a small town in the Mississippi Delta region. He spoke to 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant, the married proprietor of a small grocery store there. Several nights later, Bryant's husband Roy and his half-brother J. W. Milam went to Till's great-uncle's house and abducted the boy. They took him away and beat and mutilated him before shooting him and sinking his body in the Tallahatchie River. Three days later, Till's body was discovered and retrieved from the river.

            Till's body was returned to Chicago. His mother, who had mostly raised him, insisted on a public funeral service with an open casket to show the world the brutality of the killing. 'The open-coffin funeral held by Mamie Till Bradley exposed the world to more than her son Emmett Till's bloated, mutilated body. Her decision focused attention not only on American racism and the barbarism of lynching but also on the limitations and vulnerabilities of American democracy'. Tens of thousands attended his funeral or viewed his casket and images of his mutilated body were published in black-oriented magazines and newspapers, rallying popular black support and white sympathy across the U.S. Intense scrutiny was brought to bear on the condition of black civil rights in Mississippi, with newspapers around the country critical of the state. Although initially local newspapers and law enforcement officials decried the violence against Till and called for justice, they soon began responding to national criticism by defending Mississippians, which eventually transformed into support for the killers.

            In September 1955, Bryant and Milam were acquitted of Till's kidnapping and murder. Protected against double jeopardy, Bryant and Milam publicly admitted in an interview with Look magazine that they killed Till." (Wikipedia.org) 

Treasures, Part 2

Happy Black History Month ❤

            "The Nefertiti Bust is a 3,300-year-old painted limestone bust of Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, who has become one of the most famous women of the ancient world, and an icon of feminine beauty. The work is believed to have been crafted in 1345 BCE by the sculptor Thutmose." (Tumblr.com)

About Mr. X

Happy Black History Month ❤

"Malcolm X (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965),

born Malcolm Little, was an American Muslim minister and a human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against Black Americans; detractors accused him of preaching racism and violence. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African-Americans in history. Malcolm X was effectively orphaned early in life. His father was killed when he was six and his mother was placed in a mental hospital when he was thirteen, after which he lived in a series of foster homes. In 1946, at age 20, he went to prison for larceny and breaking and entering. While in prison, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam, and after his parole in 1952, quickly rose to become one of the organization's most influential leaders. He served as the public face of the controversial group for a dozen years. In his autobiography, Malcolm X wrote proudly of some of the social achievements the Nation made while he was a member, particularly its free drug rehabilitation program. In keeping with the Nation's teachings, he promoted Black supremacy, advocated the separation of Black and white Americans, and rejected the civil rights movement for their emphasis on integration. He continued to emphasize Pan-Africanism, Black self-determination, and Black self-defense... In February 1965 he was assassinated by three Nation of Islam members. 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X', published shortly after his death, is considered one of the most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century." (Wikipedia.org) 

"I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to the American black man's problem just to avoid violence."

"Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery."

"Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change."

About Ancient Treasures

Happy Black History Month ❤

      "The Great Sphinx of Giza, a giant limestone figure with the body of a lion and the head of a man wearing a pharaoh's headdress, is the national symbol of Egypt—both ancient and modern—and one of the world’s most famous monuments. Despite its iconic status, geologists, archaeologists, Egyptologists and others continue to debate the Sphinx's enduring riddle: Exactly how old is it? The most common wisdom holds that the monolith is around 4,500 years old, and was built for Khafre, a pharaoh of Egypt's Fourth Dynasty who lived circa 2603-2578 B.C. His pyramid is the second tallest of the pyramids built at Giza, next to his father Khufu's Great Pyramid. To make up for its lesser size, Khafre's pyramid was built at a higher elevation and surrounded by a more elaborate complex with numerous statues, including the Sphinx, the head of which is thought to be built in the pharaoh’s own image." (History.com) 

"Be, be, 'fore we came to this country / we were kings and queens, never porch monkeys / it was empires in Africa called Kush / Timbuktu, where every race came to get books / to learn from Black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans / Asian-Arabs and gave them gold when / gold was converted to money it all changed / money then became empowerment for Europeans / the Persian military invaded / they learned about the gold, the teachings, and everything sacred / Africa was almost robbed naked / slavery was money, so they began making slave ships / Egypt was the place that Alexander the Great went / he was so shocked at the mountains with Black faces / shot up they nose to impose what basically / still goes on today, you see?" 

("I Can" by Nas, 2003)

About Miss Tubman

Happy Black History Month ❤

Harriet Tubman (c. 1823-March 10, 1913) 

was born Araminta Harriet Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland. "Physical violence was a part of daily life for Tubman and her family. The violence she suffered early in life caused permanent physical injuries. Harriet later recounted a particular day when she was lashed five times before breakfast. She carried the scars for the rest of her life...By the time Harriet reached adulthood, around half of the African-American people on the eastern shore of Maryland were free...Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in 1849, fleeing to Philadelphia. Tubman decided to escape following a bout of illness and the death of her owner in 1849. Tubman feared that her family would be further severed, and feared for own her fate as a sickly slave of low economic value...Tubman made use of the network known as the Underground Railroad to travel nearly 90 miles to Philadelphia. She crossed into the free state of Pennsylvania with a feeling of relief and awe, and recalled later: 'When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven'... Over time, she was able to guide her parents, several siblings, and about 60 others to freedom...The dynamics of escaping slavery changed in 1850, with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law. This law stated that escaped slaves could be captured in the North and returned to slavery...In response to the law, Tubman re-routed the Underground Railroad to Canada, which prohibited slavery... In December 1851, Tubman guided a group of 11 fugitives northward...Harriet Tubman remained active during the Civil War. Working for the Union Army as a cook and nurse, Tubman quickly became an armed scout and spy. The first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, she guided the Combahee River Raid, which liberated more than 700 slaves in South Carolina...Harriet Tubman died of pneumonia in 1913." (Biography.com)

About Mr. B.T. Washington

Happy Black History Month ❤

Booker T. Washington (April 5, 1856—November 14, 1915) 

     "Booker Taliaferro Washington's life had little promise early on...Booker's mother, Jane, worked as a cook for plantation owner James Burroughs. His father was an unknown white man, most likely from a nearby plantation. Booker's first exposure to education was from the outside of school house near the plantation; looking inside, he saw children his age sitting at desks and reading books. He wanted to do what those children were doing, but he was a slave, and it was illegal to teach slaves to read and write... Booker's mother noticed his interest in learning and got him a book from which he learned the alphabet and how to read and write basic words. [The Civil War ended in 1865.]

     In 1866, Booker T. Washington got a job as a houseboy for Viola Ruffner... she saw something in Booker—his maturity, intelligence and integrity—and soon warmed up to him. Over the two years he worked for her, she understood his desire for an education and allowed him to go to school for an hour a day during the winter months... In 1872, he convinced administrators to let him attend the school [Hampton Normal Agricultural Institute] and took a job as a janitor to help pay his tuition...Booker T. Washington graduated from Hampton in 1875 with high marks..." In 1881, he started the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. "Under Booker T. Washington's leadership, Tuskegee became a leading school in the country. Washington put much of himself into the school's curriculum, stressing the virtues of patience, enterprise, and thrift... Many Southern whites, including some prominent members of Congress, saw Washington's success as an affront and called for action to put African Americans 'in their place'... Booker T. Washington remained the head of Tuskegee Institute until his death." (Biography.com) 

     Mr. Washington was an adviser to presidents Theodore Roosevelt & William Taft. "He called for Black progress through education and entrepreneurship, rather than trying to challenge directly the Jim Crow segregation..." (Wikipedia.org) 

Autobiography: "Up From Slavery" (1901)

Modern Spirituals

I Can — Nas

Don't Shoot — The Game featuring Rick Ross, 

2 Chainz, Diddy, Fabolous, Wale, DJ Khaled, Swizz Beatz, 

Yo Gotti, Curren$y, Problem, King Pharaoh, & TGT

Black Rage — Lauryn Hill

Why — Jadakiss

Blackboy — Tech N9ne featuring Ice Cube, Krizz Kaliko, & Brother J

Freedom — Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton

Why We Thugs — Ice Cube

Don'tgetit — Lil Wayne

Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It — Ice Cube

Streiht Up Menace — MC Eiht

Coming From Where I'm From — Anthony Hamilton

Keep Ya Head Up — 2pac

Be Free — J. Cole 

Hood Mentality — Ice Cube

About Miss Truth

Happy Black History Month ❤

Sojourner Truth (c 1797—November 26, 1883)

was born in New York; her birth name being Isabella Baumfree. Her first language was Dutch, though she learned English at a young age. In late 1826, she escaped slavery with her daughter Sophia. New York emancipated all slaves in July 1927, but her son Peter was illegally sold to an Alabama man. "She took the issue to court and eventually secured Peter's return from the South. The case was one of the first in which a black woman successfully challenged a white man in a United States court... On June 1, 1843, Isabella Baumfree changed her name to Sojourner Truth, devoting her life to...the abolition of slavery...In 1850 her memoirs were published under the title 'The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave'. Truth dictated her recollections to a friend, Olive Gilbert, since she could not read or write... That same year, Truth spoke at the first National Women's Rights Convention in Worcester, Massachusetts... In May of 1851, Truth delivered a speech at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron [where she delivered her famous "Ain't I A Woman?" speech]...She openly expressed concern that the [abolitionist] movement would fizzle after achieving victories for black men, leaving both white and black women without suffrage and other key political rights...On at least one occasion, Truth met and spoke with President Abraham Lincoln about her beliefs and her experience... In 1865, Truth attempted to force the desegregation of streetcars in Washington by riding in cars designated for whites. A major project of her later life was the movement to secure land grants from the federal government for former slaves. She argued that ownership of private property, and particularly land, would give African Americans self-sufficiency and free them from a kind of indentured servitude to wealthy landowners. Although Truth pursued this goal forcefully for many years, she was unable to sway Congress... Until old age intervened, Truth continued to speak passionately on the subjects of women's rights, universal suffrage, and prison reform."

Source: Biography.com

Ain't I A Woman? by Sojourner Truth

Delivered 1851 at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio:

Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them. 

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.

About Mr. Douglass

Happy Black History Month ❤   

        "Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, died February 20, 1895) 

was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement from Massachusetts and New York, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writings. He stood as a living counter-example to slaveholders' arguments that slaves lacked the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. Even many Northerners at the time found it hard to believe that such a great orator had such been a slave." (Wikipedia.org)

[Nessie's Note: Mr. Douglass TAUGHT HIMSELF how to read.]

        "I was born in Tuckahoe, near Hillsborough, and about twelve miles from Easton, in Talbot county, Maryland. I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They seldom come nearer to it than planting-time, harvest-time, cherry-time, spring-time, or fall-time. A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege. I was not allowed to make any inquiries of my master concerning it. He deemed all such inquiries on the part of a slave improper and impertinent, and evidence of a restless spirit. The nearest estimate I can give makes me now between twenty-seven and twenty-eight years of age. I come to this, from hearing my master say, some time during 1835, I was about seventeen years old." © Douglass, 1845